Skip to main content
HyperWhisper needs a small number of system permissions on Windows. Windows gives most of them silently through its usual mechanisms. Windows shows no system-wide prompt like the macOS prompts for Accessibility or Screen Recording.

​
Permissions at a glance

​
Microphone & audio access

HyperWhisper records audio with the NAudio library. This library uses your microphone through the Windows Core Audio layer. HyperWhisper selects the active device from the audio endpoints of your system. If you do not select a device, HyperWhisper uses the Windows system default. Windows controls microphone access with a privacy toggle. If the toggle is off for desktop apps, recording fails immediately when you start it. If recording does not work:
1

Open Windows Privacy Settings

Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone.
2

Confirm microphone access is on

Make sure that Microphone access is on. Then scroll down and make sure that Let desktop apps access your microphone is also on.
3

Restart HyperWhisper

Close the app and open it again. Then make a new recording.
Without it: Recording fails immediately when you start it.

​
Volume boost

If your microphone level is less than 50%, HyperWhisper increases it to 90% before the recording. HyperWhisper sets the level back when you stop. This function uses the same Core Audio device access as recording, and it needs no additional permission. If you change the microphone level yourself during a recording, HyperWhisper does not set the level back. Your change stays.

​
UI Automation & Autocapitalize Insert

Windows uses UI Automation (UIA) to examine the focused element in other applications. HyperWhisper uses UIA for Autocapitalize Insert. This feature reads the context around your cursor. Then it decides if the first word of a transcript needs a capital letter.
Autocapitalize Insert is not the only function that uses UIA. HyperWhisper calls UIA on every paste to find a focused password field. It does this even when Autocapitalize Insert is off.A separate internal service also uses UIA. This service captures the focused window, the process name, and a short extract of the focused or selected text. It adds this application context to the AI post-processing prompts. Neither function needs an additional grant step. Both use the same UIA access that is always available, as described below.
Windows makes UIA access available to any application, and there is no system-wide grant prompt. When you turn on Autocapitalize Insert in Settings → Text Output, HyperWhisper does a quick self-test. The test queries the focused element in the settings window of HyperWhisper. If the test fails, UIA does not work in the current process. HyperWhisper then shows this message:
“Some applications (like web browsers and Electron apps) may not expose the focused text field. Autocapitalize Insert will pass through unchanged in those cases — the feature still works in most native editors and Office applications.”
The toggle stays on. If UIA cannot read the focused field in a target app, HyperWhisper inserts the transcript without a change to capitalization. The paste still works. Apps where Autocapitalize Insert works: Most native Windows apps, Microsoft Office, and standard text editors. Apps where the feature is limited: Web browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox) and Electron apps (VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf). In web content areas, UIA cannot read the text field context reliably. HyperWhisper still pastes the text, but it does not change the capitalization. Password fields: UIA also finds password fields. When you dictate with the cursor in a password field, HyperWhisper does not paste. The transcript stays on your clipboard. This behavior is intentional.

​
Auto-paste without Autocapitalize Insert

To insert text into the app that had the focus before, HyperWhisper uses Win32 SetForegroundWindow and a simulated Ctrl+V. These functions do not use UI Automation. Auto-paste works when Autocapitalize Insert is off. As stated above, HyperWhisper still calls UIA on every paste to find a password field.

​
Screen Text capture

A mode can use Screen Text (Mode editor → AI Post-Processing → Screen Text). At the start of a recording, this feature captures the visible text on your screen. It sends the text to AI post-processing as extra context for names and terms. The feature uses a plain screen copy (Graphics.CopyFromScreen) and the OCR function that is built into Windows. Windows shows no privacy prompt or consent prompt for this. macOS needs the Screen Recording permission for the same feature.

​
Autostart registration

The first time HyperWhisper runs, it turns on Launch at startup automatically. You do not need to turn this setting on. You can turn it off later in Settings → General. When the setting is on, HyperWhisper writes a value to the Windows Registry under your user account:
This key is a per-user key, and it needs no administrator privileges. HyperWhisper then appears in Task Manager → Startup apps. If the registry write fails, the toggle returns to the off position. HyperWhisper then shows this dialog:
“Failed to enable launch at startup. Please check if you have permission to modify startup settings.”
A group policy that restricts access to HKCU is one cause of this error. Contact your IT administrator. The system applies the restriction, not HyperWhisper. To make sure that autostart is active, open Task Manager. If the details are hidden, click More details. Then open the Startup apps tab. HyperWhisper appears there with the status Enabled.

​
SmartScreen warnings

Windows builds a reputation for each file. If Windows has no reputation for the HyperWhisper installer on your machine, SmartScreen can show a blue warning dialog. The dialog appears before the installer starts. You cannot grant this permission in advance. Click More info. Then click Run anyway. The warning does not appear again for later installs or updates on the same machine. HyperWhisper is a signed application. Inno Setup builds the installer. The installer requests the lowest necessary privileges (PrivilegesRequired=lowest). By default, it installs the app for one user.
After installation, the app needs no SmartScreen exclusion. Only the download of the installer can show the warning.

​
Administrator privileges

HyperWhisper needs no administrator privileges for any feature:
  • Installation puts the app in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs for one user by default. It uses the Inno Setup {autopf} directive, which resolves to the local-app-data path when PrivilegesRequired=lowest. If UAC elevation is available, you can select a machine-wide install under Program Files.
  • Autostart uses HKEY_CURRENT_USER and needs no elevation.
  • All other operations (recording, transcription, paste) are standard user-level actions.
No UAC elevation prompt appears during normal use.
Edge case: If you selected a machine-wide install, auto-update starts the installer again with elevation (runas). The installer updates the shared copy in Program Files. Windows shows a UAC prompt when the update installs. The default per-user install never shows a UAC prompt, and updates do not show one.

​
Troubleshooting

Microphone not working Open Windows Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone. Make sure that Microphone access is on. Make sure that Let desktop apps access your microphone is also on. After you change these settings, start HyperWhisper again. Paste not working in a specific app If the transcript appears on your clipboard but HyperWhisper does not insert it, look at the destination app. In a web browser or an Electron app, HyperWhisper cannot always find the text field. It also cannot always set the focus on the field again. Paste the text yourself with Ctrl+V. If the cursor is in a password field, HyperWhisper blocks the paste. This behavior is intentional. The transcript is on your clipboard. Autocapitalize Insert not adjusting capitalization This feature is limited in browsers and Electron apps. If you need the change to capitalization, use a native editor or an Office application. UIA can read the text field context in those applications. Launch at startup not working Open Task Manager → Startup apps. If HyperWhisper is not in the list, turn on the setting again in Settings → General → Launch at startup. If the toggle returns to off, or an error dialog appears, a group policy can block registry writes to HKCU. Contact your IT administrator.
macOS comparison: macOS uses the Accessibility API. This is one system-wide permission for auto-paste and for bare-modifier hotkeys. Windows uses UI Automation. Each app gets UIA access without a grant step. In browsers and Electron apps, this access is less reliable. After a paste, both platforms put your original clipboard contents back.