Settings

Accessing Settings

Click the ParrotScribe menu bar icon and select Settings....

General

• Interface Language - Language for the ParrotScribe UI
• Speech Language - Set to Auto (recommended) or English Only for specialized English models on lower-powered systems
• Expected Languages - (Auto mode only) Select languages you expect to hear for improved accuracy
• Show notifications - Display system notifications when transcription starts, stops, or a new session begins. Click the gear icon to open System Settings if notifications aren't appearing.
• Launch at Login - Start ParrotScribe when you log in
• Auto-transcribe on Launch - Begin transcription automatically when ParrotScribe starts

License

View your license status and manage device activation. See License Management for details.

Models

• Model - Select the Whisper model for transcription. Larger models are more accurate but require more resources.
• Download, remove, or switch between models. The recommended model is shown based on your hardware.

Capture

• Capture Microphone - Record audio from your microphone (local audio)
• Capture System Audio - Record audio playing through your system (remote audio from calls, videos, etc.)

Output

• Directory - Choose where transcription files are saved. Default is ~/Documents/ParrotScribe/.

Retention

Control how long transcripts are kept:

• Slider ranges from 5 minutes to Forever
• Shows impact preview before applying changes (files and space to be reclaimed)
• Click Apply Now to enforce the new retention policy

Transcription

Switch between Simple and Advanced modes:

Simple Mode

• Speech Detection - Preset for your environment (Natural, Quiet, Noisy)
• Responsiveness - Balance between speed and accuracy (Fast, Balanced, Accurate)

Advanced Mode

• Speech Detection Threshold - Manual slider control. Lower values detect quieter speech, higher values filter more background noise.
• Transcription Interval - Time between updates. Lower values provide faster updates, higher values improve accuracy.

Shortcuts

Configure global keyboard shortcuts that work even when ParrotScribe is in the background:

• Toggle Listening - Start or stop transcription (default: Control + Command + L)
• Start Listening - Start transcription if not already running (default: Control + Command + R)
• Stop Listening - Stop transcription if running (default: Control + Command + P)
• New Session - End the current session and start a new one (default: Control + Command + N)

Click on any shortcut field to record a new key combination.

Updates

• Update Channel - Stable (production releases) or Latest (includes pre-releases and betas)
• Automatic Updates - Manual, Notify when available, or Automatic

Resetting Settings

To reset all settings to defaults:

pscribe config reset

To reset a specific setting:

pscribe config reset <key>

See CLI Commands for available configuration keys.