Fix common problems

Dictation or Command cannot listen

• Open Settings → Permissions and verify Microphone access.
• Open macOS System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone and enable WhisperInk.
• Quit and reopen WhisperInk if the permission status remains stale.
• If the message says no speech was detected, try again closer to the microphone and verify the correct input device in macOS.

“Download and select a speech model first”

Open Models → Dictation, download a model, and select it. Retry failed downloads on a stable connection and confirm that the Mac has enough free storage.

Transcription works, but nothing is pasted

1. 1

   Verify Accessibility under Settings → Permissions and macOS Privacy & Security.

2. 2

   Confirm Automatic paste is enabled for the relevant mode.

3. 3

   Click the destination app and place the cursor in an editable field before starting.

4. 4

   Use the clipboard or History to recover the result if the paste failed.

The screenshot shortcut is missing

Select a vision-capable writing model: Qwen Vision, Gemma 4 E2B, Gemma 4 E4B, Luna, Terra, or Sol. Then grant Screen Recording permission. Text-only models do not show the screenshot shortcut.

A Command model is unavailable

• Apple On-Device requires macOS 26 and Apple Intelligence to be available. WhisperInk does not silently switch to a cloud model.
• OpenAI models require a valid API key saved under Models → Command. Cloud models stay locked without one.
• A local model may take longer on its first request while it loads into memory.

Model download or import fails

• Retry with a stable connection and enough free disk space.
• Integrity checks reject incomplete or corrupted downloads rather than loading them.
• A custom writing model must be a valid GGUF file and pass a smoke test.
• If an optional vision projector fails, import the model as text-only or choose another projector.

A shortcut does not trigger

Open Settings and record a unique key combination. WhisperInk reports when two of its global shortcuts conflict. Also check whether another macOS app or system feature uses the same shortcut.

Licence or update problems

• Activation and deactivation require internet access. An already active licence remains usable during a temporary validation outage.
• If a third Mac is rejected, deactivate an old Mac in WhisperInk or the customer portal.
• For updates, open Settings → Updates → Check Now. Retry later if the signed update feed is temporarily unreachable.