> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.vowen.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Installation

> Download and install Vowen on macOS or Windows.

Download and install Vowen on [macOS](#macos-installation) or [Windows](#windows-installation).

## Supported Platforms

| Platform | OS Version | Architecture |
| - | - | - |
| macOS | macOS 12 (Monterey) or later | Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4) and Intel x64 |
| Windows | Windows 10 or later | x64 |

Vowen does not currently support Linux. There is no ARM64 Windows build; on an ARM64 Windows machine the x64 build runs under emulation.

## System Requirements

| | macOS | Windows |
| - | - | - |
| RAM | 4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended | 4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended |
| Disk Space | \~373 MB for the app, plus the model you choose | Similar, plus the model you choose |
| GPU | Not required | NVIDIA GPU optional, for faster local models |

During setup Vowen offers two models: **Parakeet V2** (English only, recommended) and **Parakeet V3** (25 European languages). You must download one of them to finish setup. Afterwards you can download more local models, or switch to a cloud engine, from **Speech models** in the sidebar.

## Download

Download the latest version from [vowen.ai](https://vowen.ai).

Windows ships two builds:

| Build | File | Notes |
| - | - | - |
| Installer | `Vowen-Setup-<version>.exe` | Standard install, lets you choose the location, creates Start menu and desktop shortcuts |
| Portable | `Vowen-<version>-Portable.exe` | Single executable, no installation. Useful on machines where you cannot install software |

<Note>The portable build does not register itself with Windows, so it does not appear in Installed Apps and does not create shortcuts. It still writes its data to `%APPDATA%\vowen\`.</Note>

## macOS Installation

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the DMG">
    Double-click the downloaded `.dmg` file to mount it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Drag to Applications">
    Drag the Vowen icon to your Applications folder.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Launch">
    Open Vowen from Applications. macOS may show a standard first-launch warning since the app was downloaded from the internet.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Complete Onboarding">
    The setup flow has 11 steps. Two of them are gates: you cannot continue past permissions until Microphone and Accessibility are granted, and you cannot continue past the model step until a model has finished downloading. See the [Quickstart](/quickstart#2-walk-the-setup-flow) for the full walkthrough.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Windows Installation

<Steps>
  <Step title="Run the Installer">
    Double-click the downloaded `.exe` file. If you downloaded the portable build instead, run it. There is nothing to install.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Handle Security Warning">
    If Windows Defender shows "Windows protected your PC", click **More info** then **Run anyway**. This appears because the app is not yet code-signed with an EV certificate.

    <Note>The app is safe to install. To bypass this warning permanently, we would need an Extended Validation (EV) code-signing certificate, which Microsoft requires for SmartScreen reputation. EV certs cost several hundred dollars per year and require a hardware token, which is a meaningful expense for a two-person team. We are working toward getting one for future releases.</Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Complete Installation">
    Follow the installer prompts. Vowen will be installed and shortcuts created.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Launch and Onboard">
    Open Vowen and complete the setup wizard.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Check>
  Vowen is safe to install. Some antivirus software (QuickHeal, Kaspersky) may flag it as suspicious because the app is not yet code-signed. If you see a warning, add Vowen to your antivirus whitelist.
</Check>

## What Gets Installed

* The Vowen application
* Helper binaries for transcription and audio capture
* The Silero Voice Activity Detection (VAD) model

Vowen downloads your transcription model during onboarding rather than bundling it in the installer. That keeps the download small and lets you pick the model that fits your hardware.

## After Installation

Vowen checks for updates **every 6 hours** and shows a banner in the main window when a new version is available. Dismissing the banner hides it for 24 hours. You can force a check any time with **Settings > General > Check for Updates**.

See [Updates](/updates) for details on how releases are shipped and how to give us feedback.

## Uninstalling

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="macOS">
    1. Quit Vowen completely (right-click menu bar icon > Quit Vowen)
    2. Drag Vowen from Applications to Trash
    3. To remove all data: delete `~/Library/Application Support/vowen/`
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Windows">
    1. Quit Vowen completely (right-click tray icon > Quit Vowen)
    2. Open Settings > Apps > Installed Apps
    3. Find Vowen and click Uninstall
    4. To remove all data: delete `%APPDATA%\vowen\`

    If you used the portable build there is nothing to uninstall. Delete the executable, and delete `%APPDATA%\vowen\` too if you want the data gone.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<Note>Audio recordings are stored outside that directory, in `~/Documents/Vowen Recordings`, and are not removed by uninstalling. See [Privacy and data](/get-started/privacy#where-your-data-lives) for the full list of what Vowen writes to disk.</Note>

<Note>If you installed the `vowen` command line tool from **Settings > Developer**, uninstall it from that same section before removing the app.</Note>


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