System requirements
Chronos is designed to run on virtually any modern Windows PC. Check these before starting.
Windows 10 or 11
Both 32-bit and 64-bit editions are supported. Windows 7/8 are not.
~400 MB disk space
The installed footprint after setup. The installer itself is 170 MB — smaller download, expanded on install.
Microphone
Any USB, built-in, or Bluetooth mic. Set it as the default recording device in Windows Sound Settings.
Audio output
Speakers or headphones required to hear Chronos' TTS voice responses.
No internet required
After the initial download, Chronos runs entirely offline. No Wi-Fi, no cloud, no accounts.
GitHub Releases
Chronos is distributed via GitHub Releases — free, versioned, and always the latest official build.
Download the installer
Grab the latest official Chronos release directly from GitHub.
Chronos Installer (.exe)
A single self-contained installer — everything Chronos needs to run is bundled inside. One click to download, one click to install.
Finding the right file on GitHub
Click the button above or go to the GitHub Releases page. Under the latest release, look for the Assets section and click the Chronos-Setup.exe file to download it.
Run the installer
Double-click the downloaded .exe and follow the short setup wizard.
Installing Chronos
Double-click the downloaded Chronos-Setup.exe. The installer will set up all required files and unpack Chronos (~400 MB total) into a folder of your choosing.
C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Local\Chronos or C:\Users\YourName\Documents\Chronos to avoid write-permission issues. Avoid C:\Program Files unless you run as admin — Chronos needs to write its TTS cache to its own folder.Once the installer finishes, Chronos is ready — no additional setup, no dependencies to install, no configuration files to edit.
What's inside the installation
The installer unpacks everything Chronos needs to run completely offline:
edge-tts runtime — the text-to-speech system Chronos uses to speak back to you.
TTS cache folder — created on first launch; stores generated audio files permanently for instant playback on repeat.
Chronos.exe — the main executable you'll launch each session.
Launch Chronos
Open the installed folder and double-click Chronos.exe to fire it up for the first time.
Running Chronos.exe
Open your Chronos install folder and double-click Chronos.exe. On first launch it may take a few extra seconds as Chronos initialises the Vosk speech model and creates its TTS cache directory.
What happens on startup
When Chronos starts successfully it will:
Set Chronos to auto-start
Add Chronos to your Windows startup folder so it launches automatically every time you log in.
⚡ Recommended — Shell:startup
The easiest way to have Chronos ready the moment your PC boots. Place a shortcut in the Windows startup folder and you'll never have to open it manually again.
Adding Chronos to Windows startup
Follow these steps exactly:
shell:startup and press Enter. A File Explorer window opens showing your personal startup folder.%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup. Only your shortcut goes here — never move the actual Chronos folder. The shortcut is just a pointer; Chronos stays where you installed it.shell:startup folder. The actual Chronos installation is untouched.Start talking to Chronos
Just speak naturally — Chronos listens, understands, and responds.
Speaking clearly
Chronos uses the Vosk offline speech recognition engine. Vosk performs best when you speak clearly at a moderate pace. You don't need to yell or over-enunciate — talk the way you normally would.
All audio is processed entirely on-device by your CPU — no internet round-trip, which means recognition is fast regardless of your connection speed or whether you're offline.
How the TTS cache works
Every time Chronos speaks a new phrase using edge-tts, the generated audio is saved permanently in a local cache folder inside the Chronos directory. The next time Chronos needs that exact phrase, it plays the cached file instantly.
The daily greeting is a great example: the first time Chronos greets you on a new date, it generates fresh audio (brief pause). Every subsequent launch that same day plays the cached file in milliseconds.
What you can say
Chronos understands a range of natural commands. Here are the core ones to get you started.
| What to say | What Chronos does | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| open [app name] | Launches the named application | Searches installed apps via Windows APIs. Works with any app on your system. |
| rescan / rebuild | Rescans all applications on your system | Run after installing new apps so Chronos can find them. |
| reset / clear | Soft purge — drains the audio queue, resets Vosk, rebuilds app catalogue, replays greeting | Use this if Chronos feels sluggish or out-of-sync. Does not touch the TTS cache. |
| stop listening | Pauses microphone input | Say "november" to resume listening. |
| what time is it Upcoming | Speaks the current time | Uses system clock — no internet needed. |
| what's today's date Upcoming | Speaks the current date | Same date spoken during the startup greeting. |
| goodbye / exit | Speaks a farewell and closes Chronos | Graceful shutdown — always use this instead of force-closing. |
Getting the most out of Chronos
Small habits that make a big difference in day-to-day use.
Add Chronos to shell:startup
See Step 4 above. Placing the Chronos shortcut in your Windows startup folder means it's always ready the moment you log in — no manual launching required.
Use a headset or close-field mic
Vosk accuracy improves significantly with a microphone closer to your mouth. Even a budget USB headset beats a far-field laptop mic in a noisy environment.
