Voice-to-Text Not Working? 12 Fixes to Try

The browser blocked the site from using your microphone, so recording never starts.

Click the lock or tune icon in the address bar, set microphone to Allow, and reload the page.

If the browser never asked for permission, move to fix 2.

Not every browser supports live speech recognition through the Web Speech API.

Open the tool in Chrome or Edge on desktop. On mobile, try Chrome on Android or Safari on iOS.

If speech is supported but nothing happens, move to fix 4.

Firefox does not support browser speech recognition today, and some niche browsers strip the API.

Install or open Chrome or Edge and try the tool again in a fresh tab.

If it works in Chrome but not your default browser, that browser is the cause.

Permission changes only take effect on a new page load.

After allowing the microphone, do a full reload of the tool page.

Still nothing? Move to fix 5.

The system may default to a disconnected headset, a virtual audio device, or a low-level input.

In system settings, choose the microphone you want to use and set its input level to a normal range.

If the level meter does not move when you speak, the hardware itself is the issue.

Only one app can hold the microphone at a time on many systems.

Fully quit any call, meeting, or recording app, then reload the tool page.

If closing them fixes it, keep them closed while you dictate.

The OS can block the browser from accessing the microphone even if the site is allowed.

Open your operating system privacy settings and make sure your browser is allowed to use the microphone.

See the platform steps below for Mac, Windows, and mobile.

Privacy, ad blocking, and script-blocking extensions sometimes break media APIs.

Open the tool in a private or incognito window with extensions disabled. If it works, re-enable extensions one at a time.

The last extension you re-enable before it breaks is the cause.

Old browser versions may ship with broken or partial speech recognition support.

Update to the latest stable version of Chrome or Edge and restart the browser.

If updates are blocked by IT policy, use a personal device to confirm the fix.

Some browser speech engines send audio to a cloud service. A weak connection breaks recognition.

Open a normal website to confirm the connection, then switch networks if the current one is slow or filtered.

On a stable connection but still no text, move to fix 11.

Loud rooms, distant microphones, and mumbled speech reduce recognition accuracy to zero.

Move to a quiet room, get closer to the microphone, and speak in short, clear sentences.

If the transcript is empty but you can see audio input, the engine may still be warming up. Wait two seconds.

Stuck audio drivers, hung tabs, and cached permissions can all block a working setup.

Quit the browser fully, restart it, and open the tool in a fresh tab. If that fails, restart the device.

If nothing above works, test the microphone in another app to confirm the hardware.