Troubleshooting

Installing and updating

Installing. Open the downloaded MacParsley.dmg and drag MacParsley onto the Applications folder in the window that appears. The first time you open it, macOS says it was downloaded from the internet; click Open. MacParsley is signed and checked by Apple, so no other step is needed.

"Move MacParsley to your Applications folder?" MacParsley asks this when it's opened from somewhere else, such as the disk image or Downloads, because it can only update itself from Applications. Click Move to Applications and it copies itself there and reopens. Not Now asks again next time; Don't ask again stops asking.

Updates. MacParsley checks for a new version about once a day and offers to install it; MacParsley → Check for Updates… checks now. If an update can't be installed, make sure MacParsley is in the Applications folder. What changed in each version: Help → Release Notes.

Recording

"Microphone" or "System Audio Recording" shows a red cross. Open Settings → Recording → Permissions and click the button beside it. If macOS doesn't ask again, open System Settings → Privacy & Security and switch MacParsley on under Microphone and System Audio Recording. Quit and reopen MacParsley afterwards.

A call wasn't recorded.

Check Settings → Recording → Meeting Apps Behavior: the app must be on Record Automatically or Ask Before Recording, and Notice when a meeting starts must be on.
Detection starts when you join the call, not at the lobby or settings screen.
Look at the menu bar icon: while a call is waiting for your answer it offers Record the … Meeting.
Only Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex and Slack are watched.
A recording shorter than about 20 seconds is thrown away.
If the folder for recorded calls was deleted, the meeting is filed at the top level; check All Meetings.
A log of detection is kept in ~/Library/Application Support/MacParsley/meetings.log.

My own voice is missing from a call recording. MacParsley records the microphone the meeting app is using, and follows it if you change microphones during the call or one is unplugged. If the one it's recording hears nothing while another hears you, it moves to that one, and if it can't find one that works it tells you during the call ("MacParsley can't hear your microphone"). Things to check:

Choose the microphone you speak into in the meeting app itself (Teams, Zoom… → Settings → Devices), by name rather than "Default".
A MacBook's own microphone is off while its lid is closed. With the lid closed, use an external microphone.
The meetings log (~/Library/Application Support/MacParsley/meetings.log) says which microphone each recording started on, every switch and why, and at the end how long the microphone heard sound. Support may ask for its last lines.

The live transcript has mistakes. It's a quick, temporary transcript made while you talk, and it isn't saved. The meeting's transcript is made afterwards from the full recording, more accurately, with your chosen engine. See The live transcript.

I changed the microphone during a call, and it stayed on my choice. That's on purpose: once you pick a microphone yourself, MacParsley doesn't switch it again for the rest of that meeting. See Changing the microphone during a recording.

On speakers, the other side's words also show up under You in the live transcript, or can be heard in your microphone. That's echo the canceller didn't fully remove. Check that Settings → Recording → Cancel echo when I'm on speakers is on, turn the speakers down a little, or use headphones. The saved transcript is normally fine either way, because the echo lands at the same moment as the original words.

Transcription

Nothing is being transcribed. Check Transcribe new audio automatically in Settings → Summaries, and that the chosen model is installed (a download may still be running). Select the meeting and choose Transcription.

My Mac is busy while Pocket, Plaud or Fireflies transcribes. Is it transcribed twice? No. The service writes the words; your Mac only works out who spoke when, so it can recognize people by voice. It's a much smaller job than transcribing, and nothing leaves your Mac. See Transcripts from Plaud, Pocket or Fireflies. To turn it off: Settings → Speakers → Customization….

A service was chosen, but the meeting was transcribed on my Mac. The service couldn't make the transcript (a message says why): it was unreachable, refused the file, or found no speech. MacParsley transcribes it on your Mac so you still get one.

The Transcript tab says "Being transcribed by Pocket" (or Plaud, or Fireflies.ai). The service has the audio and is working; the transcript appears when it's done. There's no need to press anything.

The transcript is poor. Choose Transcription → Retranscribe with a larger model (Whisper Large v3 Turbo is a good balance). Fix recurring names with Correct Transcription…; see Transcripts and speakers.

Summaries and mind maps

No summary was written.

Settings → Summaries: is Write a summary automatically… on?
Is the default model available? Apple's model needs Apple Intelligence; LM Studio and Ollama need their servers running with a model installed; cloud providers need an API key.
A sensitive recording waits for you to say yes before it goes to a cloud model; look for the question.
Press Summarize to try again. The toolbar's progress button shows errors from running jobs.

There's a detailed mind map but no concise one. The model couldn't produce a map MacParsley could read. The Mind Map tab says why and offers Write the Concise Version. MacParsley also retries on its own, and again each time it starts, for recent meetings.

Pictures in a summary look fuzzy or are missing. They're shown reduced for the screen; click one to open the full-size file, which is in the meeting's Attachments. Missing pictures come from the Plaud website sign-in; see below.

Importing

Import Audio is greyed out. Another import is running. It's back when that finishes (or press Stop Import).

Some files were skipped. The window lists each with a reason: already imported, an unsupported file type (use m4a, wav, mp3 or ogg), or a link that had no audio.

After a big import some speakers aren't named. That's expected. Answer Review speakers?, or open the Unidentified Speakers smart folder.

Plaud and Pocket

"Not signed in" for Plaud. Open Settings → Recording → Third Party Integrations → Plaud → Configure… → Sign In…. Plaud's sign-in can expire.

"…is still processing… Try later." The service hadn't finished writing the summary of a very recent recording. Import it again in a few minutes.

