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Pill Not Showing

Symptom​

When you hold Fn to dictate, the floating dictation pill (the small dark overlay that shows your transcribed text) does not appear on screen. Dictation may still work, but you cannot see the visual feedback.

Quick Fix​

Open TalkWriter Settings → Display and click Reset Pill Position.

Step-by-Step Diagnostic​

✅ Step 1: Check Pill Position​

The pill may have been dragged off-screen or behind another window:

  1. Open TalkWriter Settings
  2. Go to the Display tab
  3. Click Reset Pill Position
  4. The pill returns to its default position (bottom center of your screen)

✅ Step 2: Check Display Settings​

If you recently changed displays (connected/disconnected a monitor), the pill may be on a display that no longer exists:

  1. Open System Settings → Displays
  2. Check which displays are active
  3. Reset the pill position in TalkWriter Settings (Step 1)

✅ Step 3: Check Full-Screen Apps​

The dictation pill may not appear over full-screen applications:

  1. Exit full-screen mode (press Esc or the green window button)
  2. Try dictating in windowed mode
  3. If the pill appears, the issue is specific to full-screen mode

TalkWriter works in full-screen mode, but the pill overlay may not be visible on top of some full-screen apps due to macOS window layering restrictions.

✅ Step 4: Check If TalkWriter Is Running​

  1. Look for the TalkWriter icon in your menu bar (top-right of the screen)
  2. If you do not see it, TalkWriter may not be running
  3. Open TalkWriter from your Applications folder

✅ Step 5: Restart TalkWriter​

  1. Quit TalkWriter from the menu bar icon
  2. Reopen it
  3. Try dictating again

✅ Step 6: Check for Overlay Conflicts​

Some apps that create floating overlays can conflict:

AppPotential Conflict
RectangleWindow management overlays
CleanShotScreenshot overlay
BartenderMenu bar management
Stage ManagermacOS built-in

Try quitting these apps temporarily to see if the pill appears.

Still Not Working?​

  • Dictation may still work even if the pill is not visible — try dictating and check if text pastes correctly
  • Contact support@talkwriter.ai with your macOS version and display setup

FAQ​

Can I change the pill's position? Yes. Click and drag the pill to any position on your screen while it is visible. It remembers the position between sessions.

Can I resize the pill? The pill size is fixed, but it expands automatically to fit longer dictated text.

Does the pill work with multiple monitors? Yes. The pill appears on whichever monitor has the active text field. If it appears on the wrong monitor, reset its position in Settings.