How to create an OpenAI API key for Spokn

Spokn works best with your own OpenAI key. The key stays on your device, in Apple Keychain. This page walks you through getting one and pasting it into Spokn — it usually takes a couple of minutes.

Step-by-step

1. Open the OpenAI platform. Go to platform.openai.com/api-keys.
2. Sign in or create an account. If this is your first time, follow the prompts to make a free OpenAI account. Then return to the API keys page.
3. Add a payment method and a starting balance. On the same site, open Settings → Billing. Add a credit or debit card under Payment methods, then click Add to balance and add some credit — the minimum is $5. Without this, the API key won't work. See Payment & credits below for the options.
4. Create a new key. Back on the API keys page, click Create new secret key. You can give it any name — something like "Spokn" makes it easy to recognize later.
5. Copy the key right away. OpenAI shows the full key only once. Tap the copy button next to the key. If you close the window before copying, you'll need to create a new one — the old one can't be shown again.
6. Open Spokn. Go to Settings → OpenAI → API key.
7. Paste and save. Paste the key into the field and confirm. That's it — Spokn will start using it for online transcription.

Payment & credits

OpenAI uses a prepaid model: you add credit up front, and each transcription request draws against that balance. Quick reference:

• Payment method. A credit or debit card (Visa, Mastercard, etc.), added at Settings → Billing → Payment methods.
• Minimum top-up. $5 in credits at a time.
• Auto recharge (optional). When your balance drops below a threshold you set, OpenAI tops it up automatically. Convenient if you don't want to think about it.
• Monthly budget (optional, recommended). A hard cap on how much OpenAI will let you spend per month. If you ever hit it, requests stop until the next month — a simple safety net.
• Credit lifetime. Purchased credits expire after one year and aren't refundable.

Pricing can change over time. For the current rate, your usage history, and the state of your balance, sign in to your OpenAI billing page.

Tips & safety

• Treat the key like a password. Don't share it or paste it into other apps you don't trust.
• If the key ever stops working — for example, if you regenerated or revoked it on OpenAI's side — just create a new one and paste it into Spokn again.
• You can remove the key at any time from Spokn → Settings → OpenAI → API key. Removing it deletes it from your device's Keychain immediately.

Privacy

• Your API key is stored on your device, in Apple Keychain. Spokn does not send it anywhere except OpenAI, as part of the transcription request.
• Spokn does not create an OpenAI account for you, and does not share your account details with anyone.
• When you use OpenAI transcription, the audio for that one request is sent to OpenAI for processing. By default, OpenAI does not use API audio to train its models. See our Privacy Policy for the full picture.

FAQ

Where do I create the key?

On OpenAI's website, at platform.openai.com/api-keys. You'll need to be signed in to your OpenAI account.

Why does Spokn need my own key?

So that there's no middleman. The transcription request goes directly from your device to OpenAI under your account. SpoknLabs never sees the audio, the transcript, or the key. Using your own key also gives you better results on longer dictations, noisy audio, and mixed-language input.

What if I don't want to use OpenAI?

Spokn also has an on-device engine that runs entirely offline — no key, no network. You can switch to it in Settings. Quality differs from OpenAI's engine, especially on longer or noisier recordings.

How do I remove or replace the key?

Open Spokn → Settings → OpenAI → API key. You can clear the saved key, or paste a new one to replace it. Clearing it removes it from your device's Keychain immediately.

Why do I need to add a credit card?

OpenAI charges for each transcription. Without a payment method and at least $5 of credit on your account, the key exists but won't actually work — requests get rejected. Once you've topped up, dictation just works.

How much will Spokn cost me at OpenAI?

For most people, very little — transcription is one of OpenAI's cheaper APIs, and Spokn only sends audio for the moments you're actually dictating. The exact rate is set by OpenAI and may change over time; you can find the current price on OpenAI's pricing page. Setting a Monthly budget on OpenAI's side is the simplest way to keep spending predictable.