diff --git a/app/package.json b/app/package.json
index b39d8c1..fba67cb 100644
--- a/app/package.json
+++ b/app/package.json
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
     "jshashes": "^1.0.8",
     "localforage": "^1.10.0",
     "match-sorter": "^6.3.1",
+    "mic-recorder-to-mp3": "^2.2.2",
     "minisearch": "^6.0.1",
     "natural": "^6.2.0",
     "openai": "^3.2.1",
diff --git a/app/src/components/input.tsx b/app/src/components/input.tsx
index 8b0a40c..82bedbe 100644
--- a/app/src/components/input.tsx
+++ b/app/src/components/input.tsx
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ import { selectMessage, setMessage } from '../store/message';
 import { selectTemperature } from '../store/parameters';
 import { openSystemPromptPanel, openTemperaturePanel } from '../store/settings-ui';
 import { speechRecognition } from '../speech-recognition-types.d'
+import MicRecorder from 'mic-recorder-to-mp3';
+import { selectUseOpenAIWhisper } from '../store/api-keys';
+
 
 const Container = styled.div`
     background: #292933;
@@ -40,6 +43,8 @@ export default function MessageInput(props: MessageInputProps) {
     const message = useAppSelector(selectMessage);
     const [recording, setRecording] = useState(false);
     const hasVerticalSpace = useMediaQuery('(min-height: 1000px)');
+    const recorder = new MicRecorder({ bitRate: 128 })
+    const useOpenAIWhisper = useAppSelector(selectUseOpenAIWhisper);
 
     const context = useAppContext();
     const dispatch = useAppDispatch();
@@ -62,18 +67,30 @@ export default function MessageInput(props: MessageInputProps) {
     const onSpeechStart = () => {
         if (!recording) {
             setRecording(true);
-            speechRecognition.continuous = true;
-            speechRecognition.interimResults = true;
 
-            speechRecognition.onresult = (event) => {
-                const transcript = event.results[event.results.length - 1][0].transcript;
-                dispatch(setMessage(transcript));
-            };
+            // if we are using whisper, the we will just record with the browser and send the api when done 
+            if (useOpenAIWhisper) {
 
-            speechRecognition.start();
+            } else {
+
+                speechRecognition.continuous = true;
+                speechRecognition.interimResults = true;
+
+                speechRecognition.onresult = (event) => {
+                    const transcript = event.results[event.results.length - 1][0].transcript;
+                    dispatch(setMessage(transcript));
+                };
+
+                speechRecognition.start();
+            }
         } else {
             setRecording(false);
-            speechRecognition.stop();
+            if (useOpenAIWhisper) {
+
+            } else {
+                speechRecognition.stop();
+
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/app/src/components/settings/user.tsx b/app/src/components/settings/user.tsx
index 9e217fa..fc2370e 100644
--- a/app/src/components/settings/user.tsx
+++ b/app/src/components/settings/user.tsx
@@ -3,22 +3,24 @@ import SettingsOption from "./option";
 import { TextInput } from "@mantine/core";
 import { useCallback, useMemo } from "react";
 import { useAppDispatch, useAppSelector } from "../../store";
-import { selectOpenAIApiKey, setOpenAIApiKeyFromEvent } from "../../store/api-keys";
+import { selectOpenAIApiKey, setOpenAIApiKeyFromEvent, selectUseOpenAIWhisper, setUseOpenAIWhisperFromEvent } from "../../store/api-keys";
 import { selectSettingsOption } from "../../store/settings-ui";
 import { FormattedMessage, useIntl } from "react-intl";
 
 export default function UserOptionsTab(props: any) {
     const option = useAppSelector(selectSettingsOption);
     const openaiApiKey = useAppSelector(selectOpenAIApiKey);
+    const useOpenAIWhisper = useAppSelector(selectUseOpenAIWhisper);
     const intl = useIntl()
 
