Troubleshooting
The hotkey does nothing
Section titled “The hotkey does nothing”- Check Abe is running. Look for its icon in the system tray (Windows) or menu bar (macOS).
- Another app may own the shortcut. Pick a different combination in Settings → Shortcuts and try again.
- macOS: Abe needs Input Monitoring and Accessibility in System Settings → Privacy & Security. Toggle Abe off and on there, then quit and reopen Abe.
- Elevated apps on Windows: if the app you’re typing into runs as Administrator, Abe can’t send it keystrokes unless Abe also runs as Administrator.
No audio, or “No voice detected”
Section titled “No audio, or “No voice detected””- Choose the right input in Settings → Microphone instead of Default Microphone.
- macOS: allow Abe under Privacy & Security → Microphone.
- Windows: Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone must allow desktop apps to access the microphone.
- Speak a little louder or move closer. Abe skips recordings with no detectable voice so you aren’t billed for silence.
- Check that Min Duration isn’t discarding short recordings.
Text doesn’t appear in my app
Section titled “Text doesn’t appear in my app”- Make sure the cursor is in a text field before you release the hotkey, and that the app is still focused.
- macOS: Abe needs Accessibility and Automation permission to paste into other apps.
- Some apps block pasting. Switch to Typewriter in Settings → Advanced → Output → Typing Mode.
- If text went to the wrong window, press Ctrl + Alt + V to paste it again where you are now. Paste Last only remembers the latest transcription until Abe restarts; if it says “No transcription to paste”, copy the text from History instead.
Typewriter mode drops or scrambles characters
Section titled “Typewriter mode drops or scrambles characters”Lower Typing Speed. Some apps, especially remote desktops and web editors, can’t keep up with fast simulated typing.
API key errors
Section titled “API key errors”Use Test in Settings → Transcription to check a key at any time. These are the messages Abe shows when a provider says no:
| Abe says | What it means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| “Your API key was rejected. Check it in Settings.” | The key is wrong, incomplete, deleted, or for another provider | Paste the key again and check the right provider is selected, or create a new key |
| “Your provider account is out of credit.” | No credit left, or you reached your spend limit | Add credit or raise the limit with your provider |
| “The provider is rate limiting you. Try again in a moment.” | Too many requests in a short time | Wait a moment; on Groq’s free plan, consider upgrading |
| “The selected model is not available. Check Settings.” | The model name is misspelled or has been retired | Check the model name in Settings (see your provider’s guide) |
| “This recording is too long for the provider.” | The recording exceeds the provider’s upload limit (25 MB for OpenAI and Groq’s free plan) | Use shorter recordings or lower Max Duration |
| “Couldn’t reach the provider. Check your connection.” | No connection, or a VPN, proxy or firewall is in the way | Check your connection; for Custom, check the base URL |
| “The provider took too long to respond.” | The provider is slow or overloaded | Try again in a moment |
Step-by-step fixes for each provider: Groq, OpenAI, Custom endpoint.
Local mode is slow
Section titled “Local mode is slow”- Switch to a smaller model (Small or Base) in Settings.
- Large models are much faster with GPU acceleration, which Apple Silicon Macs get automatically.
- Keep recordings shorter; processing time grows with length.
- See Local Whisper models.
Voice Transform does nothing
Section titled “Voice Transform does nothing”- Select text before pressing the transform hotkey.
- Some apps don’t allow copying the selection (for example certain PDFs or protected fields).
- Selections longer than 10,000 characters are rejected.
- Make sure a transform provider and key are configured. Voice Transform needs one even in Local mode; see Voice Transform providers.
Other apps stay quiet after recording
Section titled “Other apps stay quiet after recording”If Abe quit unexpectedly during a recording, audio ducking may not have been undone. Restore the volume in your system mixer, or set Audio Ducking to Off.
Windows SmartScreen or macOS blocks the app
Section titled “Windows SmartScreen or macOS blocks the app”See the first-run notes on the download page.
Still stuck?
Section titled “Still stuck?”Open an issue on GitHub with your OS, Abe version, engine and the exact error message. Never include your API key.