diff --git a/App/Blurt/Blurt/AppDelegate.swift b/App/Blurt/Blurt/AppDelegate.swift
index 11a1630..952d8a7 100644
--- a/App/Blurt/Blurt/AppDelegate.swift
+++ b/App/Blurt/Blurt/AppDelegate.swift
@@ -41,18 +41,15 @@ final class AppDelegate: NSObject, NSApplicationDelegate {
   /// possibly minimized to the Dock), raise it directly: `openWindow(id:)` focuses
   /// the scene but won't deminiaturize a window the user sent to the Dock or
   /// reliably re-front an existing one. Only when no main window exists (the user
-  /// closed it) do we recreate it via the scene. Returns the window it raised,
-  /// or nil when it had to ask the scene to recreate one — the new NSWindow only
-  /// materializes on a later run-loop pass.
-  @discardableResult func surfaceMainWindow() -> NSWindow? {
+  /// closed it) do we recreate it via the scene.
+  func surfaceMainWindow() {
     NSApp.activate()
     if let main = NSApp.windows.first(where: { $0.identifier?.rawValue == MainWindow.id }) {
       main.deminiaturize(nil)
       main.makeKeyAndOrderFront(nil)
-      return main
+      return
     }
     openMainWindow()
-    return nil
   }
 
   /// True once the launch-time activation has run.
diff --git a/App/Blurt/Blurt/Info.plist b/App/Blurt/Blurt/Info.plist
index 0301db2..a3de55d 100644
--- a/App/Blurt/Blurt/Info.plist
+++ b/App/Blurt/Blurt/Info.plist
@@ -24,8 +24,6 @@
 	<string>public.app-category.productivity</string>
 	<key>LSMinimumSystemVersion</key>
 	<string>15.0</string>
-	<key>NSAppleEventsUsageDescription</key>
-	<string>Blurt inserts text into the app you're using.</string>
 	<key>NSMicrophoneUsageDescription</key>
 	<string>Blurt uses your microphone to transcribe your dictation with AssemblyAI.</string>
 </dict>
diff --git a/App/Blurt/project.yml b/App/Blurt/project.yml
index 8a7198c..04b47d1 100644
--- a/App/Blurt/project.yml
+++ b/App/Blurt/project.yml
@@ -96,7 +96,6 @@ targets:
         LSMinimumSystemVersion: "15.0"
         LSApplicationCategoryType: public.app-category.productivity
         NSMicrophoneUsageDescription: Blurt uses your microphone to transcribe your dictation with AssemblyAI.
-        NSAppleEventsUsageDescription: Blurt inserts text into the app you're using.
     entitlements:
       path: Blurt/Blurt.entitlements
       properties:
diff --git a/BLURTENGINE.md b/BLURTENGINE.md
index d3d9c59..194c453 100644
--- a/BLURTENGINE.md
+++ b/BLURTENGINE.md
@@ -97,13 +97,13 @@ idle → recording → transcribing → injecting → pasted | noTarget
 
 Failures surface as `PipelinePhase.failed(BlurtError)`:
 
-| Case                                                              | Meaning                                                                                                                                                           |
-| ----------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
-| `.apiKeyMissing`                                                  | No AssemblyAI key stored — point the user at your key-entry UI. With a key-presence `readinessCheck`, this surfaces at press time, before any recording.          |
-| `.microphonePermissionDenied` / `.accessibilityPermissionMissing` | Permission gaps; `PermissionsChecker` has openers for the right Settings panes.                                                                                   |
-| `.audioCaptureFailed(underlying:)`                                | The mic couldn't start, or captured audio couldn't be processed.                                                                                                  |
-| `.sttFailed(underlying:)`                                         | The Sync request failed; the underlying error carries the HTTP status and the server's message when available.                                                    |
-| `.targetAppLost` / `.noEditableTarget`                            | Paste-side outcomes. When thrown by `KeyInjector` the transcript is already on the clipboard, and the session degrades them to `.noTarget` rather than a failure. |
+| Case                                   | Meaning                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
+| -------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
+| `.apiKeyMissing`                       | No AssemblyAI key stored — point the user at your key-entry UI. With a key-presence `readinessCheck`, this surfaces at press time, before any recording.                                                                                         |
+| `.accessibilityPermissionMissing`      | Accessibility isn't granted, so the paste keystroke can't be posted; `PermissionsChecker` has openers for the right Settings panes.                                                                                                              |
+| `.audioCaptureFailed(underlying:)`     | The mic couldn't start, or captured audio couldn't be processed. There is no separate microphone-permission case: a denied or revoked Microphone grant surfaces here, so check `PermissionsChecker` up front to catch it before the user speaks. |
+| `.sttFailed(underlying:)`              | The Sync request failed; the underlying error carries the HTTP status and the server's message when available.                                                                                                                                   |
+| `.targetAppLost` / `.noEditableTarget` | Paste-side outcomes. When thrown by `KeyInjector` the transcript is already on the clipboard, and the session degrades them to `.noTarget` rather than a failure.                                                                                |
 
