Dictation hears you but no text appears
Last updated Checked against NoteOwl 1.0.0
If NoteOwl hears you but no words appear in the app, NoteOwl is almost always missing the macOS Accessibility permission, so it copies your words instead of typing them. Press ⌘V to paste them now, and turn on NoteOwl in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility so it types at the cursor next time.
Why doesn't NoteOwl type my dictation into the app?
macOS only lets an app type into other apps if it has the Accessibility permission. Without it, NoteOwl still hears you and shows your words in its panel, but copies the finished text to the clipboard instead of typing it. Press ⌘V to paste it.
When you stop, the panel says Copied — press ⌘V (enable Accessibility to type directly), then Copied — press ⌘V in and the app's name, for example Copied — press ⌘V in Mail.
If tapping fn doesn't open the NoteOwl panel at all, that's a different permission: see the fn key doesn't start dictation.
How can I tell what went wrong?
Watch the NoteOwl panel at the top of the screen. What its header says while you talk, and what the panel says when you stop, points to the cause.
| The panel says | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Listening… the whole time you talk, then Copied | Accessibility is off, so the text is on the clipboard | Press ⌘V, then turn on Accessibility (below) |
| Inserting text once your words arrive, then Inserted into and the app's name | NoteOwl typed the words at the cursor | If you can't see them, the cursor wasn't in a text field (see below) |
| Warming up… | NoteOwl is getting ready and isn't listening yet | Start talking when it says Listening… |
| Didn't catch anything — try again. | NoteOwl heard nothing | Check the Microphone permission in macOS permissions NoteOwl asks for |
Turn on Accessibility
To check first, open NoteOwl's Settings and click General. Under Privacy & Access, Accessibility says Granted when it's on.
- Open System Settings from the Apple menu.
- Click Privacy & Security, then Accessibility.
- Turn on NoteOwl. If NoteOwl isn't in the list, click +, choose NoteOwl in your Applications folder, and turn it on. macOS may ask for your password.
- Click into a text field in the app you want to write in, and tap fn. NoteOwl checks Accessibility each time a dictation starts, so your words now type at the cursor, and when you stop the panel says Inserted into and the app's name.
- If the panel still says Copied, quit NoteOwl: click its menu bar icon and choose Quit NoteOwl. Open NoteOwl again and dictate once more.
Why does the panel say Inserted when I can't see the words?
NoteOwl types your words wherever the cursor is, the same way your keyboard does. The panel says Inserted into and the app's name once NoteOwl has typed them, even if no text field had the cursor. If nothing was ready to take the words, they didn't appear anywhere.
- Click into the text field first, then tap fn. The words go where the cursor is.
- Keep the cursor there until you stop. NoteOwl types as your words arrive, so if you click into another field or switch apps while you talk, the rest of the words go there instead.
- Get the words back from Dictations. Nothing you said is lost (see below).
Does dictation work in code editors, terminals and browsers?
Yes. NoteOwl types into every app the same way, as keystrokes at the cursor, so code editors, terminals and text fields in a browser get your words like any other app. What can differ is Polish, which changes the text after NoteOwl has typed it.
Polish and the actions under More… change the text in place only when NoteOwl can read the field back and confirm it still holds exactly what NoteOwl typed. Otherwise NoteOwl leaves your text as it is, puts the new version on the clipboard, and says so in the panel, so press ⌘V to paste it. The panel also says why when it can tell, for example That’s a terminal — nothing was typed into it. The new version is on your clipboard.
Is my dictation lost if it didn't appear?
No. NoteOwl saves every dictation in Dictations, whether or not the words reached the app. Raw keeps exactly what you said, and Output the polished version.
- Open NoteOwl and click Dictations in the sidebar.
- Click the dictation to open it.
- Select the words and press ⌘C. Or right-click the dictation in the list and choose Copy, which copies the polished version when there is one.
- Click where you want the text and press ⌘V.
Still not working?
Email support@noteowl.ai with your macOS version, the app you were dictating into, and what the NoteOwl panel said when you stopped.
Common questions
Do I have to quit and reopen NoteOwl after turning on Accessibility?
Usually not. NoteOwl checks the Accessibility permission each time a dictation starts, so your next dictation types at the cursor. If the NoteOwl panel still says Copied, quit NoteOwl from its menu bar icon and open it again.
Is a NoteOwl dictation lost if the words don't appear in the app?
No. NoteOwl saves every dictation in Dictations, whether or not the words reached the app. Open NoteOwl, click Dictations in the sidebar, then right-click the dictation and choose Copy, or select its text and press ⌘C.
The fn key doesn't start dictation
If fn does nothing but NoteOwl's ⌥ shortcuts still work, turn on Input Monitoring for NoteOwl in System Settings, then quit and reopen NoteOwl.
Dictation or meetings record silence
If NoteOwl says Didn't catch anything or Microphone unavailable, turn on Microphone for NoteOwl in System Settings, check your input, then reopen NoteOwl.