Empty or Missing Transcription
What to check when you finish a recording and no text appears.
When a recording finishes and no text appears, something between your microphone and the speech model did not deliver. Work through these checks in order, from the most common cause to the least.
Microphone not working: check that EnviousWispr can hear you
Watch the recording pill on screen while you talk. Its meter moves with your voice, and on a Mac that can show them, your words appear in the pill as you speak. If the meter stays flat and no words appear, your microphone is not reaching the app. Check the microphone permission under App Settings > Permissions, any hardware mute switch, and the selected microphone under Dictation Settings > Microphone.
Allow the microphone
macOS requires explicit permission for an app to use your microphone. Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone. EnviousWispr should be in the list with its switch on.
If EnviousWispr is not in the list, macOS has not been asked yet. Open App Settings > Permissions in EnviousWispr and click Request Access under Microphone. macOS then asks you to allow access. See Granting Permissions.
Check for a hardware mute
A physical mute switch stops your voice reaching the app even when everything else is set up correctly. Check the microphone itself, the cable, and any switch on a desk stand. Many headsets have a mute switch on the earcup or a button partway down the cable. A muted microphone still records, but it records only silence.
Pick the right microphone
EnviousWispr needs to listen to the device you are actually speaking into. Open Dictation Settings > Microphone. When it is set to Auto, EnviousWispr records from whatever input your Mac is using, which may not be the device at your mouth. Pick a specific device from the list to remove the doubt.
If your Mac’s default input is a virtual device, such as one installed by Krisp, Loopback, BlackHole, an aggregate device or a meeting app, Auto skips it and records from a real microphone, because a virtual device delivers only silence. A virtual device is still used when it is the only input on your Mac.
If you record through an audio interface with more than one input, such as a Focusrite Scarlett, also check the Mic is on control next to the device picker. EnviousWispr listens to Input 1 unless you pick another, and a microphone plugged into Input 2 records silence until you do. See Choosing Your Microphone.
Wait for the speech model to finish downloading
The app downloads its speech model on first launch. Until that download finishes, there is nothing to transcribe your voice with. Progress is shown on screen. If the speech model was not ready when you finished speaking, your recording is kept and given another go rather than lost.
Recording was too short
Very brief audio does not give the speech model enough to work with. A recording of well under a second may come back empty. Hold the keybind a moment longer, and pause for a beat before you start speaking.
Speaking quietly or far from the microphone
Quiet audio can register as background noise rather than speech. Speaking softly or sitting far from the microphone is a common reason a recording comes back looking silent. Move closer, or use a headset microphone.