Fuck You FlowHome / Local Dictation Privacy and Offline Operation
Local Dictation Privacy and Offline Operation
The default speech engine runs on your computer. This technical explanation distinguishes local recognition from updates and optional online services.
Local speech is the default
FU Flow ships Whisper models and runs recognition through whisper.cpp on the same PC. No FU Flow account or paid API key is required for that mode. Once installed, local dictation can work without an internet connection.
An optional remote provider changes the data flow
Settings also offers an OpenAI-compatible speech provider. When you choose it, the app sends recorded audio to the endpoint you configured. The provider may require credentials and charge for processing. Its privacy and retention terms apply. Keep the local provider selected if you want speech recognition to stay on your PC.
Update checks use the network
The app checks for a newer release after startup. Checking does not download an installer. If you choose an update, the app downloads it. These requests are distinct from speech transcription. The site and download host receive normal request metadata when your computer connects to them.
History and the destination app
Transcripts, dictionary rules and statistics are stored locally in the app database. Text is inserted through the Windows clipboard and paste workflow. Anyone with access to your local files or clipboard may be able to read it. The program receiving the text can store or sync it under its own settings.
Problem and idea reports
From version 0.9.13 the menu has a "problem or idea?" line. A report leaves the PC only when you press Send. It carries your message, the reply address if you typed one, the app version, the operating system and the interface language. The diagnostic log goes with it only while its box is ticked, and you can read the log before sending. It holds app events and errors, with the account name removed from file paths. Your dictated words are never in it. Reports go to the fuckyouflow.app server, which mails them to the maker. The server deletes its copy after 90 days. The copy sent by email stays in the inbox of the maker. The server counts reports per network address in memory to stop abuse and never stores the address.
Sharing Dictionary corrections
From version 0.9.14 the app shares the corrections in your Dictionary with the maker, and it does so from the start. The app is free, and these corrections are what it asks back. The switch is in Settings under Privacy and you can turn it off at any time. While it is on, the app sends each correction to our server at fuckyouflow.app: the wrong word, the right word, its language and how it matches, together with the app version, your dictation language and a random number that stands for your install. New corrections follow about once a day. That list can include names you have put in the Dictionary. Dictated text, History and audio stay on your PC, and so do the corrections of a downloaded ready-made dictionary. On the server the corrections sit in a closed folder. A person reads them, and the ones useful to everyone go into the ready-made dictionary for that language. The switch and a "Delete what I sent" button are in Settings under Privacy. The button removes your file from the server, and the server keeps the file until you press it.
Ready-made dictionaries
From version 0.9.14 the app can download a ready-made dictionary for your language: words the speech engine often mishears, checked by hand. It asks first, once, and the Dictionary page has the same button. To know whether it has something to offer, the app reads the short list of available languages from GitHub once each time it starts, until the question is answered; on the Dictionary page it reads that list only when you press the button. After a yes the app downloads the list from the public GitHub repository of FU Flow and looks for a newer version about once a day. GitHub receives normal request metadata when your computer connects to it. Only the list comes down; nothing of yours goes up with it. Every file carries the signature of the maker and the app checks it before it uses a single word. A correction you changed or deleted stays the way you left it. The Dictionary page can take the list out again.
Practical checks
- Confirm the local provider in Settings before dictating sensitive material.
- Use a short offline test to check the setup on your own PC.
- Review what is saved in History and what you copy into another service.
- If you report a bug, review the diagnostic text before sharing it.
Inspectable source
FU Flow is MIT licensed. The public source includes the provider selection, local and remote speech adapters and the update check. This page describes application behavior as the maker documents it. An independent security audit or a compliance certification has yet to be done.
FU Flow 0.9.15 beta · 1.7 GB · Windows 10 / 11 · MIT