Voice Interview Troubleshooting
If your microphone or audio is not working — start here.
Anavantage uses your device microphone and browser audio permissions to run voice interviews. Most issues come down to microphone permissions, browser settings, Bluetooth devices, or OS privacy settings. Work through the checks below in order — the quick ones at the top resolve the majority of cases.
✅ First quick checks (all devices)
1. Refresh the page
Reload the browser tab completely, then rejoin the interview session.
2. Check your internet
Voice interviews need a stable connection. Aim for at least 10 Mbps on Wi-Fi, and avoid VPNs if possible.
3. Check browser permissions
Confirm microphone access is allowed, the system is not muted, and the browser tab is active (not backgrounded).
4. Close other apps using the microphone
Zoom, Teams, Discord, GarageBand, OBS, and voice recorders can lock the microphone exclusively. Quit them and rejoin.
🍎 macOS
Check microphone permissions
Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone and make sure your browser (Chrome, Safari, or Edge) is enabled. If it was disabled, toggle it on and restart the browser.
Verify input device
Open System Settings → Sound → Input. Confirm the correct microphone is selected and the input meter moves when you speak. If you’re using AirPods, a Bluetooth headset, or a USB mic, make sure it is the active input device.
Browser-specific fixes
Chrome: open chrome://settings/content/microphone, confirm the right mic is selected, and that “Sites can ask to use microphone” is on.
Safari: Safari → Settings → Websites → Microphone, set Anavantage to Allow.
Restart audio services
If audio devices freeze: disconnect Bluetooth devices, reconnect them, then restart the browser. If that fails, reboot the Mac.
🪟 Windows
Enable microphone permissions
Open Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone and enable both Microphone access and Let desktop apps access microphone.
Verify input device
Open Settings → System → Sound → Input. Confirm the correct microphone is selected and the input level reacts when you speak. You can test the mic with Windows Voice Recorder.
Browser permissions (Chrome / Edge)
Click the lock icon next to the URL, set Microphone to Allow, then reload the page.
Bluetooth headset issues
Symptoms: robotic audio, no microphone detected, or sound cutting out. Disconnect and reconnect the headset; if it still misbehaves, switch to the built-in system microphone temporarily and rejoin the interview.
Advanced — disable exclusive audio access
If another app keeps grabbing the mic: Control Panel → Sound → Recording tab → select your microphone → Properties → Advanced tab → uncheck Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device.
📱 iPhone / iPad (iOS)
⚠️ Known iOS limitation — tap the 🔊 icon to hear feedback
On iPhone and iPad, after you submit an answer the spoken evaluation will not auto-play. This is an iOS Safari restriction — Safari requires a fresh tap before playing audio if more than a few seconds have passed since your last interaction (and the answer evaluation takes ~3–9 seconds). Tap the 🔊 speaker icon next to the coaching tip to hear the feedback. You can also read the full text feedback on screen.
Desktop browsers (Chrome, Safari, Edge) auto-play the feedback without needing a tap. iOS-specific fix is on our roadmap.
Allow microphone access
Open Settings → Safari → Microphone and set to Allow. Alternatively, Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone and enable Safari (or Chrome) access.
Check Silent Mode and volume
Increase the device volume, and disable Silent Mode if audio playback seems muted.
Refresh the browser session
Close the browser app completely, reopen Safari or Chrome, and rejoin the interview.
Bluetooth devices
If you’re using AirPods or other Bluetooth headphones, disconnect and reconnect them, and confirm they are selected as the active audio device.
🤖 Android (Chrome)
ℹ️ Android speech recognition is less accurate than desktop
Android Chrome's built-in speech recognition is more error-prone than desktop, especially in noisy environments. Always pause the mic and review the transcript before submitting — tap the transcript box to edit any mishears.
Allow microphone access
Open Settings → Apps → Chrome → Permissions → Microphone and set to Allow. Alternatively in Chrome, tap the lock icon next to the URL and confirm Microphone is allowed for this site.
Use the latest Chrome
Open Google Play Store → Chrome → tap Update if available. Voice recognition quality improves with Chrome updates.
Use headphones with a built-in mic
Wired or Bluetooth headphones with a mic significantly improve transcription accuracy compared to the device's built-in mic. Reduces echo, room noise, and TTS bleed.
Speak in shorter utterances; pause to let it catch up
Short sentences with brief pauses between transcribe more reliably than long uninterrupted answers on Android. Submit your answer and review the transcript — edit anything that's missing or wrong before hitting Submit.
Bluetooth headset issues
If audio cuts out or the mic doesn't pick up, disconnect and reconnect the Bluetooth headset, or switch to wired headphones. Restart Chrome if audio devices freeze.
🌐 Recommended browsers
Best experience: Google Chrome (desktop or Android), Microsoft Edge, or Safari (desktop or iOS) — latest versions. Avoid outdated browsers and private/incognito mode — incognito can block microphone permissions. Firefox is not supported (no Web Speech API).
🚨 Common symptoms
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Cannot hear interviewer | Output device | Check speakers / headphones, raise volume |
| Interviewer cannot hear you | Mic permission blocked | Enable microphone for the browser |
| Voice cuts in/out | Weak internet or Bluetooth glitch | Improve connection or disconnect headset |
| Endless “Connecting…” | Browser blocked permissions | Refresh and allow microphone access |
| Mic works elsewhere but not Anavantage | Site-specific permission mismatch | Reset browser permissions for the site |
| Feedback doesn't auto-play after submitting (iPhone/iPad) | iOS Safari autoplay restriction — gesture window expires during the eval API call | Tap the 🔊 speaker icon next to the coaching tip |
🔄 Reset browser permissions (last resort)
Chrome: click the lock icon beside the URL → Site Settings → reset permissions → reload the page. Then grant microphone access again when prompted.
🧪 Quick self-test before interviews
- Test microphone input
- Use headphones in noisy environments
- Close unnecessary applications
- Ensure stable Wi-Fi
- Keep your browser up to date
📩 Still not working?
When you contact support, please include:
- Device type
- Browser version
- Screenshot of the issue
- Whether the microphone works in other apps
- Whether headphones or Bluetooth devices are connected
Support email: support@d-abacus.com