System-wide dictation and writing tools for Windows. Dictate into your current app, rewrite selected text, or summarize text and links from a compact popup.
Kivo runs in the background. It has no account system or Kivo-hosted analytics. Optional Desert Ant Voz/Ear models send required device-usage telemetry to Desert Ant Labs; audio and transcripts stay on-device. Review and acknowledge this in Settings before using them. See data collection.
Get an installer from GitHub Releases. The latest beta follows main and may contain unfinished changes.
| Platform | Requirements | Download |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Windows 11 24H2+ | -setup.exe |
The beta is not a stable release. Windows builds may show a SmartScreen warning. See installation and signing for details.
Linux is a development test bench with simulated OS integration; it is not a supported release platform.
- Open Kivo and complete the permission setup.
- Use the configured dictation shortcut to speak into the current text field.
- Select text and use the Writing Tools shortcut to proofread, rewrite, or summarize it.
- For AI features, choose a provider or local endpoint in Settings → AI.
System dictation works without an AI key. Optional on-device transcription models can be installed in Settings → Dictation. Hosted writing tools and optional dictation cleanup send text to the provider you choose; local AI endpoints keep those requests on your computer. Link summaries require Gemini.
Keys are stored in Windows Credential Manager. Kivo keeps the latest dictation in memory for recovery, rather than saving a transcript history.
Install Bun, stable Rust, and the platform build prerequisites, then:
bun install
bun tauri devFor a browser preview without OS integration:
bun devOpen http://127.0.0.1:1420/?surface=gallery&harness=1 to inspect the test bench. For a local desktop package, run bun run desktop:build.
Run the checks before submitting a change:
bun run check
bun run test:ui
bun run test:ui:production
bun run build
bun run check:bundle
bun run check:website
bun run check:rust
bun run lint:rust
cargo test --locked --manifest-path src-tauri/Cargo.toml- User guide: AI setup, speech engines, summaries, permissions, and troubleshooting.
- Development: toolchains, browser harness, Linux bench, and architecture.
- Releases: installers, signing, release channels, and in-app updates.
- Website: preview and deploy the static site.
- Repository audit: cleanup findings and remaining release checks.