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On-device field guide

Private voice assistant for Mac

Evaluate a private Mac voice assistant by its audio, planning, storage, permissions, and network boundaries—and see how Pace exposes local and optional external paths.

A private voice assistant should make its data path understandable. “Private” is not just a model label: it depends on where audio is transcribed, where prompts are planned, where speech is generated, what is stored, which permissions are enabled, and whether a network fallback can occur.

Ask five questions

  1. Where does raw microphone audio go?
  2. Is transcription local, external, or configurable?
  3. Can screen context or conversation history leave the device?
  4. What is stored, for how long, and how can it be cleared?
  5. Does the interface clearly indicate an off-device request before it happens?

Pace's local path

Pace supports local speech recognition, a local planner, local vision, local text-to-speech, and local retrieval on Apple Silicon. Conversation memory, research history, screen-watch observations, app-usage journals, taught skills, and meeting artifacts are stored on the Mac under bounded policies described in the app and documentation. Users can enable, inspect, and clear relevant sources.

Optional external paths

Pace can also use Apple Foundation Models, installed Codex or Claude command-line tools, or user-configured API providers. Those paths are optional and do not become invisible fallbacks. External planner choices require consent, show an off-device indicator, and write a local audit record. Scheduled background work stays local unless its separate consent and soak conditions allow the configured external route. Meeting-note synthesis is privacy-pinned to local processing even when another planner tier is enabled elsewhere.

Permissions still matter

A local application may need microphone, accessibility, screen recording, contacts, calendar, reminders, or other macOS permissions to perform a requested task. Local processing reduces data transfer; it does not remove the need to grant and review access. Use the minimum set for the capabilities you want.

Honest boundary

No local assistant can promise that every optional integration is network-free. Downloading models, fetching a user-requested URL, calling an external MCP server, or choosing a cloud planner uses the network. The useful privacy promise is that the boundary is explicit, controllable, and auditable.

CTA: Read Pace's privacy policy and FAQ, then download the app for local mode.