Why I Built HandsOff
A year ago, I faced a problem: I couldn't find a voice dictation tool I could trust. So I decided to build my own.
“I didn't want to choose between convenience and privacy. So I built a tool where you can have both.
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Where It All Started
A year ago, I was actively using voice dictation for work. But the more I used it, the more questions arose:
Where does my data go?
Most dictation apps send audio to their servers. Who has access? How long is it stored? Is it used to train models?
Can I trust them?
I was dictating product ideas, meeting notes, personal thoughts. I wanted to be sure it stayed with me only.
Why so opaque?
50-page Privacy Policies, vague wording like 'we may use data to improve service'. What does that actually mean?
Constant paranoia
Every time I pressed record, I thought: 'Is this safe? What if someone reads it?' It was distracting.
I realized: I need a tool where I control everything. But there wasn't one.
How I Solved It
I'm a developer. So instead of continuing to search, I decided to build.
First Prototype
Simple macOS app: record audio, send to OpenAI Whisper API with my key, insert text. No servers, no accounts. It worked.
Added Local Mode
Integrated whisper.cpp — a local recognition model. Now you can work fully offline. Not a single byte leaves your computer.
Used It Daily
Used HandsOff every day for a year. Fixed bugs, added features I needed myself. The paranoia was gone — I knew exactly what happened to my data.
Decided to Share
Friends and colleagues asked: 'What app are you using?' I realized — it's not just my problem. Decided to make HandsOff a product.
The Result
HandsOff is a tool I use myself every day. No compromises between convenience and privacy.
Principles Behind HandsOff
Building HandsOff, I followed simple but important principles:
Complete Transparency
No vague wording. The website details exactly where data goes in each mode. No hidden requests or servers.
User Control
You choose the mode (API or local), manage history, can export or delete everything. No forced clouds.
Simple Architecture
No servers = no vulnerabilities. No accounts = no leaks. No analytics = no tracking. Simpler = safer.
Long-term Thinking
HandsOff isn't a startup that'll close tomorrow. It's a tool I built for myself that'll work as long as macOS does.
Privacy isn't a feature. It's the foundation.
Try HandsOff
If you value privacy and control over your data too — HandsOff is built for you.
Thank you for reading. I hope HandsOff will be useful to you.