08 · Settings
Settings: Permissions
Manage Microphone, Accessibility, and Input Monitoring permissions.
Permission Types
These macOS permissions enable recording, insertion, and global shortcuts:
| Permission | Why it is needed | What breaks if denied |
|---|---|---|
| Microphone | Capture dictation audio | You cannot record |
| Accessibility | Type/insert text into focused controls | Direct and accessibility insertion fail |
| Input Monitoring | Detect global hotkeys outside Steno window | Option hold-to-talk and global toggle may fail |
While Hold Option to talk is on, Steno notices key presses and mouse clicks in any app so it can tell a shortcut such as Option+Arrow from a dictation. It uses only the fact that a key or button was pressed, never which one.
Onboarding offers Set up later for the permissions step. Microphone is still required to record; Accessibility and Input Monitoring enable insertion and global shortcuts. If you skip a permission, grant it later in System Settings before using the feature that needs it.
Request and Open Settings
Each card in Settings → Permissions has Request and Open Settings buttons. Microphone can prompt directly. Accessibility and Input Monitoring usually need to be enabled manually in macOS System Settings. Each Open Settings button opens the matching list in Privacy & Security.
Open the matching panel in System Settings → Privacy & Security and enable the installed copy of Steno. Permission changes happen in macOS, independently of Save changes in Steno.
Permission Refresh
Permission state can change while Steno is running. Steno refreshes the permission status when you return to it after changing access in System Settings and, when idle, reconnects its shortcut monitors so the changes take effect. A hands-free key that failed for missing access is set up again without Check again or a relaunch.
If you granted access but behavior did not recover:
- Open Steno and refresh permissions in Settings.
- Stop any active recording.
- Relaunch Steno.
Troubleshooting Permissions
- Hotkeys not responding: Input Monitoring denied or stale registration
- Insertion fails with permission error: Accessibility denied
- Continue disabled during onboarding: grant Microphone or use Set up later; recording still needs access