Hebrish
Experimental Early days, and every version gets better. Roadmap

Setup

Set up Hebrish on Android

Eight steps, in the same order as the Setup checklist in the app. Steps 5 and 8 are optional.

The checklist

  1. Install Hebrish

    We recommend F-Droid: add the Hebrish repository once and new versions arrive as ordinary app updates. Or download the APK, which always gives the newest version but won't update itself.

    Android 9 or newer, arm64 phones.

  2. Allow the microphone

    The app asks for it. If you refused twice, Android stops asking: open App info → Permissions → Microphone and choose Allow only while using the app.

  3. Download a model

    Jachnun (English with Hebrew vocabulary) is the default, and the one we recommend. Sabich (Hebrew plus tech vocabulary) and stock Parakeet are the alternatives; you can switch later in Models.

    Each is about 660 MB, downloaded once. Use Wi-Fi.

  4. Turn on the voice keyboard

    Open Settings → System → Keyboard → On-screen keyboard and turn on Hebrish. The wording varies by phone; the button in the app opens the right page.

    Pair it with Hebrish Keyboard or HeliBoard: their mic key opens Hebrish.

  5. Floating mic Optional

    A mic button over every app: tap it in a text field, talk, and the text goes in at the cursor.

    On Android 13 and newer, an app installed from outside a store is "restricted" and its accessibility switch is greyed out. To unlock it:

    1. Open Settings → Accessibility → Downloaded apps → Hebrish floating mic and try to turn it on once. Android refuses.
    2. Open Hebrish's App info, tap ⋮ (top right) and choose Allow restricted settings. This item only appears after that first try.
    3. Go back to Accessibility and turn the floating mic on.

  6. Keep it running

    In App info → Battery, choose Unrestricted, so the phone doesn't stop the floating mic in the background. OnePlus phones (OxygenOS) are the most eager to stop it.

  7. Turn off "Pause app activity if unused"

    In App info, turn off Pause app activity if unused (Android 11 and newer; older phones call it Remove permissions if app is unused). Otherwise Android takes the microphone permission away after a few months of not opening the app, and dictation stops working.

  8. All files access Optional

    Only if you want the models kept in a shared folder (Models → Model location), so other on-device speech apps can use the same files. Not needed otherwise: by default the models stay in the app's own storage.

Try it

Open the app and tap Try it now to dictate into a notepad. If a word comes out wrong, tell us.

Something not working? See the FAQ or report it. Ubuntu and Windows: download page.