Which macOS permissions Dictivo asks for, and why
Reference facts about the three macOS permissions the Dictivo desktop app asks for, what each one is for, and what happens if you do not allow it.
Applies to: Dictivo 0.3.57 on macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel) and Windows x64. Read from the app's source and the published app by the Dictivo team on 10 November 2026.
Short answer
Dictivo asks macOS for three permissions. Microphone is required: Dictivo records only when you start dictation. Accessibility is recommended: it keeps the paste and the global shortcuts reliable. Automation, shown in the app as Auto paste, is optional: without it, the transcript stays in Dictivo and on the clipboard. The app declares no other usage descriptions. The install report sends the microphone and Accessibility result as one word.
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The three permissions at a glance
| Permission | Dictivo says | What it is for | Without it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microphone | Required | Records dictation audio when you start Local or Cloud Fast dictation. | Dictivo cannot record. Settings › Privacy shows Needs permission. |
| Accessibility | Recommended | Lets Dictivo control paste behavior and keep the global dictation shortcuts reliable. | Dictivo rates it Recommended, not Required. The paste and the global shortcuts may be less reliable. |
| Automation (shown as Auto paste) | Optional | Places the final transcript into the active app: Dictivo sends Cmd+V through System Events. | The transcript stays in Dictivo and on the clipboard. Press Cmd+V yourself. |
Microphone (required)
Dictivo needs the microphone to record what you say. The app rates this permission Required.
Dictivo records only when you start dictation. It also records when you click Test microphone in Settings › Engine.
macOS shows its own prompt the first time Dictivo records. Dictivo reads the microphone status without showing that prompt.
To check the status:
- In Dictivo, open Settings › Privacy.
- If Microphone does not show Ready, click Open settings. macOS opens Privacy & Security › Microphone.
- Turn Dictivo on.
- Back in Dictivo, click Refresh local status.
macOS shows the recording indicator in Control Center while the microphone is in use.
The install report to app.dictivo.app carries the microphone result as one word: granted, denied or no audio. It never carries audio.
Accessibility (recommended)
The app describes this permission in these words: “Allows Dictivo to control paste behavior and keep global dictation shortcuts reliable.”
In plain words, it helps two things work in every app: the dictation shortcut you press (Cmd+Shift+Space by default), and the paste keystroke Dictivo sends when the transcript is ready.
Dictivo rates it Recommended, not Required. Dictivo checks whether macOS trusts it for Accessibility, and the install report carries that result as one word. macOS may ask you to allow Dictivo when it first pastes.
To allow it:
- In Dictivo, open Settings › Privacy.
- If Accessibility does not show Ready, click Open settings. macOS opens Privacy & Security › Accessibility.
- Turn Dictivo on. If Dictivo is not in the list, click the add button, select Dictivo in Applications and click Open.
- Back in Dictivo, click Refresh local status.
Automation, shown as Auto paste (optional)
When a transcript is ready, Dictivo pastes it. It places the text on the clipboard and sends Cmd+V to the active app.
On a Mac, Dictivo sends that keystroke through System Events. macOS therefore asks whether Dictivo may control System Events. This is the Automation permission. Dictivo shows it as Auto paste.
If you allow it, the transcript appears in the app you are using. When Dictivo could paste for you, it puts back what you had copied before, a moment later.
If you do not allow it, the transcript stays in Dictivo and on the clipboard. Click where you want the text and press Cmd+V yourself.
Cmd+Shift+V, the default Paste Last shortcut, pastes the last transcript again. Without Auto paste, it copies the last transcript to the clipboard instead.
Dictivo does not check the status of this permission. Settings › Privacy shows Auto paste as Not verified. Click Open settings to see Privacy & Security › Automation.
What Dictivo declares
Dictivo's app bundle declares two usage descriptions and two entitlements. macOS shows the usage text when it asks you.
NSMicrophoneUsageDescription: “Dictivo records microphone audio only when you start dictation.”NSAppleEventsUsageDescription: “Dictivo may need automation permission to paste dictated text into the active application.”com.apple.security.device.audio-input: microphone input.com.apple.security.automation.apple-events: Apple events, which the paste through System Events uses.
Accessibility has no usage description. You turn it on in System Settings.
Microphone, Accessibility and Automation are the permissions Dictivo requests. Dictivo does not request Input Monitoring or Screen Recording: the app's source contains no call that asks for either.
Windows
Accessibility access is not required on Windows. Settings › Privacy shows the Accessibility row as Not required.
On Windows, Dictivo pastes with a native key input (Ctrl+V). This needs no extra permission.
Microphone access is a Windows privacy setting. Open settings opens the Microphone page of the Windows privacy settings. Windows reports no microphone status to Dictivo before the first recording, so Dictivo learns the result from that recording.
All Dictivo docs
Questions
Why does Dictivo ask for Accessibility?
The app rates it Recommended. It lets Dictivo control paste behavior and keep the global dictation shortcuts reliable: the shortcut you press, and the paste into the active app.
Why does macOS ask about System Events?
Dictivo pastes by sending Cmd+V to the active app through System Events. macOS asks before one app controls another. This is the Automation permission, shown in Dictivo as Auto paste.
Can I use Dictivo without Automation permission?
Yes. Auto paste is optional. Without it, the transcript stays in Dictivo and on the clipboard, and you press Cmd+V yourself.
Does Dictivo record when I am not dictating?
No. Dictivo records only when you start dictation, or when you click Test microphone in Settings › Engine. macOS shows the recording indicator in Control Center while the microphone is in use.
How do I change a permission later?
Open System Settings › Privacy & Security, then Microphone, Accessibility or Automation, and turn Dictivo on or off. In Dictivo, Settings › Privacy shows each status and an Open settings button.