     const dispatch = useAppDispatch();
     const onOpenAIApiKeyChange = useCallback((event: React.ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => dispatch(setOpenAIApiKeyFromEvent(event)), [dispatch]);
+    const onUseOpenAIWhisperChange = useCallback((event: React.ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => dispatch(setUseOpenAIWhisperFromEvent(event)), [dispatch]);
 
     const elem = useMemo(() => (
         <SettingsTab name="user">
             <SettingsOption heading={intl.formatMessage({ defaultMessage: "Your OpenAI API Key", description: "Heading for the OpenAI API key setting on the settings screen" })}
-                            focused={option === 'openai-api-key'}>
+                focused={option === 'openai-api-key'}>
                 <TextInput
                     placeholder={intl.formatMessage({ defaultMessage: "Paste your API key here" })}
                     value={openaiApiKey || ''}
@@ -28,6 +30,9 @@ export default function UserOptionsTab(props: any) {
                         <FormattedMessage defaultMessage="Find your API key here." description="Label for the link that takes the user to the page on the OpenAI website where they can find their API key." />
                     </a>
                 </p>
+                <p>
+                    <input type="checkbox" id="use-openai-whisper-api" checked={useOpenAIWhisper!} onChange={onUseOpenAIWhisperChange} /> Use the OpenAI Whisper API for speech recognition.
+                </p>
                 <p>
                     <FormattedMessage defaultMessage="Your API key is stored only on this device and never transmitted to anyone except OpenAI." />
                 </p>
@@ -36,7 +41,7 @@ export default function UserOptionsTab(props: any) {
                 </p>
             </SettingsOption>
         </SettingsTab>
-    ), [option, openaiApiKey, onOpenAIApiKeyChange]);
+    ), [option, openaiApiKey, useOpenAIWhisper, onOpenAIApiKeyChange]);
 
     return elem;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/src/store/api-keys.ts b/app/src/store/api-keys.ts
index 59a8634..3a53cf7 100644
--- a/app/src/store/api-keys.ts
+++ b/app/src/store/api-keys.ts
@@ -3,9 +3,12 @@ import type { RootState } from '.';
 
 const initialState: {
     openAIApiKey?: string | null | undefined;
+    useOpenAIWhisper?: boolean | null | undefined;
     elevenLabsApiKey?: string | null | undefined;
+
 } = {
     openAIApiKey: localStorage.getItem('openai-api-key'),
+    useOpenAIWhisper: localStorage.getItem('use-openai-whisper') === 'true',
     elevenLabsApiKey: localStorage.getItem('elevenlabs-api-key'),
 };
 
@@ -18,7 +21,11 @@ export const apiKeysSlice = createSlice({
         },
         setElevenLabsApiKey: (state, action: PayloadAction<string>) => {
             state.elevenLabsApiKey = action.payload;
+        },
+        setUseOpenAIWhisper: (state, action: PayloadAction<boolean>) => {
+            state.useOpenAIWhisper = action.payload;
         }
+
     },
 })
 
@@ -26,8 +33,10 @@ export const { setOpenAIApiKey, setElevenLabsApiKey } = apiKeysSlice.actions;
 
 export const setOpenAIApiKeyFromEvent = (event: React.ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => apiKeysSlice.actions.setOpenAIApiKey(event.target.value);
 export const setElevenLabsApiKeyFromEvent = (event: React.ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => apiKeysSlice.actions.setElevenLabsApiKey(event.target.value);
+export const setUseOpenAIWhisperFromEvent = (event: React.ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => apiKeysSlice.actions.setUseOpenAIWhisper(event.target.checked);
 
 export const selectOpenAIApiKey = (state: RootState) => state.apiKeys.openAIApiKey;
 export const selectElevenLabsApiKey = (state: RootState) => state.apiKeys.elevenLabsApiKey;
+export const selectUseOpenAIWhisper = (state: RootState) => state.apiKeys.useOpenAIWhisper;
 
 export default apiKeysSlice.reducer;
\ No newline at end of file