Why a WhisperJot meeting will not start
Meetings always transcribe on-device. If the opt-in Jot Cloud engine is selected, WhisperJot falls back to a cached local model. With no local model downloaded, the meeting will not start.
Why does WhisperJot say to choose a local engine?
Meetings never use the opt-in Jot Cloud engine. When Cloud is selected for dictation, a meeting falls back to a cached local model. If no local model is downloaded, the meeting will not start and you will see Choose a local engine in Settings → Speech Engine.
Download Jot Local or Jot Local Pro from Settings → Model (Download Now). macOS defaults to Jot Local; Windows and Linux default to Jot Local Pro. After the model is on disk, start the meeting again. Dictation and meetings still cannot run at the same time.
- Open Settings → Speech Engine (or Settings → Model).
- Select Jot Local or Jot Local Pro — not the opt-in Jot Cloud engine.
- Choose Download Now and wait until the model finishes.
- Stop any in-progress dictation, then start the meeting.
Could a permission or hotkey problem look like a meeting failure?
A meeting still needs the microphone. On macOS, grant Microphone in System Settings → Privacy & Security. Accessibility and Input Monitoring are about typing and keyboard hotkeys for dictation; meetings do not insert into other apps the way dictation does. If the HUD or mic meter never moves, fix Microphone first, then confirm a local model is downloaded.
Straight answers.
Why did my meeting fail after I switched to Jot Cloud?
Meetings never use the opt-in Jot Cloud engine. WhisperJot tries a cached local model instead. If you never downloaded Jot Local or Jot Local Pro — Cloud downloads nothing — there is no model to fall back to, so the meeting will not start. The message is Choose a local engine in Settings → Speech Engine. Download a local engine, then try again.
Do I need Input Monitoring to record a meeting on a Mac?
Meetings need the microphone. Input Monitoring is for keyboard hotkeys such as Option-Space and fn, which are dictation triggers. Accessibility is what types dictation into other apps. If a meeting will not start and the error mentions a local engine, download Jot Local or Jot Local Pro. If the mic level is dead, grant Microphone and return to the app so status refreshes.
Can Auto start a meeting without a model download?
Auto routes dictation between Jot Local and Jot Local Pro; it is not a cloud shortcut. Meetings still need a local model on disk. The opt-in Jot Cloud engine downloads nothing and is never used for Meetings. If Cloud is selected, only a cached local model can run the meeting. Use Download Now, then start the meeting after any current dictation has finished.
Updated 2026-09-01
Keep reading.
Download and manage speech models
Local engines download a model on first use. Settings → Model shows Download Now and progress. Jot Local is about 500 MB …
Read article →How to record a meeting in WhisperJot
Meetings capture only your microphone — WhisperJot does not join calls or record the other side's system audio. Transcription is always on-device, …
Read article →Choose a WhisperJot speech engine
WhisperJot offers Jot Local for short utterances, Jot Local Pro for long-form accuracy, opt-in Jot Cloud, and Auto, which picks Local or …
Read article →Ready to dictate?
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