talat records two audio streams: your microphone (your voice) and your system audio (the other side of the call). How each one is granted depends on your operating system.
On macOS
Mac requires two separate permissions, one for the microphone and one for system audio. talat asks for both during the onboarding flow on first launch. Each one has a row with an Allow button; clicking it triggers the standard macOS prompt. The row turns green once granted. You can’t move past the permissions screen until both are granted.
Microphone
If you denied the prompt, click Open settings on the same row to jump straight to the right panel. Or open it yourself:
System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone
Make sure talat is ticked.
System audio
Granting system audio lets talat record the audio playing on your Mac. It captures audio only, not your screen. Taking a picture of your screen during a meeting is a separate, opt-in feature with its own permission, covered under Other permissions below.
Same as above: if you denied the prompt, click Open settings on the row, or open it yourself:
System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording → System audio recording only
The toggle lives inside the “Screen & System Audio Recording” panel, in a separate “System audio recording only” section. Make sure talat is ticked there.
On Windows
Windows does not prompt for permissions on first launch. On a default install, both microphone and system audio are available immediately.
Microphone
If the microphone is not working, check:
Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone
Two switches must be on:
- Let apps access your microphone
- Let desktop apps access your microphone
Windows does not list individual desktop apps in this panel. If both switches are on, talat has access.
System audio
No permission required. System audio is always available to talat on Windows.
Other permissions
Microphone and system audio are all talat needs to record. A few optional features ask for one more permission, and only when you first use them. If you never use the feature, you never see the prompt.
- Screen recording (macOS) for in-meeting screenshots. The first time you capture a region of your screen during a recording, macOS asks for it. Grant it under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording. Windows needs no equivalent permission for this.
- Accessibility (macOS) for dictation auto-paste, so talat can paste the text straight into the app you’re typing in. Requested from the Dictation settings when you turn auto-paste on.
- Calendar if you connect Apple Calendar or Google, so scheduled meetings show up and can start recording on their own.
If only one side of the conversation is captured
- Only your voice is recorded → system audio access is missing (Mac) or the default output device changed mid-call (Windows).
- Only the other side is recorded → microphone access is missing.
Check the relevant permission and restart talat.
If you're still stuck, get help.