Guide & Troubleshooting

No. Voice Scribe uses Chrome's Web Speech API, which requires an internet connection to process speech recognition. You need an active internet connection for transcription to work.

Voice Scribe is designed specifically for Google Chrome (desktop). It uses the Chrome Side Panel API, which is exclusive to Chrome.

It does NOT work on:

• Firefox
• Safari
• Edge (may work but not tested)
• Mobile browsers

Your transcripts are stored locally in chrome.storage.local on your device. They are:

• ✅ Stored only on your computer
• ✅ Never sent to external servers
• ✅ Preserved when you close Chrome
• ❌ Lost if you clear browser data

Common causes:

1. Permission denied: Click the 🔒 icon in Chrome's address bar → Enable microphone
2. No microphone connected: Check if a mic is plugged in or built-in
3. Another app is using it: Close other apps using the mic
4. Hardware issue: Test mic in another app

Possible reasons:

1. Auto-stop enabled: Check Settings → Auto-stop (may be set to 1/3/5 min)
2. Network issue: Web Speech API lost connection
3. Browser sleep: Chrome went to sleep or suspended
4. Permission revoked: Mic permission was removed

Solution: Disable auto-stop in Settings if you want manual control.

Speech recognition accuracy depends on:

• Microphone quality: Better mic = better accuracy
• Background noise: Quiet environment helps
• Clarity of speech: Speak clearly and at normal pace
• Language match: Ensure selected language matches what you're speaking
• Internet connection: Stable connection improves accuracy

Voice Scribe transcribes all audio it hears, but it cannot distinguish between different speakers. All voices merge into one continuous transcript.

For multi-speaker scenarios:

• All voices appear in same text
• No speaker labels (Speaker 1, Speaker 2)
• Manual editing needed to separate speakers

Three options:

1. TXT: Click Export → "Guardar .TXT" → Downloads file
2. PDF: Click Export → "Guardar .PDF" → Opens print page → Save as PDF
3. Clipboard: Click "Copiar" → Paste anywhere

Yes! Every word saves automatically to chrome.storage.local as you speak. You don't need to press any save button.

If you:

• Close the side panel → Text is saved
• Close Chrome → Text is saved
• Restart computer → Text is still there

Symptoms:

• Microphone button doesn't work
• No permission prompt appears
• Error message about permissions

Solutions:

Method 1: Chrome Settings

1. Click the 🔒 lock icon in Chrome's address bar
2. Find "Microphone" in the list
3. Toggle to "Allow"
4. Reload Voice Scribe (close and reopen side panel)

Method 2: Chrome Content Settings

1. Go to chrome://settings/content/microphone
2. Scroll to "Not allowed to use your microphone"
3. Find Voice Scribe in the list
4. Click the trash icon to remove the block
5. Reload Voice Scribe

Method 3: System Permissions (macOS)

1. Open System Preferences → Security & Privacy
2. Go to Privacy tab
3. Select Microphone
4. Ensure Chrome is checked
5. Restart Chrome

Symptoms:

• Microphone button shows recording
• Waveform animates
• But no text appears

Possible Causes & Solutions:

Cause 1: Wrong Input Device Selected

1. Click system volume icon (taskbar/menu bar)
2. Open sound settings
3. Ensure correct microphone is selected as input
4. Test mic in system settings

Cause 2: Microphone Muted

1. Check if mic has physical mute switch
2. Check system volume mixer
3. Ensure mic isn't muted in Chrome

Cause 3: Web Speech API Issue

1. Close and reopen side panel
2. Refresh Chrome completely
3. Check internet connection
4. Try a different language temporarily

Symptoms:

• Many wrong words
• Gibberish text
• Missing words

Solutions:

Improve Microphone Quality:

• Use a headset microphone (best option)
• Position mic 2-4 inches from mouth
• Avoid laptop built-in mic if possible
• Test mic quality in another app

Reduce Background Noise:

• Close windows (street noise)
• Turn off fans/AC
• Move to quieter room
• Use noise-cancelling microphone

Speak Clearly:

• Normal pace (not too fast)
• Enunciate words clearly
• Don't mumble
• Pause between sentences