When Willow Voice is not working on a Mac, Willow's help articles point to a few causes: the wrong microphone is selected (Willow calls this the most common one), Microphone or Accessibility permission needs to be turned off and on again, the fn key is tied to another system action, the internet connection is unstable, or the app needs a full quit and reopen. Before changing anything, Willow suggests recovering the failed dictation from Local Transcript History with Retry transcription.
Every fix below comes from Willow's help centre, checked 3 October 2026. Mac permission paths are from Apple's macOS 27 user guide; if your screen differs, search System Settings for "Privacy".
Which symptom matches yours?
| Symptom | Cause Willow gives | Fix Willow gives |
|---|---|---|
| A dictation failed and the text is gone | Transcription failure, often a microphone or network change | Open Local Transcript History, find the unfinished dictation, click Retry transcription (once or twice) (dictation failure article) |
| Accuracy suddenly worse, missing or made-up words | Wrong microphone selected, often AirPods switching on unnoticed | Choose the built-in or a wired mic in Willow's microphone settings; keep AirPods for listening only |
| Willow does not hear you | Mac input changed, or input volume low | System Settings → Sound → Input: select the right mic, set input volume high, watch the meter move (microphone article) |
| Willow is not hearing you or not inserting text | Microphone or Accessibility permission needs resetting | Turn Willow Voice on (or off and on) in Privacy & Security → Microphone and Privacy & Security → Accessibility (setup article) |
| "Microphone Access Denied" after an update | Permission not yet approved | Press your Willow hotkey and click Allow when macOS asks (v1.8.4 article) |
| Accessibility will not stick, or repeated Keychain prompts (v1.8.4 or v1.8.4.1) | Willow's help article describes this for those versions and says v1.8.4.2 addresses it | Update via Check for Updates; remove Willow Voice from the Accessibility list with the minus button, restart Willow, re-enable it, restart again |
| Extra permission or Keychain prompts after installing v1.8.4 | Willow's help article describes a signing issue with the v1.8.4 build | Download Willow again from willowvoice.com, delete the old app and reinstall (signed update article) |
| The fn key does nothing | The key is tied to another system action | In System Settings → Keyboard, find shortcuts or functions assigned to that key and disable or reassign them; or set a different hotkey in Willow's Hotkey Binding settings (hotkey article) |
| Dictation stops after a few minutes | Session limit: 5 minutes on Free, 8 on paid plans | Dictate in shorter pieces (time limit article) |
| Text comes out in the wrong language | Auto Detect chose the wrong language | Menu bar icon → Settings → Preferred Languages, turn Auto Detect off, choose your languages (language article) |
| Willow crashes or shuts down | Menu bar setting | System Settings → Menu Bar, enable Willow Voice under Allow in Menu Bar (crash article) |
| A glitch after switching mic, device or network | Temporary fault | Fully quit Willow (not just minimise), reopen it and try a short dictation |
How do you check Willow's Mac permissions?
Willow's setup article says onboarding asks for Microphone access, to capture speech, and Accessibility access, which lets Willow insert text where your cursor is and enables hotkeys. Willow's signed-update article also mentions macOS re-prompting for Input Monitoring in that one case.
Apple's steps for macOS 27:
- Choose Apple menu → System Settings, then click Privacy & Security.
- Click Microphone and turn on Willow Voice. Apple's microphone access page describes this list.
- Click Accessibility and turn on Willow Voice. Apple's Accessibility access page says that if an app is missing, use the Add button to find it and click Open.
- Fully quit Willow and reopen it.
If the setting is already on and Willow still cannot insert text, Willow suggests toggling it off and on again.
What does Willow need online?
Willow's dictation failure article says: "Willow needs a stable connection to transcribe." On a Mac, confirm Wi-Fi is connected, then retry the dictation from Local Transcript History once the connection is stable.
How do you report a problem?
Willow's bug report article says to update first (Willow Voice → Check for Updates from the menu bar at the top left), then email [email protected] with a clear subject line, your Willow and macOS versions, a description, and a screenshot or video if possible. Willow's help centre does not link a public status page, so do not assume an outage; check your own connection and microphone first.
If the problem is Apple's built-in Dictation rather than Willow, 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 of these causes, especially microphone choice and permissions, 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 runs speech recognition on the Mac with an on-device model, so dictation itself does not wait on a cloud service. 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 use Willow on iPhone or Windows, or want its AI writing features or team plans. SuprFlow vs Willow Voice compares them.
Questions people ask
Why is Willow Voice not typing my words?
Willow says text insertion depends on Accessibility access. Turn Willow Voice on, or off and on, under Privacy & Security → Accessibility, then fully quit and reopen Willow.
Why does Willow say Microphone Access Denied?
After certain updates, Willow says to press your Willow hotkey and click Allow when macOS asks for microphone access.
Does Willow Voice work without internet?
Willow's troubleshooting article says Willow needs a stable connection to transcribe.
Why did Willow Voice stop after a few minutes?
Willow limits each dictation to 5 minutes on the free plan and 8 minutes on paid plans. Dictate in shorter segments.
Related guides
- Is Willow Voice safe?
- Mac Dictation not working
- Why Bluetooth headsets hurt dictation quality
- How to cancel Willow Voice
- Willow Voice alternatives
- SuprFlow vs Willow Voice
Sources
- Willow Help Center — Dictation Quality or Transcription Failure Problem
- Willow Help Center — Microphone Settings
- Willow Help Center — Install and Setup Willow Voice (Mac + Windows)
- Willow Help Center — macOS Permissions & Keychain Prompts in v1.8.4
- Willow Help Center — macOS: Improperly Signed Update (v1.8.4)
- Willow Help Center — Hotkey Settings
- Willow Help Center — How to Change Your Dictation Time Limit
- Willow Help Center — Dictation Appears in the Wrong Language
- Willow Help Center — Crashing or Unexpected Shutdown
- Willow Help Center — Submitting a Bug or Feedback
- Apple — Control access to the microphone on Mac
- Apple — Allow accessibility apps to access your Mac