The microphone picks up nothing (dictation or capture)

You start a voice dictation or an in-person session capture and nothing is picked up: the sound wave stays flat, or the transcript comes back empty (No speech detected in the recording). In almost every case the cause is outside Klarity: a permission denied to the browser or the system, or the wrong microphone selected. This article walks through the checks, in order, by browser and by system.


First reflexes (all systems)


  1. Accept the browser's permission prompt. On first launch, your browser shows a small window asking for microphone access: click Allow. If you refused it (even in the past), Klarity shows Allow microphone access with the steps to re-enable it.
  2. Close other apps using the microphone. An ongoing video call (Meet, Zoom, Teams), a recorder or another tab can monopolize the mic: Klarity then reports Microphone already in use. Close the app concerned, then click Retry.
  3. Check which microphone is used. If several devices exist (built-in mic, Bluetooth headset, USB mic), the browser may have picked a different one from the one you're speaking into. Select the right one in the system settings (see below) or in the browser's permission prompt.
  4. Speak and watch the wave. In the dictation panel as in the capture panel, the sound wave must move when you speak. If it stays flat, no sound is reaching the browser: continue with the checks below.


Many headsets and microphones have a physical mute switch or button (on the cable, on the earcup). Make sure it isn't on — it's a frequent cause, invisible on the software side.


Check by browser


Google Chrome


  1. Click the icon on the left of the address bar (padlock or site-settings buttons).
  2. Set Microphone to Allow.
  3. Reload the page, then start the dictation or capture again.


If the option doesn't show: open Chrome's Settings › Privacy and security › Site settings › Microphone, check that the Klarity site isn't in the blocked list, and that the right microphone is selected in the dropdown at the top of that page.


Mozilla Firefox


  1. Click the permissions icon on the left of the address bar (a crossed-out microphone means it's blocked).
  2. Remove the block (the cross next to "Use the microphone"), reload the page and try again: Firefox asks for permission again.
  3. In Firefox's permission prompt, pick the right microphone in the dropdown before clicking Allow.


For a global check: Firefox Settings › Privacy & Security › Permissions section › Microphone › Settings…, then check the Klarity site's status.


Safari (on Mac)


  1. Open the Safari menu › Settings… › Websites tab › Microphone.
  2. For the Klarity site, choose Allow.
  3. Reload the page. Safari may ask again each session: click Allow.


Safari is only suited on Mac. On Windows, use Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.


Check by system


Even with the browser allowed, the system can still block its microphone access. It's the most frequent cause of a flat wave when everything looks authorized.


On Windows


  1. Open Settings › Privacy & security › Microphone.
  2. Turn on Microphone access, then check that access is allowed for apps — including desktop apps (the category Chrome and Firefox depend on).
  3. In Settings › System › Sound, Input section: select the right microphone and speak — the volume meter must react. If it doesn't move, the problem is hardware (connection, mute, driver), not the browser.


On Mac


  1. Open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone.
  2. Check that your browser (Chrome, Firefox or Safari) is ticked in the list. If you just enabled it, quit and relaunch the browser for the change to take effect.
  3. In System Settings › Sound › Input tab: select the right microphone and speak — the input level must animate. If it stays still, the problem is hardware, not the browser.


To split hardware from browser in one minute: record a few seconds with the system's recording app (Sound Recorder on Windows, Voice Memos on Mac). If nothing is captured there either, the cause is the microphone or the system — not the browser, not Klarity.


Understanding Klarity's messages


  • Allow microphone access — the browser blocks the microphone for the site: follow the steps shown (icon on the left of the address bar › Microphone › Allow › Retry).
  • No microphone detected — the system sees no input device: plug in or reconnect your microphone, check it's selected in the system, then retry.
  • Microphone already in use — another application holds the mic: the permission is fine, close the other app (video call, recorder) then Retry.
  • Insecure connection — dictation and capture require an HTTPS connection: start again from the site's secure address.
  • No speech detected in the recording — the capture did happen, but the sound was empty or inaudible: wrong microphone selected, physical mute, or voice too far away. Try again after the checks above, speaking close to the microphone.


💡 Tip: before a first real session capture, do a 30-second dry run with a dictation: you validate the permission, the right microphone and the sound level in one go — without risking a real session.


Related articles

  • Taking session notes
  • Capturing a session
  • My session wasn't recorded

Updated on: 08/09/2026

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