What this usually means

If VoiceTypr opens but does not react to your voice, the problem is usually one of these:

• microphone permission was denied
• the wrong input device is selected
• another app is holding the microphone
• VoiceTypr needs a restart after permission changes

Step 1: Check microphone permission

1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone
2. Make sure VoiceTypr is turned on
3. If you just enabled it, quit and reopen VoiceTypr

If VoiceTypr is missing from the list, launch it once and try to start dictation first.

Step 2: Check the input device

1. Open System Settings → Sound → Input
2. Select the microphone you actually want to use
3. Speak and confirm the input meter moves
4. Return to VoiceTypr and test again

For most people, the built-in MacBook microphone works best as the first test.

Step 3: Close conflicting apps

Apps that may interfere with microphone access include:

• Zoom
• Google Meet in a browser tab
• Riverside
• OBS
• other dictation or recording tools

Close them fully, then test VoiceTypr again.

Step 4: Restart VoiceTypr

If permissions were changed while the app was open:

1. Quit VoiceTypr completely
2. Reopen it from Applications
3. Start a fresh dictation test

Step 5: Try a simple test target

Before testing in Cursor, Slack, or a browser tab, try this:

1. Open a plain text app like Notes or TextEdit
2. Trigger the VoiceTypr hotkey
3. Speak a short sentence
4. Release and check whether anything appears

If transcription works there but not elsewhere, your problem is likely pasting or hotkey permissions, not the microphone.

If it still does not work

Next pages:

• Install VoiceTypr on macOS →
• VoiceTypr not pasting text →
• Troubleshooting common issues →