Set your mic as the Windows default
Go to Settings → System → Sound → Input and confirm your intended microphone is set as the default recording device. Chronos uses whatever Windows reports as default.
Never move just the .exe
The TTS cache lives inside the Chronos folder. Moving only Chronos.exe breaks the cache lookup. If you need to relocate Chronos, move the entire install folder together and update your shortcut path.
Wait for Chronos to finish speaking
Chronos processes one command at a time sequentially. Issuing another command while it's mid-speech may cause that command to be missed. Wait for the response to complete.
Check the console window for feedback
Chronos opens a console alongside its main process. If Chronos isn't responding to voice, the console will usually show the reason — such as no audio input detected or a recognition error.
Say "reset" if things feel out of sync
Saying "reset" or "clear" triggers a soft purge: drains the audio queue, resets Vosk, rebuilds the app catalogue, and replays the greeting — all without closing Chronos or touching the TTS cache.
Say "rescan" after installing new apps
When you install a new application and want to open it with Chronos, say "rescan" or "rebuild" first. This rebuilds the app catalogue so Chronos can find the newly installed app.
Common issues & fixes
Most problems have a simple cause. Check these before anything else.
Chronos doesn't hear me / no response to voice
Almost always a microphone configuration issue, not a bug.
2. Make sure the microphone volume is above 50%.
3. Check microphone permission: Settings → Privacy → Microphone → toggle on for desktop apps.
4. Look at the Chronos console window — it will show whether audio is being received.
Chronos crashes on startup
A crash on launch usually means a missing or corrupted file inside the Chronos folder, or the installer didn't complete successfully.
Voice recognition is inaccurate
• Reduce background noise (TV, music, fans).
• Speak at a steady moderate pace — not too fast, not exaggerated.
• Switch to a headset microphone if using a built-in laptop mic.
• Confirm the correct input device is selected in Windows Sound settings.
No sound / Chronos speaks but I can't hear it
Check that speakers or headphones are connected and set as the default playback device in Windows Sound settings. Confirm system volume is not muted. Chronos plays audio through the Windows default output device — changing that in the Sound control panel is sufficient.
Antivirus or Windows Defender flagging Chronos
Chronos is an unsigned executable — it has no commercial code-signing certificate. Some antivirus engines flag unsigned executables as potentially unwanted programs (PUPs). Chronos is not malware.
Chronos can't find a newly installed app
The app catalogue is built when Chronos starts and doesn't automatically update while it's running. After installing a new application, say "rescan" or "rebuild" to trigger a fresh catalogue scan. Chronos will then be able to find and open the new app.
Frequently asked questions
Yes — completely. Chronos uses Vosk for offline speech recognition and edge-tts for text-to-speech, both running entirely on your device. After the initial download and install, you never need an internet connection to use Chronos.
The installer download is 170 MB. After installation, the total footprint on disk is approximately 400 MB. Most of that size is the Vosk speech recognition model, which is what enables fully offline voice recognition without any internet connection.
Yes. Just download and run the installer on each PC. There's no per-machine license, no activation, and no account needed. The TTS cache is stored locally per installation, so each PC will build up its own cache over time.
The cache grows slowly because it only stores audio for unique phrases Chronos has actually spoken. In practice it stabilises quickly since daily usage involves many repeated phrases — greetings, acknowledgements, common responses. The cache is never cleared automatically, which is by design: it means Chronos only gets faster over time.
No. All audio is processed locally by Vosk on your CPU and immediately discarded after recognition. Chronos does not write your voice audio to disk and has no network component to transmit anything. See the Privacy page for the full policy.
Download the new installer from the GitHub Releases page and run it. The installer will update the Chronos files in place. Your TTS cache is stored in a subfolder that won't be overwritten during an update, so all your cached audio is preserved.
Yes, entirely free. No paid version, no premium tier, no subscription, no ads. Chronos is an independent personal project built and maintained by a solo developer, distributed freely via GitHub.
The current build ships with an English Vosk model. Other language models are available from the Vosk project, but swapping models requires manually replacing the model folder — this is not officially supported in the current release.
Saying "reset" or "clear" triggers a soft purge: it drains the current audio queue, resets the Vosk speech recogniser, rebuilds the application catalogue, and replays the startup greeting. It's a full internal refresh without closing or restarting Chronos — and importantly, it never touches the TTS cache.
Removing Chronos
Chronos leaves no footprint on your system outside its own folder.
⚠️ To completely remove Chronos
Delete the Chronos install folder. Chronos does not write to the Windows registry, does not install services or drivers, and does not place files anywhere outside its own folder. There is no separate uninstaller because none is needed — deleting the folder is the complete and total removal. Also delete the desktop shortcut and remove the shortcut from shell:startup if you added one.
Chronos.exe location. The TTS cache inside the folder moves with it automatically.Ready to get started?
Download Chronos from GitHub — free, offline, and set up in under five minutes.