Common Errors

Solutions to common problems

Version: This guide describes Parrot Scribe 1.1.0.

License Errors

"This license key was not found"

Cause: The license key format is incorrect or the key doesn't exist.

Fix:

Enter the complete key in the format PS-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX
Remove extra spaces before or after the key
Copy the key from your purchase email, or use License Recovery

"The device limit for this license has been reached"

Cause: All device slots for your license are in use.

Fix:

Open Settings > License and choose Manage devices. On an unactivated Mac, paste your license key first.
Choose Deactivate beside a Mac you no longer need on this license, then confirm.
Activate Pro again.

See Reaching Your Limit. If device management is unavailable for your license, contact its owner or support using the license email address.

"Pro is active during the offline grace period"

Cause: Parrot Scribe could not validate your license online. Pro stays active for a 7-day grace period.

Fix:

Check your internet connection
Choose Revalidate license in Settings > License
If it persists, contact support

Recording Errors

"Recording could not start"

Cause: Audio capture couldn't initialize.

Fix:

Check permissions are granted
Verify your microphone is connected and working
Quit Parrot Scribe from its menu bar icon, then reopen it
See Audio Issues for per-source status messages

"The speech model could not be loaded"

Cause: A speech model is missing, incomplete or unreadable.

Fix:

Open Settings > Models and check for Incomplete model file or Not downloaded
Remove the model and download it again
Check that your Mac has enough free disk space; the speech models are about 0.7 GB each

Session saving errors

The session could not be saved. Keep Parrot Scribe open and choose Retry Saving. Free up disk space or fix the storage problem, then choose Retry Saving. Parrot Scribe keeps the unsaved recording for retry while it stays open. Quitting, power loss or force-quitting can lose it.

The recording was saved, but the Library could not refresh. The session is safely stored. Reopen the Library to see it.

Library Recovery

If the library cannot open, Library shows why and keeps your files. Every message below leaves your library files in place; do not delete files to clear one.

The macOS Keychain is locked: unlock it, then quit and reopen Parrot Scribe.
The master encryption key for this library is unavailable or does not match this library: choose Restore Recovery Key and enter your 24-word Recovery Key. If iCloud Keychain holds a different key, that key is kept and this library's original key is saved separately on this Mac.
The library's data folder could not be opened: check that the disk is available and has free space, then quit and reopen Parrot Scribe.
This app could not verify its signed identity for Keychain access: download Parrot Scribe again from parrotscribe.com.

The Recovery Key restores the master secret; it cannot recreate missing files. See Backups and Moving to Another Mac.

Upgrade errors

Your existing library could not be migrated: your original library is intact. Quit and reopen Parrot Scribe to retry, or contact support.
Your original library has an unfinished recovery operation: shown by 1.1.0 and 1.1.1. Choose Check for Updates… in the Parrot Scribe menu, or download Parrot Scribe from parrotscribe.com. Version 1.1.2 and later finish that recovery while copying your library, and your original library stays as it was.
The encryption key for your existing library is missing from Keychain: restore from your 24-word Recovery Key. Your original library is intact.

Network Errors

"The license server could not be reached"

Cause: Couldn't reach the license server. Your saved activation is unchanged.

Fix:

Check your internet connection
Ensure a firewall or VPN does not block Parrot Scribe
Try again in a few minutes

Getting More Help

First, make sure you're running the latest version. Choose Check for Updates… from the menu bar icon.

If you can't resolve an issue:

Note the version number shown in About Parrot Scribe.
Reproduce the problem. Keep the app open if saving has failed.
Choose Help > Generate and Send Diagnostics…. Review the report, confirm, then choose Save and Open Email Draft…. The diagnostics contain app and system versions, model readiness and audio-input status, not transcript text. Nothing is sent automatically; attach the encrypted file to the draft yourself.
Or choose Help > Send Feedback… to send a message to support from the app.