Home Forums Mac Software Mac Operating Systems I cannot add an app to the microphone usage

Went to security privacy I did the unlock and incredibly I don't see an add + button to add apps in there for microphone-- any clues? thanks

You are correct there is no way to enter microphone access to a new app or device. The new app or driver for a new device must request access and it is granted within the app not through the System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy.

THIS IS ALSO TRUE WITH: Contacts, Calendars, reminders, Photos, Camera, Microphone, Speech Recognition, Media & Apple Music, HomeKit, User Availability, and Automation.

THE +- SIGN ONLY APPEARS IN: Accessibility, Inout Monitoring, Full Disk Access, Files & Folders, Screen Recording, Bluetooth, & Developer Tools.

APPLE ADVERTISING and ANALYTICS & IMPROVEMENTS: each their own unique way.

Joe excellent thanks
Then what is up billion dollar company who has an app called Facebook or actually it's messenger my friend is emailing me and I'm trying to possibly do a Dictation back and I see this

You haven't allowed Facebook access to your microphone
To make calls or send voice clips, go to your browser settings and allow Facebook access to your microphone.
Learn more about sending voice clips.

I don't know specifically about Facebook, but any pop-up like that that I've ever seen included a button/link to the setting in question.

Is there one that you've overlooked?

It's right there in what you posted:

Based on kevs's post, that's an instruction, or at least he treated it that way, but I don't think I've ever run across a similar situation in which there wasn't a link that added the app in question to whichever pref pane.
On further thought, "allow" implies "check the box," suggesting that the app should somehow place itself in the pane.

In my experience, APPS needing access to the microphone will place itself in System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Microphone with the checkbox UNchecked and the user has to check the box and restart the app to get things working. Safari is a different animal in that it has its own access controls in the Website Preferences and can be turned off or on without the necessity¥ of re-booting the application. The big difference is Safari's access is on a site-by-site basis where System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Microphone is on an app-by-app basis.

NOTE: I haven't used either the Facebook app or logged on to Facebook through Safari in years because of personal qualms about how Facebook treats (sells) my data, but if I had to use it for business or other purposes I would go through Safari because of its additional layers of security.

You can turn on Voice Dictation in the Keyboard preference. That should provide universal control, not just with Facebook. And you control it with a function key combination.

That's more or less what I've said, but I wonder if the app places itself on its own or only after you click the link to System Prefs?

Since kevs's app isn't in the mic pane, it seems like a step has been missed somewhere along the line.

I intended to add "As Artie has said…" but it too got lost somewhere along the line. The lack of detail in keys' report makes troubleshooting very difficult. I am still unclear on whether keys is using the Facebook app or Safari or whether the problem is on his Mac, iPhone, or iPad.

Thanks guys, here look at this
https://imgur.com/a/7njjCNj

Deal is sprained a finger for the first time in my life, so it's kind of annoying to type a pinky it's getting better now but then for the first time ever I started saying heck let's do dictation on a desktop, been doing it for years on the iPhone but so everything's going good without in fact I'm using it right now just double control set it all up on the desktop, but then a friend who is a messenger Facebook nut, grown man only talks to people in Messenger (messenger.com) and everything has to be in messenger I wanted to reply you OK yet didn't -- look at the screenshot the photo from the bottom on up flow chart --no it's not offered in System Preferences bizarrely right

that screenshot is a combo of 3-4 screenshot.

Then go system prefs, unlock, not offered, and no add button.

Against my better judgement and to satisfy my curiosity I installed Messenger and as far as I can tell there is no direct microphone connection between the App or the webpage in safari. However, Dictation will work anywhere you can enter data via the keyboard, if you…

• Open System Preferences > Keyboard > Dictation
• Turn Dictation ON
• Select a shortcut to activate Dictation
• Click on either the app or webpage at the point you want to insert text
• Trigger Dictation using whatever shortcut you selected or on the Edit menu select Start Dictation…
• Dictate the desired text
• Press Return to end Dictation.

NOTE: You can also Dictate edits to your text while in Dictate mode. For a complete list of Dictation editing commands see this "Cheat Sheet"

I empathize with y our sprained finger and hope this helps.

