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

# Windows Getting Started

> Install HyperWhisper on Windows and make your first recording.

HyperWhisper on Windows is a .NET 10 WPF app that lives in your system tray and transcribes speech on demand — locally or via cloud providers. It runs on Windows 10 and 11, with native installers for both x64 and ARM64.

## Installation

<Steps>
  <Step title="Download the installer">
    Go to [hyperwhisper.com](https://www.hyperwhisper.com) and download the installer for your architecture:

    * **`HyperWhisper-X.Y.Z-x64-Setup.exe`** — standard Intel/AMD laptops and desktops
    * **`HyperWhisper-X.Y.Z-arm64-Setup.exe`** — Snapdragon X and other ARM64 Windows devices

    Not sure which you need? Open **Settings → System → About** and look at the **System type** field.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run the installer">
    Double-click the downloaded `.exe` and follow the setup wizard.

    * If **.NET 10 Desktop Runtime** is missing, the installer downloads and installs it automatically.
    * The default install location is `C:\Program Files\HyperWhisper`. The app itself uses about **300 MB** of disk space, not counting any local models you download later.
    * The installer offers an optional **Create a desktop shortcut** task — it is unchecked by default.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Launch HyperWhisper">
    At the end of the wizard you can tick **Launch HyperWhisper** to start the app immediately.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## First launch

When HyperWhisper starts for the first time it automatically registers itself to **start with Windows** — you'll find it in `HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run`. You can turn this off later in **Settings → General**.

The main window opens on first launch. Closing it sends the app to the system tray (see [System tray behavior](#system-tray-behavior) below) — the app keeps running in the background ready to transcribe.

## Your first recording

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the app">
    If the main window is not already visible, either:

    * **Double-click** the HyperWhisper icon in the system tray, or
    * Press the default hotkey **Ctrl+Alt** from anywhere on your desktop.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a transcription mode">
    Switch modes via the **Modes** page in the sidebar, the **Ctrl+Shift+.** shortcut, or the **Select Mode** submenu in the tray icon. Modes control which provider, model, and post-processing settings are used for each recording.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start recording">
    Press **Ctrl+Alt** from anywhere to start recording, or right-click the tray icon and choose **Start/Stop Recording**. A recording overlay appears while audio is being captured.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Stop and review">
    Press **Ctrl+Alt** again (or choose **Start/Stop Recording** from the tray) to stop. Once processing is complete the transcript appears in the **History** section in the sidebar.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Default keyboard shortcuts

| Action                 | Shortcut         |
| ---------------------- | ---------------- |
| Start / stop recording | **Ctrl+Alt**     |
| Cancel recording       | **Esc**          |
| Change mode            | **Ctrl+Shift+.** |

You can customize all shortcuts in **Settings → Shortcuts**.

## System tray behavior

HyperWhisper runs in the background with an icon in the Windows system tray (notification area). Right-clicking the icon opens a context menu with quick access to the most common actions:

| Menu item                | What it does                                     |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------ |
| **Start/Stop Recording** | Toggle recording without opening the main window |
| **Microphone**           | Switch your active input device                  |
| **Select Mode**          | Switch the active transcription mode             |
| **Transcribe File**      | Open a file for transcription                    |
| **History...**           | Open the main window on the History page         |
| **Settings...**          | Open the main window on the Settings page        |
| **Check for Updates**    | Check for a new release                          |
| **Quit**                 | Exit HyperWhisper                                |

By default, closing the main window hides it to the tray instead of quitting the app. To exit completely, use **Quit** from the tray menu.

<Note>
  If you enable **Settings → General → Launch Minimized**, the app will hide to the tray at startup and show a balloon notification with your recording hotkey as a reminder.
</Note>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Keyboard Shortcuts" href="/keyboard-shortcuts">
    Customize hotkeys for recording, cancelling, and switching modes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Audio Input" href="/audio-input">
    Select and test your microphone.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Transcription Modes" href="/transcription-modes">
    Create and configure modes for different tasks.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Choosing a Provider" href="/choosing-a-provider">
    Compare local and cloud transcription options.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>