Permissions Setup
Why each macOS permission is needed and how to grant them.
VivaDicta needs a few macOS permissions to function. Here's what each one does and how to grant it.
Microphone
Why: VivaDicta records audio from your microphone for transcription.
macOS will prompt you automatically on first recording. Click Allow. If you dismissed the prompt, go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone and enable VivaDicta.
Accessibility
Why: Required for the global keyboard shortcut to work system-wide and for pasting transcribed text at your cursor position.
Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility, click the + button, and add VivaDicta from your Applications folder. Make sure the toggle is enabled.
Screen Recording (Optional)
Why: When AI processing is enabled, VivaDicta can capture your screen content to provide context to the AI — for example, understanding what app you're working in or what's on screen.
Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording and enable VivaDicta. This permission is optional — VivaDicta works without it, but AI context injection will be limited.
Troubleshooting
- Shortcut not working? Check that Accessibility permission is granted and the toggle is on.
- Text not pasting? Accessibility permission is required for cursor pasting. Make sure VivaDicta is in the Accessibility list.
- Permission prompt not appearing? You may need to remove and re-add VivaDicta in System Settings to trigger the prompt again.