HyperWhisper lives in your menu bar (macOS) or system tray (Windows) so you can start a recording, switch modes, or open settings at any time — even when the main window is closed.
The HyperWhisper menu icon sits in the top-right of the macOS menu bar.
- Idle — rocket icon rendered as a monochrome template image (white on dark menu bars, black on light menu bars)
- Recording — icon turns red
Click the icon to open the menu.Behavior
- The menu bar icon is always available, even when the main window is closed.
- Microphone and mode selections made from the menu persist across sessions.
- If you have configured a global toggle shortcut, it appears as a keyboard hint next to Start/Stop Recording. If Push-to-Talk is configured instead, the menu shows the PTT key hint (for example, “Hold FN” or “Hold ⌃”).
- To start the app without showing the main window at launch, enable Launch Minimized in Settings → General.
System Tray Icon
The HyperWhisper icon appears in the taskbar notification area (bottom-right of the screen). If it is hidden, click the up-arrow (^) to expand hidden tray icons.
- Double-click the icon to open or restore the main window.
- Right-click the icon to open the context menu.
Behavior
- Microphone and mode selections made from the tray menu persist across sessions.
- Minimize to Tray — When this setting is enabled (Settings → General), closing the main window hides the app to the tray instead of exiting. A balloon notification reminds you of your recording shortcut.
- Launch Minimized — When this setting is enabled (Settings → General), HyperWhisper starts hidden in the tray. A balloon notification appears with your configured shortcut so you know the app is running.
Common Features
Both platforms share the same core tray capabilities:
- Switch microphone without opening the main window — changes take effect immediately.
- Switch mode without opening the main window — the new mode is used for the next recording.
- Transcribe a file — choose the mode from the submenu, then pick a file. See Transcribe a File for supported formats and size limits.
- Open History or Settings directly from the menu.
- Start or stop recording with a single click.
Tips
On Windows, enable Minimize to Tray (Settings → General) if you want to keep HyperWhisper running in the background after closing the window. Without it, closing the window exits the app.
Enable Launch Minimized (Settings → General) on either platform to start HyperWhisper at login without the main window appearing on screen. The menu bar icon (macOS) or tray icon (Windows) is still immediately usable.
You can switch modes from the tray even while recording — the new mode applies to the next recording session, not the current one.