A pause with a countdown. Plaud and Pocket limit how fast they'll answer; MacParsley waits a minute and carries on.

Plaud pictures are missing. Choose Summary → With images, and sign in under Summary images in the same sheet; it shows whether the website sign-in still works. The import still finishes without pictures if it doesn't.

"Open in Plaud" says the file isn't found. Make sure your browser is signed in to the same Plaud account. If it still isn't found, the recording may have been deleted in Plaud.

Pocket says the key wasn't accepted, or transcripts are missing. Check the key in Pocket (Settings → Developer → API Keys) and paste it again. Transcripts, audio and summaries need a Pro plan.

Fireflies

"This Fireflies plan can't upload audio." Uploading needs a paid plan (Pro, Business or Enterprise); a free trial of Business works. The meeting was processed on your Mac instead.

"Fireflies needs a cloud storage…" Set one up under Settings → Recording → Third Party Integrations → Audio Storage and press Test Connection. See Audio storage.

"Fireflies didn't accept the API key." Create a new key in Fireflies under Integrations → Fireflies API and paste it again in Settings → Summaries → Configure Engines.

The wait is long. Fireflies takes a few minutes after the upload, longer for long recordings. MacParsley waits up to 45 minutes; the recording may still finish in your Fireflies account after that.

"Fireflies couldn't write the extra sections." Asking for sections uses Fireflies AI credits, and your plan may not have any left. The summary still arrives without them.

Importing from Fireflies fails with "no audio". Audio comes with a Pro plan or higher.

A leftover file in my bucket. If a run was interrupted, a folder starting macparsley- may remain. It's safe to delete it. With Remove audio after processing off, files stay on purpose.

Pocket and Plaud (sending audio), and note1

"This Pocket key can't upload audio." Make a key with write access (recordings:write) in Pocket under Settings → Developer → API Keys, and paste it in Settings → Recording → Third Party Integrations → Pocket → Configure.

"Plaud couldn't process …" Uploading to Plaud uses its website: check that both Plaud sign-ins are on in Settings → Recording → Third Party Integrations → Plaud → Configure (the connector and Summary images). The meeting is processed on your Mac meanwhile. Plaud also refuses very short recordings (under a minute or so, it answers "bad request"); those are always done on your Mac. If it keeps happening with longer ones, Plaud may have changed its website; tell support.

Pocket seems slow. After an upload Pocket usually has a transcript within a minute and a summary a little later. MacParsley waits up to 30 minutes.

"note1 didn't accept the token." Make a new token in note1 under Account → API tokens and paste it again (Settings → Summaries → Summarization Model → Configure Additional Models → note1.ai).

note1 or Pocket isn't in the menu. The menus list only what's set up. Open Configure Additional Models at the bottom of the Summarization Model menu and finish the setup there.

Names in a note1 summary are "Speaker 1" or "Speaker 2". MacParsley swaps in the names of speakers it has matched, using the start of note1's transcript. A speaker who doesn't talk in the first few minutes stays "Speaker N". Name the speakers in MacParsley and Resummarize with note1 again; it reuses the meeting note1 already has.

AI apps (MCP)

The status isn't green. If it says a port can't be used, another program has it: choose a different port and press Return, then update the copied setup in your AI app.

The AI app says unauthorized (401). The key is wrong, was revoked, or the header is missing. Copy it again from Settings → MCP → API Keys…, or use Connect App….

The AI app can't connect at all. MacParsley must be open with the server switched on.

Claude Desktop shows an error or no tools. The config file is JSON, so a missing or extra comma is the usual culprit. Check that "mcpServers" is at the top level (not inside "preferences"). Quit with ⌘Q and reopen. Its log is in ~/Library/Logs/Claude/.

A tool says the key is read only. Make a Read & Write key for that app.

The Mac's Share sheet is slow or stuck. Use Show in Finder in the Share Meeting menu and drag the file you need from the meeting's folder; it doesn't depend on the Share sheet. If the window is frozen, force-quit with ⌥⌘⎋, then reopen. Nothing in the library is lost.

Print margins look wrong. Summaries and transcripts print with 0.75-inch margins. Check Scale and Paper Size in the print window.

"Couldn't save"

A message starting Couldn't save means the library's database refused a change. Note the whole message (it names the step), then quit and reopen MacParsley and try again. Your files in the library folder are normally unaffected.

Help inside the app

This whole guide is in MacParsley: choose Help → MacParsley Help (⌘?). Type a word in the search box to find it on any page, and use the arrows at the top to go back. The Help menu also jumps straight to Getting Started, Which Should I Use?, Keyboard Shortcuts and this page.

Starting over

Check Library for Changes (File menu) compares the folders on disk with what MacParsley knows. Use it after changing things in Finder.
Your meetings are plain files in the library folder, so a Finder copy of that folder is a complete backup. See The library.

Contacting support

Choose Help → Contact Support…. Email support@macparsley.com with what happened and what you expected, or any other question. macparsley.com has this guide and the latest version, and Help → Release Notes lists what changed in each one.

The support window can attach a diagnostics file to the email. It says how MacParsley is set up (version, macOS, Mac model, which services and models are chosen, whether permissions are allowed) and lists MacParsley's recent messages, with meeting titles removed. It never includes your meetings, their titles, transcripts or summaries, people's names, or any keys or passwords. The whole file is shown in the window before you send it, and you can switch it off. If you use a mail app other than Mail, the diagnostics are copied so you can paste them into the message.