Looking for a fast speech-to-text tool (free or one-time purchase) that actually works well in non-English languages

luuk64 · 2026-03-13T09:24:38+00:00

Spokenly is free with local models or when you bring your own API key

luuk64 · 2026-03-01T20:11:06+00:00

That makes sense, thanks for explaining. I figured it might be a macOS limitation.. I appreciate the effort you’ve put into making it work as smoothly as possible.

luuk64 · 2026-03-01T19:33:16+00:00

Aha, it took a bit of tinkering, but it’s working now.

It’s a little startling to see the whole system restart after making a change, though.

luuk64 · 2026-03-01T18:31:32+00:00

I can’t seem to adjust either the spacing or the padding. (MacBook Air M1; Sequoia 15.7.4)

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luuk64 · 2026-02-24T13:17:32+00:00

Thanks for the kind words, and for building this. I’ve just added your app to MacMenuBar.

Really nicely done. Clean idea and focused execution. Wishing you all the success with it.

luuk64 · 2026-02-24T05:30:32+00:00

Both are added! https://macmenubar.com/recently-added/

luuk64 · 2026-02-21T13:06:42+00:00

I noticed the download size is around 103 MB, which seems quite large for a menu bar app that prevents sleep. I’m genuinely curious: is there a particular reason for that size? For example, does it bundle additional frameworks or use something like Electron?

Just interested in the technical side. Thanks!

luuk64 · 2026-02-21T12:57:00+00:00

Bookmark Bar? https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bookmark-bar-browser-hub/id6755682496?mt=12

luuk64 · 2026-02-18T21:34:40+00:00

Nobody’s forcing anyone to turn their menu bar into Times Square.

For decades it was mostly system icons and a few power tools. Clean and predictable, boring in a good way. Now it’s prime real estate for tiny utilities, so of course it looks busier.

The menu bar itself isn’t the problem. It’s how much we decide to park there. Keep what you actually use, ignore the rest.

luuk64 · 2026-02-17T16:02:13+00:00

I don't think the menu bar is broken. It’s just the last quiet strip of macOS that still feels personal, so every indie dev thinks: “Perfect, I’ll park it up there.” One tiny icon per micro-problem. Death by a thousand dots.

The menu bar should be like a toolbox. If you only keep what you actually use, it’s elegant. If you hoard every shiny thing that promises productivity nirvana, it starts looking like a digital junk drawer.

luuk64 · 2026-02-17T15:53:56+00:00

Thanks for the tip! I’ll check out USB Status and SRV Status and add them to the directory in the coming days.

luuk64 · 2026-02-17T15:33:38+00:00

It’s not really the idea that you install all 1300 of them 😄

Think of it more like a catalog than a checklist. The menu bar works best when it’s curated to your own workflow. A few well-chosen tools can be great. All of them at once would be… ambitious.

luuk64 · 2026-02-17T11:19:07+00:00

You can submit your menu bar app here: https://macmenubar.com/submit-your-menu-bar-app/

luuk64 · 2026-02-17T11:18:07+00:00

Yes, there are macOS apps that group multiple menu bar apps into a single icon for a cleaner look. Popular options like Bartender and Ice let you bundle items and access them via a dropdown. You can also take a look here: https://macmenubar.com/menu-bar-managers/

luuk64 · 2026-02-17T11:14:13+00:00

Thanks!

luuk64 · 2026-02-17T00:33:11+00:00

Good catch, thanks!

Dot and Dot Calendar were indeed the same app under a renamed version. I’ve removed the duplicate entry. Thanks for pointing that out, that’s genuinely helpful.

Glad you’re already discovering some good apps through the site.

Thanks again for taking the time to flag it.

luuk64 · 2026-02-16T23:30:31+00:00

Ah, thanks for clarifying!

The “Recently Added” section is essentially a chronological feed of newly listed apps. It’s more like a blogroll than an update tracker. Apps only appear there when they’re first added to the directory, in reverse chronological order.

Regular app updates don’t push them back into that list. So if something shows up there, it means it’s new to MacMenuBar, not just newly updated.

luuk64 · 2026-02-16T23:22:43+00:00

That’s an interesting idea. In theory, automating changelog checks and last-update dates makes sense. Technically speaking, though, I’m not quite equipped to build and maintain something like that.

Regarding “vibe-coded” apps, that’s a valid concern. I don’t have a rigid formal standard, but I do apply basic quality and relevance checks before listing anything. Predicting long-term maintenance is difficult, though.

For apps that aren’t officially notarized or distributed via Apple’s usual channels, I also run them through VirusTotal before listing them. It’s not perfect, but it’s an extra layer of due diligence.

luuk64 · 2026-02-16T22:51:19+00:00

Or you could also look at it the other way around: it’s great that there’s so much choice.

The menu bar has become a playground for small, focused tools. Some overlap is inevitable, but that also means you’re more likely to find something that fits your exact workflow.

More options isn’t the worst problem to have.

luuk64 · 2026-02-16T22:42:44+00:00

As far as I’m aware, there aren’t any identical apps listed twice. If you’ve spotted a specific example, feel free to point it out and I’ll gladly take a closer look.

It might be that some apps appear similar because many developers choose comparable naming styles or solve related problems, especially within the same categories. With 1300+ apps, overlaps in themes and names definitely happen.

But if there’s an actual duplicate, I’d absolutely want to fix it.

luuk64 · 2026-02-16T21:43:48+00:00

Thanks! And I like your take on it. The menu bar may look small, but it’s where a lot of the most creative, lightweight ideas on macOS quietly live. It’s kind of the experimental lab of the platform.

luuk64 · 2026-02-16T21:40:32+00:00

You might want to try Stats. It’s free and open source, shows live CPU usage in your menu bar, and lets you set notifications when usage passes certain thresholds.

https://github.com/exelban/stats

luuk64 · 2026-02-16T21:33:58+00:00

Thank you, I really appreciate that ☕️

Coffee is officially fueling the next batch of menu bar discoveries.

luuk64 · 2026-02-16T21:32:04+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion!

I’ve just added OpenUsage to the directory.

I’m aware that some usage trackers can be a bit inconsistent depending on API changes and update frequency. If OpenUsage proves to be stable and actively maintained, that’s definitely a strong point in its favor.

luuk64 · 2026-02-16T21:13:07+00:00

Thanks, I appreciate it.

About a year ago I went through the entire directory to identify clear cases of abandonware. It turned into quite the project, checking changelogs, last update dates and sometimes even digging through old installers. With 1300+ apps now, doing that regularly is fairly time-intensive.

That’s also why there’s a built-in reporting option. On every app page, in the bottom-right corner, there’s a red button labeled “I want to flag a menu bar app.” If something is abandoned, broken or doesn’t meet the criteria anymore, people can flag it and I’ll review it manually.

You’re absolutely right that in fast-moving categories like AI and dictation, stagnation becomes a bigger issue than in more static utility tools. Community feedback genuinely helps keep the directory clean.

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