> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.speakoflow.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Install SpeakoFlow

> How to install SpeakoFlow on Windows, macOS, or Linux, including which Linux package to pick and the one-time Terminal command that clears the macOS "app is damaged" message on unsigned builds.

Download SpeakoFlow for your operating system from the [Releases page](https://github.com/AbhishekBarali/SpeakoFlow/releases), then follow the section for your platform.

| Platform    | Files                                          |
| ----------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| **Windows** | `.exe` installer and `.msi`, x86\_64           |
| **macOS**   | `.dmg`, Apple Silicon                          |
| **Linux**   | AppImage and `.deb`, each in x86\_64 and ARM64 |

## Windows

Run the `.exe` installer. Use the `.msi` instead if you deploy with one.

<Note>
  Windows code signing isn't in place yet, so SmartScreen may warn that the installer isn't from a known publisher. Choose **More info → Run anyway**.
</Note>

## macOS

<Steps>
  <Step title="Drag SpeakoFlow into Applications">
    Open the `.dmg` and drag the app across, as usual.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Clear the quarantine flag">
    Open Terminal (press `Cmd` + `Space`, type *Terminal*) and run:

    ```bash theme={null}
    xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/SpeakoFlow.app
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open it from Launchpad, Spotlight, or Applications">
    macOS then asks for **Microphone** and **Accessibility** permission. Grant both.
  </Step>
</Steps>

You do this once per version you install, not once per launch.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Why macOS says the app is damaged">
    **The app is not damaged.** That wording is what macOS shows for any app it can't trace to a paid Apple Developer account. Signing costs \$99/year, which this project doesn't have yet.

    The `xattr` command removes the "downloaded from the internet" tag macOS puts on the file. SpeakoFlow can't auto-update while unsigned, so you repeat the command each time you download a new version.

    There is no button to click instead. macOS 15 and later removed the old right-click → *Open* bypass, and "damaged" is the one case where no *Open Anyway* button appears in *System Settings → Privacy & Security*. Apple code signing and notarization is on the roadmap and removes this step entirely.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Apple Silicon only, and what to do on an Intel Mac">
    Builds cover M1 and newer. GitHub retired its Intel build machines in December 2025, so there is currently no way to produce and test an Intel build.

    On an Intel Mac you can still [build from source](https://github.com/AbhishekBarali/SpeakoFlow#build-from-source).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What the two permissions are for">
    **Microphone** (*System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone*). So it can hear you.

    **Accessibility** (*System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility*). So it can type into other apps.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Linux

| Your distro                                          | Install                                               |
| ---------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| Arch and derivatives                                 | `yay -S speakoflow-bin` (or `paru -S speakoflow-bin`) |
| Debian, Ubuntu 24.04+, Mint 22+, Pop!\_OS, Tuxedo OS | `sudo apt install ./SpeakoFlow_*_amd64.deb`           |
| Everything else, including Fedora and openSUSE       | `chmod +x SpeakoFlow_*.AppImage`, then run it         |

Prefer the `.deb` where there is one. It registers the app icon and menu entry, which the AppImage can't do on its own.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="On an older release than Ubuntu 24.04">
    The `.deb` is built on Ubuntu 24.04, so it needs that era of glibc. Use the AppImage instead.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why there is no .rpm">
    The packaging doesn't bundle the speech engine correctly. Shipping an `.rpm` that installs but can't transcribe would be worse than not shipping one.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why the AppImage has no icon or menu entry">
    That's normal AppImage behavior, not a SpeakoFlow bug. The icon appears once the app is running, and the file in your file manager stays generic. Gear Lever or AppImageLauncher adds a menu entry if you want one.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## After installing

A short setup wizard runs on first launch. Next: [dictate your first sentence](/docs/start/getting-started).

<Tip>
  The download buttons on [speakoflow.com](https://www.speakoflow.com) pick the right file for the machine you're on. Installing on a different computer? Add `?os=mac`, `?os=linux`, or `?os=linux&arch=arm64` to the homepage URL.
</Tip>