Getting better,
one release at a time.

New name

• Tess is now TessFlo.
• Existing settings, history, models, and access continue to work after updating.

Legal and policy updates

• Updated the TessFlo Terms of Use to version 1.10.
• Updated the TessFlo Privacy Policy to version 1.9.
• Updated the TessFlo Refund Policy to version 1.6.
• Updated the TessFlo Light Cleanup Agreement to version 1.3.
• Updated the bundled model notices, third-party notices, and applicable licenses.

New: Insights

• Explore your dictation activity over the last 180 days.
• View daily activity, words spoken, speaking duration, destination apps, and hourly usage.
• Insights stays synchronized with your saved history, including edits and deletions.
• Statistics are calculated locally on your Mac.

Redesigned History

• Browse a cleaner, full-width history grouped by day.
• Expand one dictation at a time to review the final text, original transcript, and processing details.
• Quickly copy, edit, restore, or delete a saved dictation.
• Find dictations with a searchable application filter and locally resolved app icons.
• Export history as JSON, CSV, Markdown, or TXT through Manage history.
• Only the first item on page one opens automatically; later pages start collapsed.

Interface improvements

• Refreshed sidebar navigation icons.
• Added time-of-day icons beside the Home greeting.
• Improved the active Pro status styling.
• Added the running app version to Settings → Updates.

Fixes

• Improved explicit phrase replacements containing ordinary acronyms while preserving protected text.
• Fixed application-filter icons that appeared only after selecting an app.

Privacy

• Updated the bundled privacy policy to version 1.2, effective 16 October 2026.
• Clarified update-check preferences and the distinction between website analytics and local Mac app processing.
• Speech recognition and optional writing cleanup continue to run locally.

Microphone and recording reliability improvements

• Improved recovery when microphones are switched, disconnected, or reconnected.
• Reduced unnecessary microphone reconnections during recording.
• Improved preservation of captured audio when stopping during microphone recovery.

Application update improvements

• Automatic update checks are enabled by default, while preserving your saved preference.
• Available updates are now shown in the TessFlo menu and Settings.
• Update installation and restart wait for active dictation and processing to finish.

Microphone and recording reliability improvements

• Improved microphone selection and recovery when devices change.
• Improved recording startup and widget feedback.

Improvements

• Clearer model selection and auto-paste onboarding.
• Consistent Models labels and English dictation guidance.
• Improved recording widgets, captions, waveform animation, and Settings layout.
• Clearer cancel-shortcut permission guidance and recovery.

Fixes

• Reduced unnecessary licensing requests.
• Improved handling of overlapping licensing checks and deactivation.
• Improved legal-document tables and fast-scroll review tracking.

Notes

• Updated Terms, Privacy, Refund, and Light Cleanup documents.
• Updated policies may require renewed review or acknowledgement.
• Existing agreement records are retained.

What’s included

• Dictate anywhere. Start and stop with the global shortcut (Option+Space by default), the TessFlo window, or the menu bar.
• Choose how results appear. Show words while you speak or wait for the completed transcript.
• Keep speech on your Mac. Download the speech model once, then TessFlo transcribes locally, including when you are offline.
• Send text where you need it. Copy completed text to the clipboard or turn on automatic paste to insert it into the active app. Automatic paste requires macOS Accessibility permission.
• Review your dictation. Search and copy past transcripts, inspect raw and cleaned text, and export or delete history.
• Personalize written output. Save preferred spellings, set phrase replacements, or ask TessFlo to spell out the next dictation.
• Optional Light Cleanup. Download and enable it separately for local grammar and punctuation edits. The original transcript is preserved.
• Tune recording to your setup. Choose a microphone, configure recording feedback, and set TessFlo to stop after silence.
• Stay in control of updates. Check for TessFlo updates from Settings; TessFlo asks before installing an update.

Get started

1. Open TessFlo and review the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
2. Download the High quality speech model. Dictation becomes available when the download finishes.
3. Click in the app where you want text to appear, then press Option+Space to start and stop dictation.
4. Allow microphone access when macOS asks. To use automatic paste, turn it on in Settings and allow Accessibility access. Otherwise, copy the result from the clipboard.
5. To use Light Cleanup, download it separately and review its agreement.

Privacy and connectivity

Speech recognition and enabled Light Cleanup run locally on your Mac. TessFlo does not send audio or transcript content to its licensing service. An internet connection is used when you request model downloads, use licensing features, or check for updates.

Requirements

• macOS 14 or later on Apple Silicon (M1 or later).
• Microphone access for dictation.
• Accessibility access only if you enable automatic paste.
• Internet access for model downloads and online licensing or update checks.