App won’t open?
If macOS says ElfEars is damaged, open System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down, and click Open Anyway. If that still doesn’t clear it, run in Terminal:
xattr -cr /Applications/ElfEars.app
ElfEars
free speech to text · on-device local inference · auto meeting transcriptions
download for macOS
source and release history
faq below
git.ch5.me/ch5/ears
faq
Most support issues come down to permissions, duplicate app copies, or calendar access.
Why isn’t my transcription pasting into the input box?
Usually this means Accessibility access is missing, stale, or attached to the wrong copy of ElfEars. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility, make sure ElfEars is enabled, then quit and reopen it from /Applications. If it still fails, remove ElfEars from Accessibility, add it back, and relaunch.
Why doesn’t the hotkey start dictation?
The global hotkey depends on Input Monitoring. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Input Monitoring, confirm ElfEars is allowed, then relaunch the app from /Applications. If you changed the shortcut in Settings, make sure you’re using the configured key instead of assuming the default.
Why did ElfEars stop working after an update or reinstall?
macOS permissions are tied to a specific installed app path and signature. If you launch ElfEars from Downloads, Desktop, or an older duplicate copy, paste and hotkey permissions can silently stop working. Keep one copy in /Applications, delete duplicates, then re-grant Accessibility and Input Monitoring if needed.
Why is meeting recording failing or missing system audio?
ElfEars needs Screen Recording or Screen & System Audio Recording permission for meeting capture. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security, enable ElfEars under the relevant recording pane, then relaunch. If microphone transcription works but meeting capture doesn’t, this is usually the missing permission.
Why isn’t ElfEars showing upcoming meetings?
Upcoming meetings come from local macOS Calendar access, Google Calendar, or both. If the list is empty, first check Calendar permission. If you rely on Google Calendar, reconnect it in Settings and wait for the next refresh. If you use both, ElfEars deduplicates matching events, so you should still only see one entry per meeting.