About

Silent Typer is an app for typing silently.

The principle

It types on dwell: position and time, instead of pressing. Rest the pointer on a key and a ring fills around it. Let the ring close and the letter is committed. Move away first and it drains rather than resetting.

The rule that makes it work is the speed gate. Dwell only accumulates while the pointer is moving slowly, so you can cross the whole board at speed and nothing fires until you stop. After a key commits it locks until you leave it, so one long hold cannot repeat a letter.

Every timing is adjustable. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

Common questions

How do I type without a keyboard?

Open the typer and aim your mouse at a key. Hold still for about a third of a second and the letter appears. There is nothing to press and nothing to install — it runs in the browser, so a mouse, trackpad, trackball or head pointer is all you need.

Can I type without clicking?

Yes. Clicking is optional everywhere on the keyboard. Position and time are the whole input: rest the pointer on a key, a ring fills around it, and the letter commits when the ring closes. Nothing is ever waiting on a button press.

What is dwell typing?

Dwell typing means a key activates because you stayed on it, not because you pressed it. It is the standard technique in eye-gaze and head-tracking software, where there is no button to press. Silent Typer uses the same idea with an ordinary mouse.

Is there an on-screen keyboard that makes no sound?

This one. A physical keyboard clicks, and so does a mouse button — which matters if you are recording audio, sitting in a quiet room, on a call, or typing next to someone asleep. Dwell has no moving parts, so there is nothing to hear.

Does it work with an eye tracker or head pointer?

It should. Anything that moves the system cursor looks like a mouse to the browser, and the dwell timings are adjustable, so you can slow them down for a device that is harder to hold steady. It has not been tested against specific hardware.

Does it work on a phone or tablet?

Not really, and this is honest rather than modest: a touch screen has no hover. There is no way to rest a finger on a key without touching it, so dwell has nothing to measure. It needs a pointing device.

Is what I type sent anywhere?

No. The text never leaves the page. There is no account, no upload and no server holding your words — the app is static files and everything happens in your browser. The privacy page spells out exactly what is and is not stored.

Is it free?

Yes, entirely, with no account and no limits. It is funded by donations from people who feel like it. Nothing is held back behind a payment.