Hold Fn on your Mac, say something, and the words appear wherever the cursor is. Any app. Completely offline — your voice never leaves your machine. That's the feature that defines Whisper Notes, and it's the reason Apple won't allow it on the Mac App Store.
Update — June 2026
The Mac App Store version returned in June 2026 and is maintained again: one App Store purchase covers iPhone, iPad and the Mac App Store version. The direct-download DMG still gets new features and models first — system-wide Fn voice typing and automatic meeting recording remain DMG-only because of App Store rules. The article below is kept as the historical record of the March decision.
Hold Fn to dictate in any application — the feature that defines Whisper Notes on Mac
What Changed
This feature uses macOS Accessibility permission to insert transcribed text into other apps — the same approach used by TextExpander and Rocket Typist. It's the only API macOS provides for this. There is no alternative.
In February 2026, Apple Review started rejecting any app that uses this permission for non-accessibility purposes:
"The app uses Accessibility features to insert transcribed text. Accessibility features are intended to help users with different capabilities interact with their devices and app. Apps may not use features designed to increase accessibility for other purposes." — Apple Review, Guideline 2.4.5
What We Tried
Whisper Notes v1.2.8 already shipped with Fn voice typing. In January 2026, we submitted v1.2.9 — a bug-fix update, no new features. That's when the rejections started:
The Choice We Made
Strip the feature and stay on the App Store, or keep it and distribute independently. We kept the feature.
Whisper Notes for Mac is now a direct DMG download. No sandbox, no restrictions. TextExpander, Keyboard Maestro, and Alfred all distribute outside the App Store for the same reason — macOS sandbox restrictions block their core features.
What We've Shipped Since
Without App Review, we ship the day code is ready. Six updates since the switch:
Full details in the changelog.
Why the App Store Version Is Still Listed
The listing is a Universal App — iOS and Mac in one. We can't remove Mac without taking down iOS.
The App Store version still works for basic transcription. It was frozen between March and June 2026 — since it returned it is maintained again, and new features and models still land in the DMG first.
50% Off the DMG License for App Store Purchasers
If you bought it on the App Store, you get 50% off the DMG license. Takes about a minute via the migration page.
Summary
| What happened | Apple rejects Mac App Store updates that use the Accessibility API for text insertion (Guideline 2.4.5) |
| Why it matters | System-wide Fn voice typing requires this API — there is no alternative on macOS |
| What we did | Moved Mac to direct DMG distribution |
| App Store version | Still available for iOS; Mac version frozen March–June 2026, maintained again since |
| Existing purchasers | 50% off the DMG license via the migration page |
Leaving the App Store wasn't the plan. But the DMG version is now better than the App Store version ever was — faster engine, more features, updates the day they're ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Whisper Notes leave the Mac App Store?
Apple began rejecting updates under Guideline 2.4.5, which prohibits using the Accessibility API for non-accessibility purposes. Whisper Notes uses this API for system-wide voice typing — inserting transcribed text at the cursor in any app. There is no alternative API on macOS for this feature.
Is Whisper Notes still available on the App Store in 2026?
Yes. The iOS app is on the App Store ($7.99 one-time) and actively updated. The Mac App Store version returned in June 2026 and is maintained again — one App Store purchase covers iPhone, iPad and the Mac App Store version, while new features and models reach the DMG from whispernotes.app first.
Does the Mac App Store version of Whisper Notes still work?
Yes. It did not receive feature updates between March and June 2026, but the Mac App Store version returned in June 2026 and is maintained again — all three engines (Whisper, Parakeet V3, SenseVoice) and Speaker Labels ship there. System-wide Fn voice typing and automatic meeting recording remain DMG-only because of App Store rules, and the DMG still gets new features and models first.
I bought Whisper Notes on the App Store — can I get a discount on the Mac (DMG) version?
Yes. App Store purchasers get 50% off the one-time DMG license. Claim it on the migration page at whispernotes.app/migrate — it takes about a minute.
Questions? support@whispernotes.app.
Download for iOS