# Microphone & speech recognition issues

> What to do when Offbook can’t hear you or your lines aren’t being detected.

- URL: https://www.offbook.com/help-center/troubleshooting/microphone-issues

Category: Troubleshooting, in the [Offbook Help Center](https://www.offbook.com/help-center).

## First: check microphone permission

Offbook needs microphone access to hear your lines. If you see **"Microphone Access Required"**:

- **Chrome:** click the lock/tune icon in the address bar → Site settings → set Microphone to **Allow**, then reload.
- **Safari (Mac):** Safari asks again on every visit unless you allow it for the site. With your Offbook practice tab open, choose **Safari › Settings for** the site you practice on in the menu bar (for example, **Settings for app.offbook.com…**) and set **Microphone** to **Allow**. You can also change it in Safari › Settings › Websites › Microphone.
- **System level:** on macOS check System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone; on Windows check Settings → Privacy → Microphone. Your browser must be allowed.

## "No speech was detected"

This means the session started but no audio activity arrived in time. Try again and **start speaking a bit sooner** after your cue. Also check that the correct input device is selected in your OS sound settings; headsets and external interfaces sometimes grab the default.

## Lines aren't being picked up

1. Speak at a natural volume, reasonably close to the mic. Whispering and shouting both hurt accuracy.
2. Make detection more forgiving: in **Scene Controls → Line Detection**, choose **Auto** and drag **How exact?** toward Forgiving (see [practice settings](https://www.offbook.com/help-center/guides/practice-settings)).
3. Turn on **auto-advance on silence** so a missed match doesn't stall the scene.
4. As a fallback, say **"next line"** or press **Enter** to advance manually.

**Tip:** Very short lines ("Yes.", "Oh?") are the hardest to detect. Recent updates improved short-line pickup significantly, so make sure you're not on an old cached version by doing a hard refresh (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+R).

## Best environment for recognition

- Rehearse in a **laptop or desktop browser:** we recommend Chrome. On your phone or tablet, you can listen to your scenes anywhere (an iPhone app is coming soon).
- Reduce background noise. Fans, music, and other voices can confuse detection.
- Headphones help: they stop your scene partner's audio from being picked up by your mic.