Fireflies Talk troubleshooting: text not appearing, wrong words, shortcut not working
If Fireflies Talk isn't working as expected, the issue may be related to the text field, microphone, keyboard shortcut, or required permissions.
This guide explains what to check when Talk doesn't insert text, uses the wrong microphone, or doesn't respond to your shortcut.
1. Why didn't my text appear?
Talk needs an active text field to insert your dictation. If there isn't a text field under your cursor, Talk copies the dictated text to your clipboard instead.
You may also hear a short error sound.
To add the text to your app:
Click inside the text field where you want to enter your text.
Start your dictation again.
If Talk already copied the text to your clipboard, paste it into the app.
2. Why does pressing Fn open Apple Dictation?
On Mac, the Fn key can also be assigned to Apple's Dictation. If pressing or holding Fn opens Apple Dictation instead of Talk, change your Talk shortcut or disable Apple's Fn Dictation.
To change your Talk shortcut:
Open the Fireflies desktop app.
Go to
Settings → Dictation → Shortcuts.Change the Talk shortcut.
📌 You can also disable Apple's Fn Dictation from System Settings → Keyboard.
3. Why did my dictation suddenly start using a different microphone?
Your Mac may have switched the input to a Bluetooth device, such as AirPods. This can affect your dictation.
To check your microphone:
Open the Fireflies desktop app.
Go to
Settings → Dictation → Microphone.Check the selected microphone.
Select the microphone you want Talk to use.
For setup instructions, see the microphone step in Set up Fireflies Talk on Mac or Set up Fireflies Talk on Windows.
4. Why doesn't my Talk shortcut do anything?
Another app may already be using the shortcut assigned to Talk.
To change your shortcut:
Open the Fireflies desktop app.
Settings → Dictation → Shortcuts.Change the Talk shortcut.
Try the new shortcut.
📌 Talk blocks shortcuts that are reserved by the operating system.
5. Why doesn't Talk type anything on my Mac?
Talk requires Accessibility permission on Mac to type text at your cursor. If the permission isn't granted, Talk can't insert text into the selected field.
Grant Accessibility permission to Fireflies in your Mac system settings, then try dictating again.
6. Why does my music keep playing while I dictate?
Talk includes a setting to pause music while you dictate.
To enable it:
Open the Fireflies desktop app.
Go to
Settings → Dictation → Pause media.Turn on Pause music while dictating.
7. Why is the Talk pill covering something on my screen?
You can change how the Talk pill appears or move it to another position on your screen.
Move the Talk pill
Open the Fireflies desktop app.
Go to Settings → Dictation.
Under Preferences, find Pill position.
Select the edge of the screen where you want the pill to appear.
💡Alternatively, You can also drag the pill directly to another edge of the screen.
Click and drag the Talk pill.
Move it to a position that doesn't cover the content you need.
Minimize the Talk pill
If you want the pill to take up less space, turn on Minimize pill under Preferences.
When Minimize pill is on, the pill appears as a slim control. Point to it to expand the pill and access its controls.
When Minimize pill is off, the pill stays expanded and displays the Fireflies icon.
Hide the Talk pill
If you don't want the floating pill on your screen, turn off Floating pill.
The Talk shortcut continues to work even when the floating pill is turned off.
8. Why did Talk tag the wrong person in Slack?
If Talk creates the wrong Slack mention, see How Fireflies Talk tags people in Slack for information about Slack tagging.
9. What should I do if I experience another issue?
If you experience an issue that isn't covered in this guide, check the other Fireflies Talk guides for setup and usage information.
If you continue to experience issues, contact Fireflies Support through the app.fireflies.ai.