Overview
Hex is local voice dictation from Anomaly, version 3.1.2, free to use. The whole interaction is one step: hold a shortcut, speak, release, and the text appears wherever the cursor is. On macOS you hold Option; on Windows and Linux it is Ctrl+Space.
What separates it from the built-in dictation is reach and ownership. Hex works in any input field, and transcription happens on the machine, so speech does not leave the device. Builds cover macOS 15 and later on Apple silicon, Windows 10 and 11, and Linux, with Homebrew, a PowerShell script, deb, rpm, Nix and AUR each available as an install path.
For anyone working with agents all day, its place is the input layer. Writing prompts, answering messages, adding a line of explanation in a terminal: speaking is faster than typing, and no window switch is involved.
Key Features
- Hold to talk: Hold the shortcut to start, release to finish, and the transcript lands at the cursor without a dialog or an app switch.
- Local transcription: Speech and transcription stay on the device, which suits meeting notes and internal material.
- Any input field: Editors, browsers, terminals and chat windows all work the same way, with no per-app integration required.
- Three platforms: Native builds for macOS 15 and later on Apple silicon, Windows 10 and 11, and Linux, with separate x64 and ARM64 packages.
- Plenty of install paths: Homebrew cask, PowerShell script, curl script, deb package, Nix and AUR, plus direct binary downloads.
- Free: Listed at 0 dollars, with no subscription tiers and no per-minute metering.
Use Cases
- Dictating prompts: saying a full request out loud beats editing it in a text box.
- Writing commit messages and code comments while staying inside the editor.
- Capturing meeting points straight into notes that are already open.
- Speaking a first draft of a long piece before going back to restructure it.
- Getting text into any field when typing is slow or hands are busy.
- Talking to a standing agent with a held key instead of composing text first.
Pros
- Transcription stays on the machine, so neither audio nor text goes through an external service.
- Hold and release fits around the current app and cursor position.
- Native packages on all three desktop platforms, installed the way each system prefers.
- Free, with no quota or subscription barrier.
- Friendly to agent workflows, since a prompt can be spoken whole.
Pricing
Free, listed at 0 dollars, currently version 3.1.2. Requirements: macOS 15 or later on Apple silicon, Windows 10 and 11, and Linux with deb, rpm, Nix or AUR packages. Installation options include the Homebrew cask at anomalyco/tap/hex, a PowerShell script, a curl script and native archives.
Summary
What decides whether voice input gets used is rarely recognition accuracy. It is whether it interrupts what you are doing. Hex holds a key, listens, and drops text at the cursor without a window or a mode switch. Keeping transcription local is a real benefit for meeting notes and internal documents. It does not solve understanding, only input, and input is the most hand-intensive part of working with an agent.
Version History
- Hex 3.1.2: local voice dictation (2026-11-01): Anomaly released Hex 3.1.2, a free local voice dictation tool. Hold Option on macOS, or Ctrl+Space on Windows and Linux, speak, and release; the transcript appears at the cursor and transcription happens on the device. Supported platforms are macOS 15 and later on Apple silicon, Windows 10 and 11, and Linux, with installs through Homebrew cask, a PowerShell script, a curl script, deb, rpm, Nix and AUR.