[macOS][Global Dictation] Preserve transcript when pasting into an external app fails
Summary
Global Dictation can successfully transcribe speech, but the generated text intermittently does not appear in the focused input field of another macOS app.
When this final insertion/paste step fails, there is no visible failure message or recovery action, and the completed transcript is not copied to the system clipboard. Pressing Command+V therefore pastes the previous clipboard contents rather than the transcript.
Environment
- macOS 26.5.2 (25F84)
- ChatGPT/Codex desktop app 26.730.61639 (build 6234)
- Global Dictation used while focus is in an app outside Codex
Steps to reproduce
- Focus a normal editable text field in an app outside Codex.
- Start Global Dictation using its configured shortcut.
- Dictate some text and stop recording.
- Wait for transcription to complete.
- Intermittently, observe that no text is inserted into the focused field.
- Press Command+V and observe that the previous clipboard contents are pasted, not the completed transcript.
Actual behavior
- The destination field remains unchanged.
- No paste-failure notification is shown.
- The completed transcript is not placed on the system clipboard.
- The Global Dictation bar does not expose an immediate Copy or Retry Paste action.
Expected behavior
A successfully completed transcript should always remain recoverable. If insertion into the target app fails, the app should:
- copy the transcript to the clipboard;
- show a message such as “Could not paste — copied to clipboard”;
- provide Copy and Retry Paste actions;
- avoid overwriting the clipboard when automatic insertion succeeds.
It would also be useful to expose recent transcripts directly from the Global Dictation bar.
Impact
Intermittent insertion failures can force users to dictate the entire text again, even though transcription itself completed successfully. This is particularly disruptive for longer dictation.
Related recovery concerns have been raised for other dictation surfaces in #30862 and #34422, but I could not find an existing issue for macOS Global Dictation failing at the external-app insertion step.