diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/settings/ai/stt/configure.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/settings/ai/stt/configure.tsx
index eaf8960cd2..ddaf165d7a 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/settings/ai/stt/configure.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/settings/ai/stt/configure.tsx
@@ -118,12 +118,12 @@ function HyprProviderCard({
               <HyprProviderLocalRow
                 model="am-parakeet-v2"
                 displayName="Parakeet v2"
-                description="English only. Works best for English."
+                description="Optimized for English. Best accuracy for English conversations."
               />
               <HyprProviderLocalRow
                 model="am-parakeet-v3"
                 displayName="Parakeet v3"
-                description="English and European languages."
+                description="Better for European languages. Supports multilingual conversations."
               />
               <HyprProviderLocalRow
                 model="am-whisper-large-v3"
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/settings/ai/stt/select.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/settings/ai/stt/select.tsx
index d1920c655f..be311064e4 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/settings/ai/stt/select.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/settings/ai/stt/select.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { useForm } from "@tanstack/react-form";
 import { useQueries, useQuery } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { arch } from "@tauri-apps/plugin-os";
+import { useCallback } from "react";
 
 import type { AIProviderStorage } from "@hypr/store";
 import { Input } from "@hypr/ui/components/ui/input";
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ import { cn } from "@hypr/utils";
 
 import { useBillingAccess } from "../../../../billing";
 import { useConfigValues } from "../../../../config/use-config";
+import { useValidateSttModel } from "../../../../hooks/useValidateSttModel";
 import * as settings from "../../../../store/tinybase/settings";
 import {
   getProviderSelectionBlockers,
@@ -50,10 +52,22 @@ export function SelectProviderAndModel() {
     settings.STORE_ID,
   );
 
+  const getValidatedModel = () => {
+    if (!current_stt_provider || !current_stt_model) return "";
+
+    const providerModels =
+      configuredProviders[current_stt_provider as ProviderId]?.models ?? [];
+    const isModelValid = providerModels.some(
+      (model) => model.id === current_stt_model && model.isDownloaded,
+    );
+
+    return isModelValid ? current_stt_model : "";
+  };
+
   const form = useForm({
     defaultValues: {
       provider: current_stt_provider || "",
-      model: current_stt_model || "",
+      model: getValidatedModel(),
     },
     listeners: {
       onChange: ({ formApi }) => {
@@ -73,6 +87,17 @@ export function SelectProviderAndModel() {
     },
   });
 
+  const handleClearModel = useCallback(() => {
+    handleSelectModel("");
+    form.setFieldValue("model", "");
+  }, [handleSelectModel, form]);
+
+  useValidateSttModel(
+    current_stt_provider,
+    current_stt_model,
+    handleClearModel,
+  );
+
   return (
     <div className="flex flex-col gap-3">
       <h3 className="text-md font-semibold">Model being used</h3>
@@ -170,34 +195,46 @@ export function SelectProviderAndModel() {
               }
 
               const allModels = configuredProviders?.[providerId]?.models ?? [];
-              const models = allModels.filter((model) => {
-                if (model.id === "cloud") {
-                  return true;
-                }
-                if (model.id.startsWith("Quantized")) {
-                  return model.isDownloaded;
-                }
-                return true;
-              });
+
+              const modelsToShow =
+                providerId === "hyprnote"
+                  ? allModels
+                  : allModels.filter((model) => {
+                      if (model.id === "cloud") {
+                        return true;
+                      }
+                      return model.isDownloaded;
+                    });
 