I just groked the difference between DICTATION and granting apps access to the microphone. An app with access to the microphone can turn the microphone on remotely and covertly monitor what is going on in the room. Dictation requires a specific user action to turn it on and cannot be remotely activated therefore it is relatively secure.

Wow Joe excellent, funny, I don't know why but when posted this Apple dictation was not working in messenger; point of point. but now it is! So all good. Thanks for the cheat sheet, I'll test it out.

I suspect we all locked in on permitting access to the microphone in System Preferences, I know I did at least. It wasn't until later I realized microphone access and Dictation are two entirely different technologies connected by an entirely coincidental dependence to the microphone.

We all focused on System Prefs because it's where kevs pointed us in his OP, when it turns out (from his screenshot) that it was really a Safari issue that he was dealing with...


Yet another protracted thread that would have ended virtually immediately if the question had been documented with a screenshot!

I suggest that a "sticky" post requesting screenshot documentation of issues be added to the top of each forum.

This is what that pop-up is directing you to do, kevs. It's got nothing to do with System Prefs > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Microphone.

Yes, but the same issue is present in the Messenger app as well. The solution could apply to virtually any app in MacOS, iOS, or iPadOS including Messenger and Safari. It could be argued that Apple does not clearly distinguish between access to the microphone and Dictation which substantially contributed to incorrectly diagnising the problem.


May I suggest you bring this up in Finetuned Mac Feedback and request that graphics be turned ON so the screenshots can be seen inline rather than off-line.

Because of his sprained finger, I am willing to give keys a bit of a break on the following comment, but screenshot or no, much of this might have been avoided with a much more fulsome problem report including:

• OS version number (this also tells us what system the problem is on)
• App & Version (Messenger or Safari — to further narrow the solution space)
• Step-by-step instructions to replicate the issue (far more informative than most topic headers)
• what you expected to happen
• what actually happened (this is where the screenshot would be most helpful.)

If that sounds familiar, it was lifted almost verbatim from Apple's own Feedback report format. Why should I re-invent the wheel?

Thanks Joe Will try to remember that make a note but sometimes it's hard to remember all that stuff I just post but I'll try Will see thank you, do you want me to write in the feedback I would love to have where you can insert an image screenshot a JPEG etc.

Joe, Shortcuts the one I like to add with dictation-- form PDF you sent-- is ALL CAPS, but it doesn't work I've tried it several times I say the words AND nothing happens-- any ideas? thanks.

After a lot of experimentation and looking around I found the following:

• The macOS Enhanced Dictation Cheat Sheet is somewhat dated and apparently, some of the commands have changed or eliminated altogether
• If "Enable Voice Control" is activated (checked in System Preferences > Accessibility > Voice Control) the "show commands" will display a list of all of the commands available to you at that point.
• Individual commands may be activated (turned off or on) and new commands created in System Preferences > Accessibility > Commands
• Caps & All caps commands are among the missing [u]ON THE MAC[/i], but all caps works on the iPhone, just not how I expected it to work
• On the Mac with voice control active, it is important to remember to use the voice commands "Dictation mode" and "Command mode" to differentiate your current intent or the results can become really messed up.
• Dictation & voice control have a lot of potential, but using them effectively involves a significant learning curve and I am a long way from the apex.

Joe thanks, well I just started using this dictation for the first time ever on laptop and desktop I'm doing right and you know from a laptop, and I am delighted it works but yeah the all caps, DOESN'T work

Hold on a second why did doesn't get all caps, just know, I didn't do with the keyboard, so maybe working erratically!

Do you wonder why the iPhone would be better

ps JOe, do you know how to turn the little microphone icon that comes up off, on the laptop it usually has the word sleep on actually have to pull up lid on the laptop as I'm looking at its way but it works but the little icon sometimes the little microphone icon you wanna get it off and I know I'm right clicking and I don't see a way to get it off manually or turn it on equally

Double control click I use on my desktop doesn't seem to work on the laptop

The only way to remove the Voice Command icon (microphone) is to go to System Preferences > Accessibility > Voice Control and Un-check the box labeled Enable Voice Control. You can still Dictate text, but it disables the editing and other system control commands.

Thanks Joe, not what I meant was just disable it on the fly but keep it available. Only way now I see is to close the lid of the laptop