Get Izwi running in under 5 minutes.

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Step 1: Install Izwi

Before you pick an install path, check the Runtime Support Matrix if backend support matters for your deployment. Linux and Windows release installers are CPU-only; use Docker CUDA on NVIDIA Linux hosts or source builds for custom CUDA validation.

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macOS

Download the latest .dmg from GitHub Releases, then:
  1. Open the downloaded .dmg file
  2. Drag Izwi.app to your Applications folder
  3. Launch Izwi from Applications
On first launch, Izwi will set up the izwi command-line tool automatically.

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Linux

Download the .deb package from GitHub Releases: 
sudo dpkg -i izwi_*.deb
The Linux release package is CPU-only. Use Docker CUDA or a source build for NVIDIA acceleration.

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Windows

Download and run the .exe installer from GitHub Releases.
The Windows release package is CPU-only. CUDA on Windows is currently a source-build preview path.
See Installation for detailed platform-specific instructions.

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Step 2: Start the Server

Open a terminal and run: 
izwi serve
You should see: 
Izwi server running at http://localhost:8080
Desktop mode (opens the native app): 
izwi serve --mode desktop
Web mode (opens in your browser): 
izwi serve --mode web

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Step 3: Download a Model

Izwi needs AI models to work. Download your first model: 
izwi pull Qwen3-TTS-12Hz-0.6B-Base
This downloads a compact, general-purpose text-to-speech model. View all available models: 
izwi list
View your downloaded models: 
izwi list --local

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Step 4: Try It Out

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Generate Speech

izwi tts "Hello! Welcome to Izwi." --output hello.wav
Play the generated audio: 
izwi tts "Hello! Welcome to Izwi." --play

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Transcribe Audio

First, download an ASR model: 
izwi pull Qwen3-ASR-0.6B-GGUF
Then transcribe: 
izwi transcribe your-audio.wav --model Qwen3-ASR-0.6B-GGUF

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Step 5: Open the Web UI

With the server running, open your browser to: 
http://localhost:8080
The web interface provides:
  • Voice — Real-time voice conversations
  • Chat — Text-based AI chat
  • Transcription — Upload and transcribe audio files
  • Voices — Create, preview, manage, and reuse voice assets
  • Text to Speech — Generate speech from text
  • Models — Manage your downloaded models
  • Settings — Configure theme, updates, analytics, and desktop behavior

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Next Steps