Permissions

VoxFlow needs two permissions from macOS. Both are granted in System Settings → Privacy & Security, and the app cannot function without the second one.

Microphone

Required to capture audio. macOS prompts for it the first time VoxFlow tries to record.

VoxFlow has to be launched at least once before it appears in the Microphone list — macOS only lists apps that have actually asked.

Accessibility

Required for two separate things:

• The global hotkey. VoxFlow watches for ⌥ ⌃ with a CGEventTap, which macOS only permits for apps with Accessibility access.
• Inserting text. Pasting at your cursor uses a synthetic ⌘ V, which is also gated behind Accessibility.

Without Accessibility, the hotkey silently does nothing. This is the single most common reason VoxFlow appears not to work.

Grant it in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility, then toggle VoxFlow on. The in-app shortcut is Settings → General, or Hotkey → Open Accessibility settings.

After granting or re-granting Accessibility, quit and relaunch VoxFlow. macOS does not reliably apply the change to a running process.

When a permission stops working

Rebuilding the app changes its binary, and macOS sometimes keeps a stale Accessibility entry pointing at the old one. If the hotkey stops responding after a rebuild:

1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility.
2. Select VoxFlow and remove it with the − button.
3. Relaunch VoxFlow and add it again.

The same applies to Microphone access if recording starts producing silence.