Setup guide

Set up your API keys

SpeechKey is BYOK — Bring Your Own Keys. You'll create accounts with 2–5 AI providers and paste their keys into the app. SpeechKey never sees your keys; they live only in the iOS Keychain. You pay providers directly at their actual rates.

⏱
~10–15 minutes
for the full setup
🔒
Keys never leave your device
stored in iOS Keychain
💳
Pay providers directly
no SpeechKey markup, no subscription
Get your keys →
Why BYOK

Why we don't run a backend

Three architectural decisions, one consequence.

Honest Pricing

No middleman markup. When OpenAI charges $0.06 for a minute of translation, that's what you pay — not $0.18 after our cut. You see exactly what your AI usage costs.

Privacy by Architecture

No SpeechKey servers means no SpeechKey data leaks. Your audio goes directly from your iPhone to the provider you chose. There's no telemetry pipeline because there's nothing to telemeter.

No Vendor Lock-in

Switch providers anytime. Stop using iFLYTEK and try OpenAI Whisper instead — your keys, your choice. We don't have a business model that punishes you for changing.

Which keys do I need?

Pick your pipeline — see only the keys you need

Each pipeline is a curated ASR→MT→TTS stack. Pick yours and the provider cards below update to show what's required vs. optional.

Provider guides

Step-by-step to your keys

iFLYTEK

Chinese Speech Recognition (ASR)
Standard: required Pro Live: required China-Only: required Watch: required
  1. Go to console.xfyun.cn — use browser auto-translate if needed. Register with email or WeChat.
  2. After login: Console → My Applications → Create New Application. Name it anything, pick any category.
  3. Click Add Service → select Real-time Speech Transcription (IST / 实时语音转写).
  4. On the application overview you'll see three credentials: APPID, API Key, and API Secret. All three go into SpeechKey.
Screenshot placeholder: iFLYTEK application overview
~$0.04/hr· First 500 hrs free with identity verification
⚠ The API Secret is shown once on creation — copy it immediately or regenerate.
→ Direct link: IST service page

OpenAI

Translation engine + Realtime API
Standard: required Pro Live: required Realtime: required (only key) Watch: required
  1. Go to platform.openai.com/signup. Register with email or Google/Microsoft SSO. Verify your phone number.
  2. Go to Billing → Payment methods → Add. Recommended: add $20 credit upfront — avoids billing failures mid-session.
  3. Go to platform.openai.com/api-keys → Create new secret key. Name: "SpeechKey".
  4. Key starts with sk-proj-… — shown once, copy now or regenerate.
Screenshot placeholder: OpenAI API keys page
GPT-4o-mini: ~$0.01/min · Realtime API: ~$0.15/min
⚠ Set a usage limit in Billing → Limits (e.g. $20/month) to avoid unexpected charges.
→ Direct link: API keys page

DeepSeek

Chinese-cloud translation (no VPN)
China-Only: required All others: optional
  1. Go to platform.deepseek.com. Register with email or WeChat. Any country phone number works.
  2. Add credit via Alipay or WeChat Pay. Start with ¥50 (~$7) — roughly 50 hours of usage. Free trial credit (¥10) often included on signup.
  3. Dashboard → API Keys → Create new key. Name: "SpeechKey". Copy immediately.
Screenshot placeholder: DeepSeek API keys page
~$0.005/min · cheapest pipeline component
⚠ Payment requires Chinese payment methods (Alipay, WeChat Pay). International credit cards not directly supported.
→ Direct link: API keys page

MiniMax

Premium Speech Synthesis (optional)
Pro Live: recommended China-Only: optional Standard: optional
  1. International users: platform.minimaxi.com. China users: minimaxi.com. Register with email.
  2. After login: find your Group ID in Account → Profile. Format: numeric string (e.g., 1234567890).
  3. Dashboard → API Keys → Create. Both Group ID + API Key go into SpeechKey.
Screenshot placeholder: MiniMax profile with Group ID
~$0.04/min · best Mandarin voice quality
⚠ Group ID is not secret but is required for API auth alongside the key.
→ Authentication docs

