Why does voice typing say unable to receive audio?

When voice typing says it cannot receive audio, it is telling you that no usable sound is reaching the speech engine. The cause is almost always on the microphone side of the chain: the app has no permission, the wrong input is selected, or another program has the microphone. Fix those three before you suspect the software, and on Windows, check the connection too.

The exact message is not in the help pages I could check

I searched Microsoft's and Google's documentation, and the search results and pages I could open, for the phrase "unable to receive audio". I did not find it. That means I cannot tell you which product shows that exact text. The fixes below rely on the messages that the official pages do document for the same symptom, so you can match your message to the closest one.

The documented messages point to the same three causes

The first row is the permission check. Microsoft's own error table says that voice typing needs access to your microphone, and that you turn this on under Start, Settings, Privacy & security, Microphone, where Microphone access must be on ¹. Windows also needs a working microphone with the cursor in a text box, and an internet connection ².

The language row matters when the message looks like a microphone problem but is not one. Microsoft's fix is to install a supported language, and to press Windows logo key + Spacebar to choose one of your available languages ³.

For the "trouble hearing you" message, Google's Docs help page, in an archived copy from December 2020, lists three steps: move to a quiet room, plug in an external microphone, and adjust the input volume on your microphone ⁴. The same archived page says to check that the microphone is plugged in and not being used by another application ⁵. That last point is the one people miss: a call, a video app or a recording tool can take the microphone, and voice typing then receives nothing.

Work through the audio path, not the settings at random

Most of these errors come down to the same sequence. Start with the cause that is easiest to test.

1. Permission. Confirm the app or browser can use the microphone. On Windows, that is Settings, Privacy & security, Microphone. On a Mac or an iPhone, the app needs the same kind of switch, and the microphone guide covers each system.
2. Input device. Make sure the microphone you want is the one selected. On Windows, go to Start, Settings, System, Sound, then Input, and choose the device you speak into. Microsoft's troubleshooting page gives this same path.
3. Another app. Close any call, recording or meeting app that might hold the microphone, then try again.
4. Level. If the app hears you faintly, raise the input volume. Google's advice for the "trouble hearing" message is the same.
5. Connection, on Windows. If the message appears only on Windows and nothing else helps, confirm that you are online, because Windows voice typing relies on an internet connection.

It depends on the platform

The same message can have different causes on different systems. On Windows, a missing permission is the usual reason. On Google Docs and Chrome, a microphone held by another program is more common, and the browser also asks for microphone access the first time (see the Google Docs guide). On a phone, the keyboard's microphone may be missing or the language may not match. Those cases have their own pages, and the Windows guide and the Android guide give the menus for each.

If you see the message only in one app, the app is the likely cause. The question on dictation that works in some apps but not others covers that case.

What to do if it still fails

Test the microphone in a different app, such as a voice recorder or a dictation key in a notes app. If that app records sound, the problem is in voice typing's own settings. If it does not, the microphone or its selection is the cause, and no voice typing setting will fix it.

Write down the exact message, the platform, the app and the version. The message text is the best clue, and it is the first thing to give a support team. Allowing microphone access on Windows walks through the permission step in more detail.

Yap, which we make, is a dictation app for Mac and Windows. If built-in voice typing keeps refusing to hear you on your PC, the download page lists current versions and their requirements, so you can compare them with the built-in tool.