               return (
                 <div className="flex-[3] min-w-0">
                   <Select
                     value={field.state.value}
                     onValueChange={(value) => field.handleChange(value)}
-                    disabled={models.length === 0}
+                    disabled={modelsToShow.length === 0}
                   >
                     <SelectTrigger className="bg-white shadow-none focus:ring-0">
                       <SelectValue placeholder="Select a model" />
                     </SelectTrigger>
-                    <SelectContent>
-                      {models.map((model) => (
+                    <SelectContent className="w-full">
+                      {modelsToShow.map((model) => (
                         <SelectItem
                           key={model.id}
                           value={model.id}
                           disabled={!model.isDownloaded}
+                          className="group"
                         >
-                          {displayModelId(model.id)}
+                          <div className="flex items-center justify-between w-full">
+                            <span>{displayModelId(model.id)}</span>
+                            {!model.isDownloaded &&
+                              providerId === "hyprnote" && (
+                                <span className="text-xs text-neutral-500 ml-auto opacity-0 group-hover:opacity-100 transition-opacity">
+                                  {model.id === "cloud"
+                                    ? "Start trial"
+                                    : "Download model"}
+                                </span>
+                              )}
+                          </div>
                         </SelectItem>
                       ))}
                     </SelectContent>
@@ -276,17 +313,7 @@ function useConfiguredMapping(): Record<
       }
 
       if (provider.id === "hyprnote") {
-        const models = [
-          { id: "cloud", isDownloaded: billing.isPro },
-          {
-            id: "QuantizedTinyEn",
-            isDownloaded: tinyEn.data ?? false,
-          },
-          {
-            id: "QuantizedSmallEn",
-            isDownloaded: smallEn.data ?? false,
-          },
-        ];
+        const models = [{ id: "cloud", isDownloaded: billing.isPro }];
 
         if (isAppleSilicon) {
           models.push(
@@ -298,13 +325,27 @@ function useConfiguredMapping(): Record<
               id: "am-parakeet-v3",
               isDownloaded: p3.data ?? false,
             },
-            {
-              id: "am-whisper-large-v3",
-              isDownloaded: whisperLargeV3.data ?? false,
-            },
           );
         }
 
+        if (isAppleSilicon) {
+          models.push({
+            id: "am-whisper-large-v3",
+            isDownloaded: whisperLargeV3.data ?? false,
+          });
+        }
+
+        models.push(
+          {
+            id: "QuantizedTinyEn",
+            isDownloaded: tinyEn.data ?? false,
+          },
+          {
+            id: "QuantizedSmallEn",
+            isDownloaded: smallEn.data ?? false,
+          },
+        );
+
         return [
           provider.id,
           {
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/hooks/useValidateSttModel.ts b/apps/desktop/src/hooks/useValidateSttModel.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e6b575c344
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/hooks/useValidateSttModel.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+import { useQuery } from "@tanstack/react-query";
+import { useEffect } from "react";
+
+import {
+  commands as localSttCommands,
+  type SupportedSttModel,
+} from "@hypr/plugin-local-stt";
+
+const SUPPORTED_LOCAL_MODELS: SupportedSttModel[] = [
+  "am-parakeet-v2",
+  "am-parakeet-v3",
+  "am-whisper-large-v3",
+  "QuantizedTinyEn",
+  "QuantizedSmallEn",
+];
+
+export function useValidateSttModel(
+  provider: string | undefined,
+  model: string | undefined,
+  onClearModel: () => void,
+) {
+  const isLocalModel = provider === "hyprnote" && model && model !== "cloud";
+
+  const { data: isDownloaded } = useQuery({
+    queryKey: ["stt-model-downloaded", model, isLocalModel],
+    queryFn: async () => {
+      if (!isLocalModel || !model) return true;
+
+      if (SUPPORTED_LOCAL_MODELS.includes(model as SupportedSttModel)) {
+        try {
+          const result = await localSttCommands.isModelDownloaded(
+            model as SupportedSttModel,
+          );
+          return result.status === "ok" && result.data;
+        } catch (error) {
+          console.error("Error checking model download status:", error);
+          return false;
+        }
+      }
+
+      return true;
+    },
+    enabled: !!isLocalModel,
+    refetchInterval: 2000,
+    staleTime: 500,
+  });
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (isLocalModel && isDownloaded === false) {
+      console.log(`Clearing invalid STT model selection: ${model}`);
+      onClearModel();
+    }
+  }, [isLocalModel, isDownloaded, model, onClearModel]);
+
+  return { isModelValid: !isLocalModel || isDownloaded !== false };
+}