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Install OpenTranscribe for Windows

Get to know OpenTranscribe for Windows

OpenTranscribe turns folders of scanned and handwritten documents into searchable text using local and open public AI models. The Windows version is the same software as the Chrome and Edge extensions, built as a desktop app that runs on its own instead of inside a browser. You download and install it yourself, and it keeps itself up to date. You need:

  • A PC running 64-bit Windows 10 or Windows 11.
  • An API key from an AI provider, or a model server such as Ollama or LM Studio running on your own computer.
  • About 5 minutes.

The app itself is free. Transcription costs are paid directly to the AI provider you choose, and models running on your own computer cost nothing at all.

Step 1: Download and install the app

Download OpenTranscribe for Windows or the ARM64 version, then:

  1. Open the downloaded setup file from your Downloads folder.
  2. If a blue Windows protected your PC box appears, click More info, then Run anyway.
  3. Follow the installer. No administrator password is needed.

Keep the PC online during the install. When it finishes, OpenTranscribe is in your Start menu.

Step 2: Choose a working folder

The first time you open the app it asks for a folder to keep your work in. Every transcription is written there as an ordinary file, so pick a drive with room to spare that you already back up. You can move it later under Settings, then Storage.

If you already use OpenTranscribe in Chrome or Edge, you can point the app at the same folder and both will show the same library. The first time you reopen the app it asks once to confirm the folder it used last. Choose the option that always allows it and it does not ask again.

Step 3: Add an API key
  1. Create an account with an AI provider and generate a key. OpenRouter is the easiest place to start, because one key reaches models from every major lab. Google AI Studio, OpenAI, and Anthropic all work too.
  2. In OpenTranscribe, click Settings, then Models, and paste the key in.
  3. Running models on your own computer instead? Start Ollama, LM Studio, llama.cpp, or vLLM, then pick it from the same page. No key is needed.

Keys are kept in the Windows Credential Manager, not in a file, and are sent only to the provider you chose. Your documents stay on your PC.

Step 4: Transcribe your first batch
  1. On the New page, drag a folder onto the drop zone or click Select Folder. JPG, PNG, and PDF all work, and multi-page PDFs are split into pages for you.
  2. If the scans are faded or tilted, click Prepare Images and then Smart Adjust All.
  3. Click the model name in the bar above the queue and choose one. The model rankings are worth a look before a long run.
  4. Click Start Transcription. Progress and running cost appear along the bottom, and you can carry on using the app while it works.

The desktop app adds a menu bar that the extension does not have. File, then New Window (Ctrl + N) opens a second window with its own queue, so one batch can run while you edit another. View holds the zoom controls, and File, then Set Save Folder chooses where exports and clips are written. Click Help at the top of any page for the full guide, including a section on the Windows app.

For a tour of what the software does, watch the walkthrough on YouTube or read the OpenTranscribe overview.

Updates

The app checks for a new version shortly after it starts and tells you only when one is waiting. Click Update Now and it closes, installs, and reopens on its own. Choose Later and it asks again another day. A transcription that is still running is never interrupted, and nothing installs without you agreeing to it.

Troubleshooting
  • Windows blocked the installer. Click More info, then Run anyway. If your browser blocked the download instead, choose Keep.
  • The installer stalls or reports that a component is missing. Connect to the internet and run the setup file again, or install WebView2 first.
  • A library says Permission needed. The folder was registered on another computer, or in the browser extension. Click Grant Access and choose the same folder on this PC.
  • A transcription fails straight away. Check the API key under Settings, then Models, and check that the provider account has credit. For a local model, confirm the server is running before you start the batch.
  • Still stuck? Click Help in the app, or report a bug. You can also email [email protected] for support.