Voice Recording Issues

If voice recording is not working or transcription quality is poor, follow these steps to diagnose and fix the issue.

Microphone Not Working

1. Check browser permissions. Click the lock or tune icon in the address bar and make sure microphone access is set to “Allow” for the page.
2. Check system permissions. Your operating system may be blocking microphone access for the browser.
   • Windows: Settings > Privacy > Microphone > ensure your browser is allowed
   • Mac: System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone > ensure your browser is checked
   • iOS: Settings > Safari > Microphone > set to “Allow” or “Ask”
3. Test your microphone in another app. Open a voice recorder or video call to confirm the microphone works outside of the browser.
4. Try a different microphone. If you are using an external microphone, try switching to the built-in microphone or vice versa.
5. Refresh the page and try recording again.

In the iPhone, iPad or Android app

• “Microphone is busy” means another app or a call is using the microphone, so the phone won’t let SOAP Note Buddy record. End the call, or close any other app that might be recording (swipe it away in the app switcher), then tap Start again.
• “Microphone access is off” means the app doesn’t have permission. Tap Open Settings and turn on Microphone for SOAP Note Buddy.

Poor Transcription Quality

If the microphone works but transcription is inaccurate:

• Speak closer to the microphone. Distance significantly affects audio quality.
• Speak at a moderate pace. Rushing through observations can reduce accuracy.
• Minimize background noise. Close doors, move away from noisy equipment, or use a directional microphone.
• Use clinical terminology clearly. The transcription model is tuned for medical language and performs best with clear pronunciation of clinical terms.

Recording Stopped On Its Own

If a recording stopped before you tapped Stop, the phone most likely interrupted it. A phone call, Siri, or another app that uses the microphone takes it away, and sometimes the recording cannot restart afterward.

When you return to the app, it tries to start recording again automatically and keeps everything you already recorded as one recording. You’ll see “Recording resumed” if it works.

If it cannot restart, the audio up to that point is still saved. You’ll find it in the Unprocessed list (open Voice Scribe and tap the menu icon next to the Voice Scribe title). The app transcribes it for you once you have a working connection, so usually you just check back. If the app closed completely during the recording, opening the app again offers to recover it.

Transcription failed because you had no signal

Transcription happens online, so it cannot run while your phone has no connection. If you tap Transcribe with no signal, the app tells you it could not transcribe and saves the recording under Unprocessed. Nothing is lost.

You do not have to remember to come back to it. Once the phone is online again and the app is open, it transcribes these on its own, including a whole day’s worth of visits recorded somewhere without service. (A recording you stopped but never tapped Transcribe on is not transcribed automatically. It waits in Unprocessed until you transcribe or discard it.) Each one moves to the Unassigned list, or onto its patient if the recording already had one.

To reduce the chance of it happening:

• Update to the latest version of the app. Older versions could lose part of a long recording (anything after the first 8 minutes, until you came back to the app) when the screen locked or you switched apps. Current versions keep recording through both.
• Take phone calls after the visit where you can.

Audio from the interruption until you return to the app is not captured, so a few minutes may be missing from the middle of a recording this happened to.

Browser Compatibility

Voice recording works best in Chrome and Chromium-based browsers (Brave, Edge). Safari on Mac and iOS is also supported. If you experience persistent issues in one browser, try another.

Still Having Trouble?

Email [email protected] with your browser name, device type, and a description of the issue.