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Allow Microphone access when Utter cannot record your voice. On Mac, allow Accessibility when a transcript appears in Utter but is not inserted into another app. First identify the symptom: no audio points to microphone access or input selection; a completed transcript without automatic insertion points to Mac Accessibility or the destination app. A transcription-provider error is not normally fixed by changing these permissions.

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Required Permissions

Microphone

Required - Captures your voice for transcription

Accessibility

Required - Inserts text into applications

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Microphone Permission

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Why It’s Needed

Utter needs microphone access to record your voice for transcription. Without this permission, Utter cannot hear you.

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How to Enable

1

Open System Settings

Click the Apple menu (Apple icon) and choose System Settings.
2

Go to Privacy & Security

Scroll down and click Privacy & Security.
3

Select Microphone

Click Microphone in the list.
4

Enable Utter

Find Utter in the list and toggle it ON.
What to expect: The microphone toggle for Utter stays enabled and recording works in Utter.
If Utter isn’t in the list, launch Utter and try to record something. macOS will prompt you to grant permission, and Utter will appear in the list.

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Troubleshooting

Launch Utter and try to start a recording. macOS should prompt you to grant microphone access.
Quit Utter and reopen System Settings. If the control remains locked on a managed work device, ask your administrator; do not try to bypass the restriction.
  1. Toggle the permission OFF
  2. Restart Utter
  3. Toggle the permission ON
  4. Restart Utter again

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Accessibility Permission

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Why It’s Needed

Accessibility permission allows Utter to:
  • Detect which app is focused
  • Insert transcribed text at your cursor position
  • Register global keyboard shortcuts
Without this permission, Utter cannot automatically insert text into your applications.

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How to Enable

1

Open System Settings

Click the Apple menu (Apple icon) and choose System Settings.
2

Go to Privacy & Security

Scroll down and click Privacy & Security.
3

Select Accessibility

Click Accessibility in the list.
4

Click the + Button

Click the + button at the bottom of the list.
5

Add Utter

Open Applications, select Utter, then click Open.
6

Enter Password

Authenticate with macOS if prompted, then ensure the Utter toggle is enabled.
What to expect: Utter appears in the Accessibility list and stays enabled.
After enabling Accessibility, you may need to restart Utter for the changes to take effect.

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Troubleshooting

Make sure Utter is installed in your Applications folder, not running from the DMG or Downloads.
  1. Remove Utter from the Accessibility list
  2. Quit Utter
  3. Add Utter back to the list
  4. Restart Utter
This can happen after macOS updates. Remove Utter from the list and add it again.

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Microphone Access on iPhone

1

Open Privacy Settings

Open iPhone Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone.
2

Enable Utter

Turn on access for Utter. If it is not listed, open Utter and try recording to request permission.
3

Test in the App

Return to Utter and record a short sentence before retrying a Shortcut or keyboard workflow.
What to expect: Utter captures your voice and produces a transcript. iPhone does not use the Mac Accessibility permission described above.

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If Access Is Enabled but the Test Still Fails

  1. Check the selected microphone and whether a Bluetooth headset is connected unexpectedly.
  2. On Mac, test insertion into a normal editable note rather than a password field or other restricted field.
  3. If the original transcript is visible, copy it manually while checking insertion. You do not need to repeat the recording to diagnose the destination field.
  4. If recording succeeds but transcription fails, check your model, network, or provider settings. For local models, use the offline setup test.

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Privacy Notes

Your privacy is important.
  • Microphone access is only used when you’re actively recording
  • Accessibility access is only used to insert text and detect the focused app

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Still Need Help?

  1. Check Common Issues for quick fixes by symptom.
  2. Check Audio Quality if permissions are enabled but results are still poor.
  3. Contact us and include your device, OS version, Utter version, and which permission step failed. Do not send passwords or private audio.