Messages and error codes

“Your Voice2text key doesn’t work · None of your Voice2text keys work”

Deepgram refused the key: it was copied with a missing character, deleted in the Deepgram console or belongs to a disabled project.

• Click “Set up keys…” in the message (or Realtimer menu → Set up keys…).
• Copy the key again and paste it — Realtimer checks it right away.

Technical: Deepgram HTTP 401 / 403

“Deepgram credit is used up — add another key”

The Deepgram account behind your key has no credit left.

• Add a second key from another Deepgram account, or top up the current one.
• With several keys, Realtimer switches to the next one on its own.

Technical: Deepgram HTTP 402

“Deepgram is busy — wait a few seconds and press Start”

Too many requests at once for this key (for example, several Macs using the same key).

• Wait a few seconds and press Start again.
• Use a separate key on each Mac.

Technical: Deepgram HTTP 429

“Deepgram is having problems — try again in a minute”

The transcription service answered with an error on its side.

• Try again in a minute.
• If it keeps happening, check status.deepgram.com and report a bug.

Technical: Deepgram HTTP 5xx or another unexpected status

“Key “Main” ran out of credit — switched to “Backup””

For your information: a key stopped working mid-call and Realtimer moved to your next key without a pause.

• Nothing to do now. After the call, top up or replace the key that stopped.

“No internet connection — check Wi-Fi and press Start”

Realtimer couldn’t reach the transcription service when you pressed Start.

• Check Wi-Fi or your VPN, then press Start again.

Technical: Network error before the stream opened

“Connection lost — reconnecting (3/10)…”

For your information: the connection dropped mid-call and Realtimer is reconnecting on its own — up to 10 tries over about a minute. Text recognized before the drop stays.

• Nothing to do — it continues as soon as the connection is back.

“Connection lost — check the internet, then press Stop and Start”

Realtimer couldn’t reconnect within about a minute.

• Check your internet connection.
• Press Stop, then Start.

“No internet connection — the answer wasn’t generated”

Your Mac was offline when you asked for an answer.

• Check the connection and press Fast, AI or KB again.

Technical: URLError (not connected, connection lost)

“Microphone is blocked — allow Realtimer in Privacy & Security”

macOS doesn’t let Realtimer use the microphone, so your side isn’t transcribed.

• Click “Open Privacy & Security” in the message.
• Under Microphone, turn on Realtimer, then press Stop and Start.

“Your microphone didn’t start — pick another in Settings”

The selected microphone is unavailable or in use in a way macOS doesn’t allow.

• Settings → Your microphone → pick another one or “System default”.
• Press Stop and Start.

Technical: Audio engine start failed

“Can’t hear the other side — allow Realtimer in Privacy & Security → System Audio Recording”

macOS blocked access to the call’s sound.

• Click “Open Privacy & Security” in the message.
• Under Screen & System Audio Recording, allow Realtimer (System Audio Recording Only is enough), then press Stop and Start.

Technical: Core Audio process tap failed

“Zoom isn’t running — open your call first, or choose “All Mac audio””

In Settings → Their audio from, you picked an app that isn’t running yet.

• Open the call first, then press Start.
• Or choose “All Mac audio” in Settings → Their audio from.

“We don’t hear the other side — check Settings → Their audio from”

No sound from the other side for 30 seconds. Usually the wrong app is selected, or the call plays through a device Realtimer doesn’t follow.

• Settings → Their audio from → pick the app your call runs in (for browser calls, your browser) or “All Mac audio”.
• If you’re simply talking for a while, ignore it — it disappears when they speak.

“Switched — mic: AirPods Pro · their audio: AirPods Pro”

For your information: you connected or removed headphones, and Realtimer moved to the new devices in about half a second.

• Nothing to do. If the mic you picked in Settings was unplugged, Realtimer uses the Mac’s default mic.

“Add an AI key to get answers”

There’s no key for the AI service selected in Settings → AI for answers.

• Click “Set up keys…” in the message and add a key.

“Choose a model: Settings → Model”

The key is there, but no model is selected yet.

• Settings → Model → pick one (Refresh loads the list).

“Your Gemini key doesn’t work”

The AI service refused the key (the service name in the message is yours).

• Click “Set up keys…” and paste the key again — Realtimer checks it right away.

Technical: HTTP 401 / 403, or 400 “API key not valid” (Gemini)

“Your OpenAI account is out of credit — top up, or switch AI in Settings”

The paid account behind the key has no credit left.

• Top up the account, or pick a free service in Settings → AI for answers.

Technical: HTTP 402

“Gemini’s free daily limit is used up — add another key or switch AI”

Free AI tiers allow a set number of requests per day.

• Add another key, or switch to another service in Settings → AI for answers.
• The limit resets the next day.

Technical: HTTP 429 (per day)

“Too many requests — wait a few seconds”

The per-minute limit of the free tier was hit.

• Wait a few seconds and ask again. Fast uses a lighter model and hits limits less often.

Technical: HTTP 429 (per minute)

“Gemini’s limit is reached — wait a minute, add another key or switch AI”

A usage limit was reached, without details on which one.

• Wait a minute, add another key or switch the AI service.

Technical: HTTP 429

“This model isn’t available anymore — pick another in Settings → Model”

The service retired or renamed the selected model.

• Settings → Model → Refresh → pick another model.

Technical: HTTP 404

“Gemini is overloaded — try again or press Fast”

The AI service is overloaded right now.

• Ask again, or press Fast — it uses a lighter model.

Technical: HTTP 500 / 502 / 503 / 504

“Gemini took too long to answer — try again or press Fast”

No answer within the time limit.

• Ask again, press Fast, or pick a faster model in Settings → Model.

Technical: Request timeout

“Gemini couldn’t answer — try again”

An unexpected error from the AI service.

• Ask again. If it repeats, report a bug with the code.

“Press Start first — answers need the conversation · Nothing heard yet”

Answers are based on what was said, and nothing has been transcribed yet.

• Press Start and let the conversation begin, then press Fast, AI or KB.

“Couldn’t write the summary: …”

The AI service failed while writing the notes; the reason after the colon is the same as for answers.

• Fix the reason (see the AI answers codes above).
• Then use realtimer://notes to write the notes for the last call again.

“Couldn’t save notes to Documents/Realtimer — check disk space”

The notes were written but couldn’t be saved as a file.

• Free up disk space and check that Documents/Realtimer exists and is writable.

“Add an AI key to get a summary and notes after the call”

Notes are on, but there’s no AI key to write them.

• Realtimer menu → Set up keys… → add an AI key.