Apple rejected my dictation app for using the accessibility API
Developer built dictation app for hand injury, split into App Store and direct-distribution versions after Apple rejected the full version.
Rene Zelaya created WhisperPad, a macOS dictation tool that transcribes speech locally and auto-pastes text into active fields, built to accommodate repetitive strain injury in his hands. Apple approved earlier versions but rejected version 1.5 in April 2025 under Guideline 2.4.5, citing improper use of the accessibility API for injecting text into other applications. After an appeal was denied with no clear explanation, Zelaya created two versions: a compliant App Store version requiring manual paste (Command-V), and a full-featured direct-distribution version at mitmllc.com with unrestricted auto-paste. The constraint prompted him to learn payment processing (Paddle), update frameworks (Sparkle), and build separate build targets, shipping the direct version May 27.
What HN community is saying
Commenters acknowledged Apple's security rationale for restricting accessibility API access to arbitrary apps, citing risks like malicious text injection into banking fields. However, most questioned why accessibility tools with legitimate mobility-assistance use cases cannot be explicitly approved or exempted. Some surfaced similar competing tools like Handy and SpaceGremlin facing comparable restrictions. A secondary debate emerged over whether Linux alternatives eliminate platform gatekeeping entirely; skeptics countered that most users depend on macOS for work software like Microsoft Office or games with anti-cheat systems.