 All cases are `LocalizedError` with user-ready `errorDescription` strings, and `BlurtError` is `Equatable` (wrapped errors compare by NSError domain + code), so phase equality is test-friendly.
 
diff --git a/Sources/BlurtEngine/BlurtError.swift b/Sources/BlurtEngine/BlurtError.swift
index a61551b..63b2181 100644
--- a/Sources/BlurtEngine/BlurtError.swift
+++ b/Sources/BlurtEngine/BlurtError.swift
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import Foundation
 
 public enum BlurtError: Error, Sendable {
-  case microphonePermissionDenied
   case accessibilityPermissionMissing
   case apiKeyMissing
   case sttFailed(underlying: Error)
@@ -23,7 +22,6 @@ public enum BlurtError: Error, Sendable {
 extension BlurtError: LocalizedError {
   public var errorDescription: String? {
     switch self {
-    case .microphonePermissionDenied: "Microphone access is required."
     case .accessibilityPermissionMissing: "Accessibility access is required."
     case .apiKeyMissing: "Add your AssemblyAI API key in Settings to start dictating."
     case .sttFailed(let underlying): "Transcription failed: \(underlying.localizedDescription)"
diff --git a/Sources/BlurtEngine/FocusCapture/FocusCapture+Editability.swift b/Sources/BlurtEngine/FocusCapture/FocusCapture+Editability.swift
index 9b97c1e..3af4b79 100644
--- a/Sources/BlurtEngine/FocusCapture/FocusCapture+Editability.swift
+++ b/Sources/BlurtEngine/FocusCapture/FocusCapture+Editability.swift
@@ -16,10 +16,12 @@ extension FocusCapture {
     "AXTextField", "AXTextArea", "AXComboBox", secureFieldRole, "AXSearchField",
   ]
 
-  /// Pure decision: does a focused element with these signals accept pasted text?
-  /// The injector calls this just before a synthesized ⌘V — if it returns false the
-  /// paste is skipped (so macOS doesn't beep into a non-editable target) and the
-  /// transcript is left on the clipboard with a quiet "Copied" notice.
+  /// Pure decision: do these signals, read off a focused element, mean it accepts
+  /// pasted text? The injector calls this just before a synthesized ⌘V — if it
+  /// returns false the paste is skipped (so macOS doesn't beep into a non-editable
+  /// target) and the transcript is left on the clipboard with a quiet "Copied"
+  /// notice. The "is anything focused at all?" question is answered by the caller,
+  /// which never gets this far without an element (see `hasEditableFocusedElement`).
   ///
   /// Requires a *positive* editability signal: a known text role, a settable value,
   /// or an insertion point. Anything else — a non-text control, an unknown role, or
@@ -31,10 +33,7 @@ extension FocusCapture {
   /// injector still pastes into those via a separate Electron-app check (see
   /// `isElectronApp` / `KeyInjector.insert`), so the user's words aren't dropped
   /// to copy-only there.
-  static func isEditableTarget(
-    hasFocusedElement: Bool, role: String?, valueSettable: Bool, hasInsertionPoint: Bool
-  ) -> Bool {
-    guard hasFocusedElement else { return false }
+  static func isEditableTarget(role: String?, valueSettable: Bool, hasInsertionPoint: Bool) -> Bool {
     if let role, editableRoles.contains(role) { return true }
     return valueSettable || hasInsertionPoint
   }
@@ -95,7 +94,6 @@ extension FocusCapture {
       && rangeRef.flatMap(axRange) != nil
 
