If a client cannot record a voice message in their browser, first check whether the site has microphone permission and the correct input device is selected. Permission in the browser and permission in the operating system are separate checks. If a work device prevents changes, offer a written reply so the project can continue.
Prepared by Équipe VocalJet, 5 November 2026. The desktop procedures below were checked against browser documentation; they were not tested across devices. The cover is an illustration. No new VocalJet guest message or transcription was tested for this guide.
Identify where the process stops
Ask the client what happens immediately after pressing the recording button. Use this triage before asking them to change settings:
| What the client sees | What to check next |
|---|---|
| Microphone access is blocked or denied | The permission for the exact website, then the operating system permission for the browser |
| Recording starts, but playback is silent | Headset mute switch, selected input and recording level |
| A usable recording exists, but sending fails | The form fields, destination and error message; microphone permission is no longer the first suspect |
| Audio arrives, but no text appears | Transcription or processing status; keep the audio and review it manually if necessary |
This table is an editorial troubleshooting method, not a list of VocalJet error messages. Record the actual error rather than inferring a cause from a blank screen.
Chrome on a computer
Open Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings → Microphone. Find the intended website under the blocked sites and change its microphone permission to Allow if you want that site to record. In the same microphone settings, select the input you intend to use from the device menu.
Check a headset’s physical mute switch. If Chrome asks you to open your computer’s settings, allow microphone access for Chrome there and follow any restart prompt. A work or school administrator may control these settings; ask them for help if the controls are locked. These steps follow Google’s Chrome microphone documentation.
Return to the recording page and make a short check recording using its available controls. Listen before sending. A moving timer alone does not confirm that your voice was captured.
Safari on a Mac
With the recording website open, choose Safari → Settings → Websites → Microphone. Find that website and choose Ask to receive a permission prompt, or Allow if you intend to grant access to it. Avoid changing the default for every website just to fix one client link.
Apple’s Safari website settings guide describes the Ask, Deny and Allow options. It also notes that microphone settings are not shared across Apple devices. Permission granted on a Mac does not establish permission on an iPhone. These are Mac instructions; mobile menus differ.
Microsoft Edge on a computer
Open edge://settings/content/microphone and check the permission for the recording website. Also check whether the operating system permits microphone access for desktop apps. A website permission cannot override an operating system restriction.
If access is allowed but the device remains unavailable, finish another call or recording that may be using it, then retry. On a managed computer, your organization can restrict audio capture. Microsoft’s Edge troubleshooting guide distinguishes site permissions, system privacy settings, hardware availability and organizational policies. Do not remove a company policy to complete an intake request.
Keep troubleshooting separate from sending
Before a client records their whole brief, have them check a short sample. Then ask them to stay within the limit displayed by their recording tool. Avoid repeated sends if the status is unclear: first check whether the recipient already received the recording.
For VocalJet, the voice intake walkthrough explains the two destinations: a personal profile for a new message, or an existing recording for a reply. In the documented guest route, a name of 3–50 characters is required and email is optional. A missing field is a different problem from a blocked microphone.
The guest entry pages and an existing saved recording were observed on 31 October 2026. A new send, receipt and transcription were not verified in that session. Before relying on this route, complete the guest verification checklist using an account and material you control. It distinguishes recorded audio, received audio and available text.
Give the client a written fallback
An agency should not make a working microphone a prerequisite for describing a project. Adapt this message in your existing email or project channel:
1 | If recording is blocked, reply here in writing instead. |
This is a manually written template, not an automatic app response. Once the explanation arrives, confirm any uncertainty with the client and use the free client brief template to organize the checked information. That template formats the answers you enter; it does not extract a brief from the audio.