Installation

Download and install Vowen on macOS or Windows.

Supported Platforms

Platform	OS Version	Architecture
macOS	macOS 12 (Monterey) or later	Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4) and Intel x64
Windows	Windows 10 or later	x64

Vowen does not currently support Linux or Windows on ARM.

System Requirements

	macOS	Windows
RAM	4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended	4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended
Disk Space	~300 MB for the app, plus the model you choose	~300 MB for the app, plus the model you choose
GPU	Not required (Apple Neural Engine handles acceleration)	NVIDIA GPU optional (for local model acceleration)

Transcription models range from 78 MB (Tiny) to 3 GB (Large v3). You pick one during onboarding and can switch or download more anytime from Settings > Models.

Download

Download the latest version from vowen.ai.

macOS Installation

1. Open the DMG

   Double-click the downloaded .dmg file to mount it.

2. Drag to Applications

   Drag the Vowen icon to your Applications folder.

3. Launch

   Open Vowen from Applications. macOS may show a standard first-launch warning since the app was downloaded from the internet.

4. Complete Onboarding

   The setup wizard walks you through granting permissions, downloading a transcription model, and trying your first dictation.

Windows Installation

1. Run the Installer

   Double-click the downloaded .exe file.

2. Handle Security Warning

   If Windows Defender shows “Windows protected your PC”, click More info then Run anyway. This appears because the app is not yet code-signed with an EV certificate.

   The app is safe to install. To bypass this warning permanently, we would need an Extended Validation (EV) code-signing certificate, which Microsoft requires for SmartScreen reputation. EV certs cost several hundred dollars per year and require a hardware token, which is a meaningful expense for a two-person team. We are working toward getting one for future releases.
3. Complete Installation

   Follow the installer prompts. Vowen will be installed and shortcuts created.

4. Launch and Onboard

   Open Vowen and complete the setup wizard.

Vowen is safe to install. Some antivirus software (QuickHeal, Kaspersky) may flag it as suspicious because the app is not yet code-signed. If you see a warning, add Vowen to your antivirus whitelist.

What Gets Installed

• The Vowen application
• Helper binaries for transcription and audio capture
• The Silero Voice Activity Detection (VAD) model

Your transcription model is downloaded during onboarding rather than bundled in the installer. This keeps the download small and lets you pick the model that fits your hardware.

After Installation

Vowen checks for updates daily and shows a banner in the settings window when a new version is available. See Updates for details on how releases are shipped and how to give us feedback.

Uninstalling

macOS

1. Quit Vowen completely (right-click menu bar icon > Quit Vowen)
2. Drag Vowen from Applications to Trash
3. To remove all data: delete ~/Library/Application Support/vowen/

Windows

1. Quit Vowen completely (right-click tray icon > Quit Vowen)
2. Open Settings > Apps > Installed Apps
3. Find Vowen and click Uninstall
4. To remove all data: delete %APPDATA%/vowen/