Set up Cadence
on Windows.
The Windows app is available for Windows 10 (build 19041) or later on x64 PCs. Package verification and its exact test environment are recorded with the release. Other Windows versions and ARM PCs need separate verification.
Before you download: sign in with your Cadence account to use managed dictation and rewriting. Your Cadence account includes the default dictation and writing models. Use the same account as the website or Mac app to keep your plan.
You only need one Windows download. Choose the setup installer for the usual installation, or the portable ZIP if you prefer an extracted folder. The Mac disk image does not run on Windows.
Download and open setup
Choose Download for Windows. When the download finishes, open Cadence-1.2.48-windows-x64-setup.exe and follow setup. Launch Cadence from the installed shortcut. The package includes its .NET and Swift runtimes; you do not need developer tools or a separate runtime installation.
The installer is unsigned, so Windows may show an unknown-publisher or reputation warning. If Windows blocks installation, keep its protection enabled and contact support with the exact message. The published SHA-256 checksums can check file integrity; they do not establish publisher trust.
For the portable download, extract the entire ZIP, then open Cadence.exe in the extracted folder. Keep its engine folder beside it. Do not run the app from inside the ZIP.
Open Cadence and sign in
Find Cadence in the Windows notification area, including the hidden-icons menu. Choose Open Cadence, then Settings → Account → Sign in to Cadence. Choose Google or email in your browser and return to Cadence when sign-in finishes. Cadence supplies the speech and writing connections.
The app shows your connected account after sign-in. Open Settings → Account to view your plan, remaining allowance and reset date, refresh your plan, or manage billing. Signing in on the website alone does not connect this installation; start sign-in inside the Windows app.
Check your microphone
Run Cadence’s microphone test and choose your input device. If access is denied, open Windows Settings, find Microphone privacy settings, and allow microphone access for desktop apps.
Try one sentence in Notepad
Open a new, disposable Notepad document. Put your cursor in it, hold Ctrl + Alt + Space, say “This is my Cadence setup test,” then release the keys to finish. These are the defaults for a fresh 1.2.48 installation; use the shortcuts shown in Settings if you have changed them. To change the dictation shortcut, click it in the sidebar of the Cadence window, then press the new one. Upgrades preserve older choices, including press-to-start dictation.
If text does not appear, Cadence copies it for you: press Ctrl+V to paste it, and report the error. See the verification notes for this version’s automated package and runtime checks. Fresh real browser sign-in, full live microphone workflows and broader editor compatibility remain unverified. Password fields and applications running as administrator are unsupported. Press Escape to cancel an operation.
Try rewriting
Your Cadence account includes the managed writing connection. Highlight the test sentence in Notepad and press Ctrl + Alt + R to open Refine and start a spoken instruction. Press it again to stop, or type your instruction in Refine. Ask to shorten the sentence, review the result, then choose Accept.
If the window disappears
Closing the window keeps Cadence running in the notification area. Choose Open Cadence there to return, or Quit to exit completely.
Dictation cleanup
Choose None, Light or Medium in Dictation settings or the tray. None preserves the transcript; Light removes disfluencies and clear corrections; Medium can also make wording more concise while preserving meaning. Fresh installations use Light. If cleanup fails, the original transcript remains available to copy.
Quick controls
New installs dock Cadence in a small black notch at the top centre of your screen, as on a Mac. Hover or click it for dictation, rewriting, chat, cleanup and sound controls. To use the blank glass tab at a screen edge instead, choose another position under General settings → Floating control position, or drag its handle to another edge or display. Existing installs move into the notch once, from 1.2.19; if you then choose another position, Cadence keeps it.
Dictation runs on your PC with NVIDIA Parakeet TDT 0.6B v3, so your recording is never uploaded. The first time, Cadence downloads Parakeet (about 670 MB) in the background; dictation works once it’s ready, and Settings → Dictation shows the progress. If the destination changes, Insert here explicitly verifies your current field; Copy remains available, and text that can’t be inserted is already copied for Ctrl+V. An uncertain insertion is never automatically repeated.
Updates and removal
Check for updates in the bottom-left corner of the main window or any Settings page. An available version appears there with Download update; the tray also has update controls. Cadence checks on launch. Settings → About controls additional six-hour checks and prerelease updates. Download and installation require your action; Cadence waits until work is idle before restarting. You can also run a newer setup installer to update. Remove Cadence through Windows Settings → Apps. Uninstalling keeps local settings for reinstalls. Sign out before uninstalling to clear this device’s session. Uninstalling does not cancel a Pro subscription; use Manage billing in your account.
If an update reports that this copy is not registered with Windows, choose Quit from Cadence’s tray menu, then run the setup installer once. Setup repairs the installation and keeps your preferences and sign-in. Open the installed Cadence shortcut and check for updates again. Portable users should download and extract the latest portable ZIP.
Read the Windows verification notes · Get help · Mac setup guide