     return isEditableTarget(
-      hasFocusedElement: true, role: role, valueSettable: valueSettable,
-      hasInsertionPoint: hasInsertionPoint)
+      role: role, valueSettable: valueSettable, hasInsertionPoint: hasInsertionPoint)
   }
 }
diff --git a/Sources/BlurtEngine/Pipeline/PipelinePhase.swift b/Sources/BlurtEngine/Pipeline/PipelinePhase.swift
index 192fc37..93d6808 100644
--- a/Sources/BlurtEngine/Pipeline/PipelinePhase.swift
+++ b/Sources/BlurtEngine/Pipeline/PipelinePhase.swift
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ extension BlurtError {
   var isSetupBlocker: Bool {
     switch self {
     case .apiKeyMissing: true
-    case .microphonePermissionDenied, .accessibilityPermissionMissing, .sttFailed,
-      .targetAppLost, .audioCaptureFailed, .noEditableTarget:
+    case .accessibilityPermissionMissing, .sttFailed, .targetAppLost, .audioCaptureFailed,
+      .noEditableTarget:
       false
     }
   }
@@ -68,8 +68,7 @@ extension BlurtError {
 extension BlurtError: Equatable {
   public static func == (lhs: BlurtError, rhs: BlurtError) -> Bool {
     switch (lhs, rhs) {
-    case (.microphonePermissionDenied, .microphonePermissionDenied),
-      (.accessibilityPermissionMissing, .accessibilityPermissionMissing),
+    case (.accessibilityPermissionMissing, .accessibilityPermissionMissing),
       (.apiKeyMissing, .apiKeyMissing),
       (.targetAppLost, .targetAppLost),
       (.noEditableTarget, .noEditableTarget):
diff --git a/Tests/BlurtEngineTests/BlurtErrorTests.swift b/Tests/BlurtEngineTests/BlurtErrorTests.swift
index 4ba8552..15b9d30 100644
--- a/Tests/BlurtEngineTests/BlurtErrorTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/BlurtEngineTests/BlurtErrorTests.swift
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ struct BlurtErrorTests {
   @Test("each non-wrapping case has a non-empty errorDescription")
   func descriptionsExist() {
     let cases: [BlurtError] = [
-      .microphonePermissionDenied,
       .accessibilityPermissionMissing,
       .apiKeyMissing,
       .targetAppLost,
@@ -39,7 +38,6 @@ struct BlurtErrorTests {
   func equalSingletons() {
     #expect(BlurtError.apiKeyMissing == .apiKeyMissing)
     #expect(BlurtError.targetAppLost == .targetAppLost)
-    #expect(BlurtError.microphonePermissionDenied == .microphonePermissionDenied)
     #expect(BlurtError.accessibilityPermissionMissing == .accessibilityPermissionMissing)
     #expect(BlurtError.noEditableTarget == .noEditableTarget)
   }
@@ -47,7 +45,7 @@ struct BlurtErrorTests {
   @Test("different singleton cases compare unequal")
   func unequalSingletons() {
     #expect(BlurtError.apiKeyMissing != .targetAppLost)
-    #expect(BlurtError.microphonePermissionDenied != .accessibilityPermissionMissing)
+    #expect(BlurtError.accessibilityPermissionMissing != .apiKeyMissing)
     // The two quiet copy-fallback errors are distinct cases, not aliases.
     #expect(BlurtError.noEditableTarget != .targetAppLost)
   }
diff --git a/Tests/BlurtEngineTests/EditableTargetTests.swift b/Tests/BlurtEngineTests/EditableTargetTests.swift
index ad11902..c61ad81 100644
--- a/Tests/BlurtEngineTests/EditableTargetTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/BlurtEngineTests/EditableTargetTests.swift
@@ -4,18 +4,11 @@ import Testing
 
 @Suite("FocusCapture.isEditableTarget")
 struct EditableTargetTests {
-  @Test("no focused element is never editable")
-  func noFocusedElement() {
-    #expect(
-      !FocusCapture.isEditableTarget(
-        hasFocusedElement: false, role: "AXTextField", valueSettable: true, hasInsertionPoint: true))
-  }
-
   @Test("a known text role is editable")
   func textRole() {
     #expect(
       FocusCapture.isEditableTarget(
-        hasFocusedElement: true, role: "AXTextArea", valueSettable: false, hasInsertionPoint: false))
+        role: "AXTextArea", valueSettable: false, hasInsertionPoint: false))
   }
 
   @Test("a secure (password) field is still a paste target despite prompt redaction")
@@ -25,29 +18,28 @@ struct EditableTargetTests {
     // field must type, even though its contents are never captured.
     #expect(
       FocusCapture.isEditableTarget(
-        hasFocusedElement: true, role: FocusCapture.secureFieldRole, valueSettable: false,
-        hasInsertionPoint: false))
+        role: FocusCapture.secureFieldRole, valueSettable: false, hasInsertionPoint: false))
   }
 
   @Test("a settable value is editable even with an unknown role")
   func settableValue() {
     #expect(
       FocusCapture.isEditableTarget(
-        hasFocusedElement: true, role: "AXUnknown", valueSettable: true, hasInsertionPoint: false))
+        role: "AXUnknown", valueSettable: true, hasInsertionPoint: false))
   }
 
   @Test("an insertion point is editable even with an unknown role")
   func insertionPoint() {
     #expect(
       FocusCapture.isEditableTarget(
-        hasFocusedElement: true, role: nil, valueSettable: false, hasInsertionPoint: true))
+        role: nil, valueSettable: false, hasInsertionPoint: true))
   }
 
   @Test("a non-text control with no editable signal is not editable")
   func nonEditableControl() {
     #expect(
       !FocusCapture.isEditableTarget(
-        hasFocusedElement: true, role: "AXButton", valueSettable: false, hasInsertionPoint: false))
+        role: "AXButton", valueSettable: false, hasInsertionPoint: false))
   }
 
   @Test("an unknown role with no editable signal is not editable (copy, don't beep)")
@@ -58,14 +50,14 @@ struct EditableTargetTests {
     // via the injector's separate Electron-app check, not this signal test.)
     #expect(
       !FocusCapture.isEditableTarget(
-        hasFocusedElement: true, role: "AXWebArea", valueSettable: false, hasInsertionPoint: false))
+        role: "AXWebArea", valueSettable: false, hasInsertionPoint: false))
   }
 
   @Test("a focused element with an unreadable role is not editable (copy, don't beep)")
   func nilRoleWithoutSignalCopies() {
     #expect(
       !FocusCapture.isEditableTarget(
-        hasFocusedElement: true, role: nil, valueSettable: false, hasInsertionPoint: false))
+        role: nil, valueSettable: false, hasInsertionPoint: false))
   }
 }