LipoGetting started with Lipo
Lipo is a voice dictation app for your Mac. You click into any text field, hold a key, and talk — Lipo transcribes what you said, cleans it up with AI, and pastes polished text right where your cursor is. It works in 60 languages and in any app where you can type. Beyond dictation, Lipo can translate as you speak, turn screen recordings into structured briefs, and speed up your day with screenshots and clipboard history.
This guide takes you from download to your first dictation. It takes about five minutes.
Before you install
- A Mac running macOS 15.2 or later.
- An internet connection. Lipo processes your speech in the cloud, so dictation needs to be online.
- A Lipo account. You'll create one during setup if you don't have one yet. New accounts start a free 7-day Pro Plus trial — no card required.
Install Lipo
- Go to uselipo.com and click Get started. Once you've signed up, you'll land on a page with the download link.
- Open the downloaded file and drag Lipo into your Applications folder.
- Launch Lipo from Applications. The setup assistant opens automatically the first time.
The setup assistant
The first launch walks you through a short setup. Here's what each step does.
1. Sign in
Click Continue with browser. Your web browser opens for a quick sign-in, and the app updates automatically once you're done — there's nothing to copy back. If you already purchased a plan on the website, sign in with the same account you used at checkout and Lipo unlocks right away. New accounts start the free 7-day Pro Plus trial.
2. Country and language
Lipo pre-fills your country and spoken language from your Mac's settings — check that both are right. The language you pick here becomes Lipo's default for dictation. Twelve common languages appear as one-click chips; click the picker to search all 60. You can change this anytime later in the Dictation tab.
3. A few quick questions
Lipo asks what you'll use it for, what best describes you, and how you heard about it. These answers help us build the right features — they don't change how the app works.
4. Permissions
Lipo needs two macOS permissions, and dictation can't work without them, so the setup assistant won't let you continue until both are on:
| Permission | Why Lipo needs it |
|---|---|
| Microphone | So Lipo can hear you when you dictate. Lipo only listens while you're recording — never in the background. |
| Accessibility | Lets your dictation hotkey work in any app, and lets Lipo paste the finished text for you. |
Click Allow next to each one and approve the system prompt. If you accidentally deny a permission, the button changes to Open Settings and takes you straight to the right pane in System Settings — turn on Lipo there and come back.
Features that capture your screen — Screenshot and Visual Brief — ask for the Screen Recording permission separately, the first time you use them. Lipo never records audio or your screen unless you start a feature that needs it.
5. You're ready
The last screen shows your dictation hotkey. Out of the box it's Right ⌥ Option — the Option key to the right of your space bar. Click Open Lipo to finish.
Your first dictation
- Click into any place you can type — a message in Slack, an email draft, a document, an AI chat box.
- Hold Right ⌥ Option and start talking. A small floating pill appears near the bottom-left of your screen with a moving waveform, so you know Lipo is listening.
- Speak naturally. Hesitate, restart a sentence, correct yourself out loud — Lipo applies your corrections and removes the filler.
- Release the key when you're done. Lipo pastes clean, finished text right where your cursor is.
Changed your mind mid-sentence? Press Escape or click the × on the pill to discard the recording without pasting anything.
That hold-to-talk flow is the default. If you'd rather press once to start and once to stop, switch to Toggle in the Dictation tab — and you can change the hotkey itself there too.
A quick tour of the app
Open the Lipo window from your Dock or the Lipo icon in the menu bar. The sidebar on the left is where everything lives:
- Home — your dashboard: dictation stats and recent history.
- Dictation — your hotkey, language, modes (Casual, Formal, Vibe Coding), per-app mode assignments, and your Dictionary.
- Translation — speak in one language, paste in another.
- Visual Brief — record your screen while you talk and get a structured brief you can hand to an AI tool.
- Screenshot — capture shortcuts, history, and how captures open on screen.
- Clipboard — local clipboard history and right-side shortcuts.
- Settings — general app behavior, plus your subscription and usage.
- Account — who's signed in and your plan.
- Support — guides and ways to reach us.
Each feature has its own guide in these docs — see the sidebar for what's coming.
Frequently asked questions
Which Macs can run Lipo?
Lipo requires macOS 15.2 or later. It works in any app where you can type — Mail, Slack, browsers, code editors, AI chat tools, and everything else.
Do I need an internet connection?
Yes. Lipo transcribes and cleans up your speech in the cloud, so dictation needs to be online. Your dictation history, screenshots, and clipboard history stay stored locally on your Mac.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. New accounts start a free 7-day Pro Plus trial with full access. No card is required, so nothing is charged when the trial ends.
I denied a permission during setup. How do I fix it?
Open System Settings → Privacy & Security, choose Microphone or Accessibility, and turn on Lipo. The setup assistant's Open Settings button takes you to the right pane directly.
Ready to try it? Start your free 7-day Pro Plus trial — full access, no card required.
Start the free trial