Almost every Live Translation problem is one of three things: no audio reaching the computer running captions, the wrong language settings, or a connection that cannot keep up. Work down this page in order. The Console also reports the same problems in its own words, so read what it says first.
Go live does nothing or is unavailable
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| Choose an audio input first | In Where does the sound come from? on the Console, pick a Feed and a Device. Go live waits for one. |
| Microphone access is needed to list your inputs. | Click Allow access, then allow the microphone when the browser asks. If you blocked it before, allow it again from the padlock or site settings beside the address bar, then reload. |
| View only, or the controls are greyed out | Your role can watch sessions and copy the caption links, but going live needs the Run Live Translation permission. Ask an Owner or Admin. |
| Your translation hours are used up | Nothing can start until you add hours or the monthly allowance resets. See Change or cancel your plan. |
| This workspace is paused | Nothing works until billing is sorted out. See This workspace is paused. |
Choose an audio input first
In Where does the sound come from? on the Console, pick a Feed and a Device. Go live waits for one.
Microphone access is needed to list your inputs.
Click Allow access, then allow the microphone when the browser asks. If you blocked it before, allow it again from the padlock or site settings beside the address bar, then reload.
View only, or the controls are greyed out
Your role can watch sessions and copy the caption links, but going live needs the Run Live Translation permission. Ask an Owner or Admin.
Your translation hours are used up
Nothing can start until you add hours or the monthly allowance resets. See Change or cancel your plan.
This workspace is paused
Nothing works until billing is sorted out. See This workspace is paused.
The session is live but there are no captions
- Look at the Level meter in Where does the sound come from?. It should say Speaking while someone talks.
- Muted: the microphone feed is muted. Press ⌘D on a Mac or Ctrl+D on Windows, or click Mute again. Nothing is transcribed while muted.
- No signal: a source is chosen but the line is completely silent. Check the cable, the sound desk channel feeding this computer, and that the audio interface is plugged in.
- Silent while someone is clearly speaking: the right device is open but nothing is arriving. Check that the desk is sending to this input.
- If the Console says Another machine captures, a different computer in the hall is running the captions and this one is only a remote control. Check that computer instead.
- If it says captions are running in another tab of this browser, use that tab or stop them there. Only one tab can capture.
- If the Console says the session is live but this machine is not producing captions (for example after a page reload), press Resync.
Captions are wrong, patchy or in the wrong language
- Check the spoken language. Under Settings → Languages, Which language is spoken at the front? must match what is actually being said. A wrong spoken language produces nonsense in every language.
- Check the audio, not the translation. Nonsense captions almost always mean poor audio. A feed from the sound desk transcribes best; a laptop’s built-in microphone in a hall does not.
- Too quiet. If the Console warns that the audio is very quiet, raise this feed’s level at the sound desk or on the audio interface.
- Names and church words. Add them under Settings → Captions → Custom vocabulary.
- A language is missing. Check it is listed under Which languages should people be able to follow?. If translation is off, captions stay in the spoken language.
Captions arrive late
- The connection cannot upload fast enough. If the same network or computer is also livestreaming, lower the stream quality or move it to another connection. Use a network cable instead of Wi-Fi if you can.
- The computer is falling behind. Plug in the charger, close programs you do not need, and keep the Console window open rather than minimised.
- Right after you go live, translation takes about a minute to start. Captions wait for it rather than going out untranslated.
Phones get captions but no translated audio
- Translated voice may be off. Turn it on under Settings → Voice.
- Someone may have pressed Mute voice, which stops audio to phones while captions continue. Press it again.
- If the Console says audio is not reaching phones, press Resync, which starts translated audio again.
- On the phone itself, check it is not on silent and the volume is up.
The session ended on its own
- No audio for 10 minutes. A live session that hears nothing for 10 minutes ends itself, and the Console warns you two minutes before. Speak, unmute, or check the input to keep it running. A muted session ends the same way.
- Translation hours ran out. The session stops even mid-service. The Console shows the time left before you start, and the session cannot restart until you add hours or the allowance resets.
If the screens or phones are the problem rather than the Console, see Captions are not appearing on a screen or phone.