The asterisk

Every network request Timbre can make

Out of the box: none. Speech recognition, cleanup, read-aloud and the text commands run on your Mac, and nothing you say or write is ever sent anywhere. Below is the complete list of what the app is capable of asking the internet for. It has two entries, and both start with you.

Update check

GET https://timbre.hugopretorius.dev/appcast.json

When
When you choose Check for Updates… in the menu, or once a day if you turn that on in Settings. Off by default.
Sends
Nothing about you. No identifier, no cookie, no cache. The only header Timbre sets is User-Agent: Timbre.
Gets back
The newest version number, its download address, and its release notes.

Update download

GET https://timbre.hugopretorius.dev/releases/Timbre-<version>.zip

When
Only when you click Install after a check finds a newer version.
Sends
The same: nothing about you.
Gets back
The new app. Before it replaces anything, Timbre checks the file matches the version file and that the app inside is Timbre, signed by its developer and notarized by Apple.

What macOS does on Timbre's behalf

Two things happen that Timbre starts but does not perform, and a network monitor will show them under macOS's own processes rather than Timbre's:

  • Apple's speech model. The first time Timbre runs, macOS may download its on-device speech model for your language, from Apple, through its own asset service. Nothing you say is involved; the model is what lets your voice stay on the Mac afterwards.
  • Gatekeeper. When you first open any app downloaded from the internet, macOS may confirm its notarization with Apple. That is true of every app, and the ticket is stapled to Timbre so it can be checked offline too.

Check it yourself

Run a network monitor such as Little Snitch or LuLu, or watch Terminal while you dictate:

nettop -p Timbre

With update checks off, the list stays empty. The code is public, and the decision behind this page is recorded as GDR-0013. If Timbre ever gains another request, it appears here in the same change, or it does not ship.