How to install Walkie

Download Walkie from trywalkie.com, open the installer, then grant two permissions: Microphone, so it can hear you, and Accessibility (macOS only), so it can type into other apps. Walkie 1.4.0 runs on Apple Silicon Macs, on Windows 10 and later, and on an experimental Linux build. Skipping the Accessibility permission is the most common reason a fresh install seems to do nothing.

System requirements

PlatformRequirementStatus
macOSApple SiliconSupported
WindowsWindows 10 or later, x64Supported
Linuxx64, Wayland or X11Experimental — unsigned
iOSiPhone, iOS 17 or laterOn the App Store
AndroidComing soon

Install on macOS

  1. Download the .dmg from trywalkie.com.The download button picks the right file for your machine automatically.
  2. Open the .dmg and drag Walkie into your Applications folder.
  3. Launch Walkie from Applications.The first launch takes a moment longer while it unpacks its speech models.
  4. Grant Microphone access when macOS asks.Without this, recordings are silent.
  5. Grant Accessibility access when macOS asks.This is what lets Walkie type into other apps. macOS opens System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility; switch Walkie on.

Install on Windows

  1. Download the .exe installer from trywalkie.com.
  2. Run it. If SmartScreen appears, choose More info → Run anyway.Walkie is code-signed, but a new version can take time to build reputation with SmartScreen.
  3. Launch Walkie and allow Microphone access when Windows asks.

Windows does not have an equivalent of the macOS Accessibility permission, so there is no second prompt to grant.

Install on Linux

Linux support is experimental. Three package formats are published, and none of them are signed.

  • .AppImage — no install step; mark it executable and run it
  • .deb — for Debian and Ubuntu derivatives
  • .pkg.tar.zst — for Arch and Arch-based distributions

Linux needs a few setup steps the other platforms do not — the pacman repository, the compositor keybinding, text injection tools, and the Omarchy bar widget. They are all in How to set up Walkie on Linux.

Install on iPhone

Walkie for iPhone is on the App Store. It ships a keyboard extension, so after installing you also need to enable the Walkie keyboard.

  1. Install Walkie from the App Store and open it once to sign in.
  2. Go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards → Add New Keyboard and choose Walkie.
  3. Tap Walkie in that list and switch on Allow Full Access.Full Access is required for cloud transcription — without it the keyboard cannot reach the network.

Check that it works

Open any text field, hold your dictation shortcut, and say a sentence.

The default dictation shortcut on macOS is the Fn (Globe) key.Keyboard shortcut: Fn
On Windows and Linux the default is Ctrl + Space.Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl plus Space

Frequently asked questions about how to install Walkie

Why does Walkie need Accessibility permission on macOS?

Because it types into other applications. macOS treats sending keystrokes to another app as an accessibility feature, so any tool that inserts text system-wide has to be granted it. Walkie uses it only to insert your transcribed text.

Does Walkie run on Intel Macs?

No. The macOS build requires Apple Silicon.

How do I update Walkie?

Walkie updates itself. When a new version is available it downloads in the background and applies on the next restart. You can also download the latest build directly from trywalkie.com if an update fails.

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