ElevenLabs

Alternative TTS (optional)
Standard: optional Pro Live: optional Watch: optional
  1. Go to elevenlabs.io/sign-up. Email or Google SSO.
  2. Profile avatar (top-right) → API Keys → Create new API key. Permissions: Text-to-Speech minimum.
  3. Copy the key and paste into SpeechKey under ElevenLabs.
Screenshot placeholder: ElevenLabs API keys page
Free: 10k characters/month · Creator: $22/mo for 100k
⚠ Chinese voice quality is good but not as good as MiniMax for Mandarin.
→ ElevenLabs API page
Pasting keys into SpeechKey

Three taps — then you're ready

1

Open SpeechKey → tap the gear icon

Settings icon is top-right on the main screen.

2

Settings → API Keys → tap your provider

Each provider has its own secure input. The first-launch onboarding guides you through this.

3

Paste the key → tap Save

SpeechKey writes it directly to the iOS Keychain. It never leaves your device toward SpeechKey servers.

SpeechKey Settings › API Keys
讯
iFLYTEK
Paste key…
O
OpenAI
sk-proj-…xK3
D
DeepSeek
Paste key…
M
MiniMax
Optional
Security

Where your keys actually live

What happens

You paste key → SpeechKey writes to iOS Keychain
↓
SpeechKey reads from Keychain → signs API request
↓
Request goes directly to: iFLYTEK / OpenAI / DeepSeek
↓
Response → SpeechKey shows translation

What does NOT happen

  • Key never sent to SpeechKey servers (we don't have any)
  • Key never stored in iCloud Backup (Keychain default)
  • Key never logged, telemetered, or analyzed
  • Key never shared with other apps
The iOS Keychain is hardware-encrypted via the Secure Enclave. Even Apple can't read it.
Costs

What does an hour-long meeting actually cost?

Real numbers for the five pipelines. No fine print.

Pipeline iFLYTEK OpenAI DeepSeek MiniMax Total (1 hr)
Standard
Balanced
 $0.04 $0.40 — — ~$0.44
Pro Live
Premium
 $0.04 $3.60 — $2.40 ~$6.04
Realtime
Fastest
 — $9.00 — — ~$9.00
China-Only
No VPN
 $0.04 — $0.30 — ~$0.34
Watch-Modus
Apple Watch
 $0.04 $0.40 — — ~$0.44

Estimates based on actual SpeechKey usage patterns (sustained audio with normal pauses). Your mileage may vary ±30% depending on speech density. All prices in USD, billed by providers directly. SpeechKey adds no markup.

Common questions

FAQ

Why can't SpeechKey just give me one key that works everywhere?
Because each provider has its own auth system. To use them, you have to be the registered customer. If we issued SpeechKey-branded keys, you'd be paying us → we'd be paying them → and we'd be adding margin. BYOK skips that.
What if I lose my API key?
Generate a new one at the provider's dashboard, then update it in SpeechKey Settings → API Keys → tap the provider → paste new key. The old one stops working immediately.
Do I need a Chinese phone number for iFLYTEK?
No, but the registration UI assumes Chinese language. Use browser auto-translate. International numbers work for SMS verification.
What happens if a provider's API is down?
SpeechKey shows a connection error and lets you switch to a different pipeline. Five pipelines = five failover options.
Is OpenAI Realtime expensive?
At ~$9/hour, yes — by far the priciest pipeline. It's for when you need sub-second latency (live interpretation, video calls). For most meetings, Standard at $0.44/hour is plenty.
I'm in China. Which pipeline should I use?
China-Only. It runs entirely on Chinese cloud (iFLYTEK + DeepSeek + optional MiniMax). No VPN needed. Costs less than $0.50/hour.
Are my translations stored anywhere?
Only on your iPhone, in app storage. You can export, copy, or delete them at any time. They're never sent to SpeechKey servers (we don't have any) and never logged at providers.
My key is rejected as invalid — what do I do?
Check: (1) No leading/trailing spaces when pasting. (2) Key pasted into the correct provider field. (3) Billing is active on the provider account. If all correct: delete, regenerate, and re-enter.
Ready to go

Keys in. Start translating.

Download SpeechKey, paste your keys, and start translating speech in 15 minutes.

Download on the App Store →
9.99 € one-time · No subscription · iOS 17+