Rustyvibes Install

Rustyvibes

The click you’ve been missing.

Real mechanical keyboard sounds for every key you press, in every app. A tiny, native menu bar app for your Mac.

curl -fsSL https://rustyvibes.kunalbagaria.com/install | bash

Paste into Terminal. Free for macOS 13 or later, Apple silicon and Intel.

The first build is on its way. Check back soon.

Soundpacks

Pick your switch.

Twenty-one real keyboards, from the crisp click of Cherry MX Blue to the deep thock of Topre. Every pack is trimmed to its transient and loudness-matched, so switching never startles you.

Choose a pack to hear it, then type anywhere on this page. The web preview uses a lighter version of each pack; the app has every key.

Details

Sounds real. Because it is.

No two keystrokes alike.

Each press shifts pitch by up to 35 cents and level by up to 1.5 dB, the way a real keyboard never repeats itself.

Left keys left. Right keys right.

Keys pan with their place on the keyboard. Best with headphones.

Hear the upstroke, too.

Packs recorded with release sounds play them as you let go.

Switch outputs. It follows.

Rustyvibes plays through whatever your Mac is using: speakers, headphones or AirPods.

Rests when you do.

After 15 seconds of quiet it lets go of the audio device, so it never keeps your Mac awake.

Native on every Mac.

One universal app for Apple silicon and Intel, from macOS 13 Ventura.

Performance

Silent when you are.

Rustyvibes handles each keystroke in microseconds, then gets out of the way. Stop typing and it stops completely: no CPU, no wakeups, no audio device held open.

CPU when you’re not typing
0.0%
CPU at ten keys a second
0.4%
of memory
16 MB
universal app binary
1.16 MB
to handle a key event
≤ 5 µs
to mix an audio buffer
≤ 8 µs
output buffer
2.7 ms
wakeups at rest
0
  1. Key press
  2. Listen-only event tap≤ 5 µs
  3. Lock-free queue
  4. Real-time mixer≤ 8 µs
  5. Core Audio

Measured on an M2 Max Mac running macOS 26.2 with the release build. Output latency also depends on your audio device.

Privacy

It hears keys. Never words.

Rustyvibes needs to know when a key goes down, and that’s all it learns. It never sees what you type, never records anything and never touches the network.

Get Rustyvibes

One line. Then just type.

curl -fsSL https://rustyvibes.kunalbagaria.com/install | bash

The first build is on its way. Check back soon.

  1. 1
    Open Terminal. Press ⌘ Space, type “Terminal” and press Return.
  2. 2
    Paste the command and press Return. It takes a few seconds.
  3. 3
    Allow Input Monitoring when Rustyvibes asks. Then just type.

What the command does

  • Downloads Rustyvibes 2.0.0 (12.9 MB) from this site.
  • Checks its SHA-256 checksum and code signature.
  • Installs it in Applications, without an admin password.
  • Opens it, so you can allow it to hear key presses.
Read the script

Update by running the same command again.

Uninstall with curl -fsSL https://rustyvibes.kunalbagaria.com/install | bash -s -- --uninstall

Why Terminal?

Rustyvibes is signed but not notarized by Apple, so a copy downloaded in your browser would trigger a Gatekeeper warning. The installer checks the download, then installs it without that prompt. macOS still asks before Rustyvibes can hear key presses.

Is it free?

Yes. No ads, accounts or in-app purchases.

Which Macs does it run on?

Any Mac with macOS 13 Ventura or later, with Apple silicon or Intel.

Tech specs

Version
2.0.0
Compatibility
macOS 13 Ventura or later
Processor
Apple silicon or Intel (universal)
Size
12.9 MB download, 17.5 MB installed
Soundpacks
21: Linear 9, Tactile 7, Clicky 5
Memory
16–17 MB
Permissions
Input Monitoring only
Network
None
Price
Free
Sounds
Mechvibes by Hai Nguyen and kbsim by Thomas Lai, MIT License