tomevault-io Automating Voice Memos (no dictionary, data+UI hybrid)
Relationship to the macOS automation skill
- This is a standalone skill for Voice Memos automation.
- For setup help, see the
automating-mac-appsskill for permissions (Full Disk Access, Accessibility) and the ObjC bridge basics. - Prerequisites: Basic JXA (JavaScript for Automation) knowledge; install via macOS System Preferences > Security & Privacy.
Core Framing
- Catalyst App: Voice Memos is an iOS app adapted for macOS without full macOS APIs, hence no AppleScript dictionary for automation.
- UI-first: Prefer UI scripting/keyboard shortcuts for exports to avoid touching the database/container.
- Data (optional): Use data-layer control only if needed (ObjC + sqlite3). This requires broader permissions.
- Permissions: Accessibility for UI automation; Full Disk Access only if you read/write the container/DB.
Workflow (default)
- UI-first (no FDA): export via menu/shortcut to a folder you control.
- Optional data path: resolve storage paths; query CloudRecordings.db (Apple epoch +978307200) only if required.
- For UI actions (recording/export), drive the app with System Events (shortcuts preferred over clicks).
- For editing, prefer external tools (ffmpeg) after export; avoid writing directly into the container unless you accept FDA.
Quickstart (UI-only export; no Full Disk Access)
- Open Voice Memos and select a recording.
- Export/share UI: the Share sheet can send audio to Notes/other apps (no direct File > Export).
- Transcript copy (UI-only, no FDA):
- Run:
osascript skills/automating-voice-memos/scripts/copy_transcript_to_file.applescript "/path/to/output.txt" - Defaults: Desktop/voice-memo-transcript.txt if no arg.
- Shows transcript (if available), selects all, copies, and writes to the target file via clipboard.
- Run:
Permissions
- Accessibility: System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility > Enable for System Events and your automation app (Terminal/Python/Script Editor).
- Full Disk Access: Only if you read/write the Voice Memos container/DB directly. UI-only exports do not require FDA.
- Verify: For UI-only, confirm you can open the Export menu and interact with the save dialog. For data access, verify
${home}/Library/Group Containers/group.com.apple.VoiceMemos.shared/.
Validation Checklist
After implementing Voice Memos automation:
- Verify Accessibility permissions granted for Terminal/Script Editor
- Confirm Voice Memos app opens and responds to UI scripting
- Test transcript copy script executes without errors
- Validate output file contains expected transcript text
- For data access: verify Full Disk Access and database path exists
Troubleshooting
- Permission denied: Verify Full Disk Access and Accessibility permissions.
- Database locked: Close Voice Memos app before querying.
- File not found: Check macOS version for correct storage path.
- UI automation failures: Ensure Voice Memos is focused and Accessibility is enabled.
When Not to Use
- For cross-platform audio recording (use ffmpeg or platform-agnostic tools)
- When you need programmatic audio capture (use AVFoundation directly)
- For iOS Voice Memos automation (no API available)
- When Full Disk Access cannot be granted
What to load
- Start with basics & prerequisites:
automating-voice-memos/references/voice-memos-basics.md(setup and core concepts). - UI automation:
automating-voice-memos/references/voice-memos-ui.md(shortcuts, AX scripting). - Data access (if needed):
automating-voice-memos/references/voice-memos-data.md(storage paths, epochs, database schema). - Recipes:
automating-voice-memos/references/voice-memos-recipes.md(exports, transcripts, recording control).
Source: SpillwaveSolutions/automating-mac-apps-plugin — distributed by TomeVault.