When Superwhisper is not working on a Mac, its own troubleshooting docs trace most problems to one of four places: the microphone (wrong device, no permission, or a muted input, which shows as "No voice found"), the Accessibility permission (the text is transcribed but never pastes), a shortcut another app already uses, or a cloud model or AI step that needs a connection. Your dictation is not lost: Superwhisper says it saves every recording in History, so you can reprocess it after the fix.
Every fix below comes from Superwhisper's docs, checked 3 October 2026. Mac permission paths are from Apple's macOS 27 user guide; on another version, search System Settings for "Privacy".
Which symptom matches yours?
| Symptom | Cause Superwhisper gives | Fix Superwhisper gives |
|---|---|---|
| "No voice found in recording" | The recording had no detectable speech; almost always the audio input | Check the active microphone in the top-right of any settings pane, or choose Use system default; confirm Privacy & Security → Microphone; watch the waveform while you speak (No voice found) |
| Waveform does not move | Audio is not reaching the app | Try the built-in microphone to rule out a Bluetooth device; play the recording back in History |
| Mic switches by itself | Use system default follows macOS, which changes when a Bluetooth headset connects | Star your preferred microphone, or exclude devices you never use (microphone article) |
| Worse results with AirPods or a Bluetooth headset | Bluetooth headset microphones lower audio quality | Select the built-in microphone and keep listening through the headset |
| Text is only in History, nothing pastes | Accessibility permission missing (the most common cause), or focus moved | Enable Superwhisper in Privacy & Security → Accessibility; keep the cursor in the target field while it processes (pasting article) |
| Will not paste into a secure field, terminal or VM | Some apps block synthetic pasting | Try Simulate keypresses in advanced settings (experimental, US QWERTY layout only) |
| Old clipboard text pastes instead | Clipboard content set to Keep what I have copied and the app reads the clipboard late | Set Clipboard content to Replace with dictation |
| Shortcut does nothing | Another app or a system shortcut owns the key; some keyboards send Fn to the system | Try an uncommon combination; re-record it in Settings → Configuration; check System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts; quit and reopen (shortcuts article) |
| Shortcut starts the wrong mode | Same key set as a global and a per-mode shortcut | Give each shortcut its own key |
| Stuck on processing | Offline with a cloud model, or a local model still downloading | Check the connection or try a local model; check Settings → Models library; restart and retry from History (No voice found) |
| Raw, unformatted text pasted | The AI formatting step failed, often a connection or provider problem | Reconnect or switch the mode's Language Model to a local one; retry from History; update the app (AI step article) |
| App will not open | macOS older than 14, or a damaged copy | Check macOS version; re-download and drag into Applications; restart the Mac (launch article) |
How do you check Superwhisper's Mac permissions?
Superwhisper's quickstart says it asks for two permissions on first launch: Microphone, to record your voice, and Accessibility, to paste text into other apps. Meeting recordings of system audio also need Screen & System Audio Recording (called Screen Recording on macOS 14).
Apple's steps for macOS 27:
- Choose Apple menu → System Settings, then Privacy & Security.
- Click Microphone and turn on Superwhisper, as Apple's microphone access page describes.
- Click Accessibility and turn on Superwhisper. Apple's Accessibility access page says to use the Add button if the app is not listed.
- Quit Superwhisper from the menu-bar icon and reopen it.
Superwhisper's docs also suggest turning on Automatically increase microphone volume in Settings → Sound, which raises input volume when recording starts. It works only when Superwhisper uses the system default device.
How do you recover a dictation that did not appear?
Open History. Superwhisper's pasting article says that when pasting goes wrong, the transcription itself is fine and is stored there. You can copy it, or reprocess the dictation once you have fixed the cause. If the recording plays back silent, the input device was wrong or muted.
What does Superwhisper need online?
It depends on the model. Superwhisper's docs say cloud models need internet, and that most language models used for AI formatting run in the cloud, even in modes with a local voice model. A local voice model must finish downloading before it can transcribe. If you need dictation with no connection, use a local voice model and a local language model, or a mode with no AI step.
Reinstalling, logs and support
Superwhisper's logs and uninstall article gives these steps:
- Turn on Error logging in Settings → Configuration and reproduce the problem once.
- To reinstall, quit from the menu-bar icon, delete Superwhisper from Applications, and download it again. Your history, modes and vocabulary live in the
~/superwhisperfolder, which reinstalling does not touch. Deleting that folder is permanent. - Report the bug from inside the app, or email [email protected] with your platform, app version, the mode and models involved, and the app you were dictating into.
Superwhisper's docs do not link a public status page, so do not assume an outage; check your connection and try a local model first.
If the problem is Apple's built-in Dictation rather than Superwhisper, see Mac Dictation not working.
If you want to try something else
Publisher note: SuprFlow publishes this guide and is one of the products discussed. Competitor details come from each company's own pages, checked on 3 October 2026. Prices and features change; confirm before you buy.
Most causes above, such as permissions and microphone choice, would affect any dictation app, so fix them first.
- Apple Dictation is free and built in. How to use voice to text on a Mac shows how.
- SuprFlow is a Mac dictation app that runs speech recognition on the Mac with an on-device model and pastes at the cursor. It costs $125 for lifetime access on up to five Macs you own, with a 7-day refund on a first purchase and no free trial. It is the wrong choice if you rely on Superwhisper's modes, file transcription, meeting recording or Windows and phone apps. SuprFlow vs Superwhisper compares them.
Questions people ask
Why does Superwhisper say "No voice found"?
Superwhisper says the recording had no detectable speech, and the cause is almost always the audio input. Check the active microphone, the Microphone permission and the waveform.
Why is Superwhisper not pasting text?
The most common cause, according to its docs, is missing Accessibility permission. Turn it on under Privacy & Security → Accessibility. The text is in History meanwhile.
Does Superwhisper work offline?
With a local voice model that has finished downloading, and a local language model or no AI step, yes. Superwhisper says cloud models need internet.
Will reinstalling Superwhisper delete my history?
No, according to its docs. History lives in the ~/superwhisper folder, which reinstalling never touches. Only deleting that folder removes it.
Related guides
- Is Superwhisper safe and local?
- Mac Dictation not working
- Why Bluetooth headsets hurt dictation quality
- How to cancel Superwhisper
- Superwhisper alternatives for Mac
- SuprFlow vs Superwhisper
Sources
- Superwhisper Docs — Troubleshooting overview
- Superwhisper Docs — "No voice found" or stuck processing
- Superwhisper Docs — Wrong microphone or system audio not captured
- Superwhisper Docs — Text not pasting, pasting twice, or pasting old text
- Superwhisper Docs — Shortcuts not working or misfiring
- Superwhisper Docs — AI formatting didn't run and pasted raw text
- Superwhisper Docs — App won't launch or install
- Superwhisper Docs — Logs, clean uninstall, and reporting bugs
- Superwhisper Docs — Quickstart
- Apple — Control access to the microphone on Mac
- Apple — Allow accessibility apps to access your Mac