1. Does the pill appear when you hold fn?
No pill at all → the hotkey isn't reaching Amlin.
macOS is claiming the key. Set System Settings → Keyboard → "Press 🌐 key to" → Do Nothing. If it's set to Show Emoji or Start Dictation, macOS eats the keypress before Amlin sees it.
Input Monitoring isn't granted. Settings → Dictation → Open Input Monitoring… and turn Amlin Dictate on.
The hotkey is paused. Check the menu bar — if it says Dictation: Paused, choose Resume Dictation.
The key tap needs restarting. Settings → Dictation → Restart dictation. This is the standard fix after granting a permission.
You're tapping, not holding. A very short press is treated as an accidental brush. Lower the hold-to-start delay in Dictation Settings → General.
Pill appears, but no text arrives → continue below.
2. Is Accessibility granted?
Amlin needs Accessibility to type into other apps. Settings → Dictation → Permissions — Accessibility should read Granted. If not, click Request permissions.
3. Did the text go to your clipboard instead?
If Amlin can't insert into the focused field, it copies the text and tells you. Press ⌘V. Your words are never lost — check Dictation History if you're unsure.
4. Is it a password field?
Amlin refuses to capture or insert into secure fields, by design. This isn't fixable, and it's deliberate.
5. Is dictation disabled for this app?
Dictation Settings → App profiles → → Disable dictation in this app. Check whether it's on.
6. Is the model downloaded?
Dictation Settings → Transcription → Model. If the download never finished or was deleted, dictation can't run. Re-download it (~450 MB).
After a macOS update
Permissions are the first suspect. Open Dictation Settings → Health, which shows live status for every permission with fix-it buttons.