No Audio in Recording
If your recording plays back as silence, the most common cause is a missing microphone permission. When you first record in 12scribe, iOS asks for microphone access. If you denied that request -- or if it was never shown -- the app cannot capture audio.
To check and fix microphone permission:
- Open your device Settings
- Scroll down and tap 12scribe
- Make sure Microphone is toggled on
- Return to 12scribe and try recording again
Another cause of silent recordings is another app using the microphone exclusively. Video call apps like FaceTime, Zoom, and Teams can lock the microphone so other apps cannot access it. Close any active call or meeting before starting a recording in 12scribe.
If the microphone permission is enabled and no other app is using it, try restarting your device. In rare cases, iOS audio routing gets stuck and a restart clears the issue.
Recording Interrupted by Phone Call
When you receive a phone call during a recording, iOS pauses audio capture for all third-party apps. 12scribe handles this gracefully -- the current session is automatically saved up to the moment of interruption, and no audio is lost.
After the call ends, you have two options:
- Resume recording -- tap the Record button again. A new session is created within the same project. The gap during the phone call is not recorded, so timestamps in the new session continue from where the interruption occurred.
- Stop recording -- if your lecture or meeting ended during the call, simply leave the recording stopped. Everything captured before the call is saved.
This automatic save behavior also applies to other system interruptions: Siri activation, alarm notifications, and FaceTime calls. The principle is the same -- 12scribe saves what it has and waits for you to resume.
For more details on how sessions work across interruptions, see How to Record Audio.
Low Audio Quality
If your transcriptions have low accuracy or the audio sounds muffled during playback, the issue is usually physical placement rather than app settings. Here are the most common causes and fixes:
- Device too far from the speaker -- the built-in microphone works well up to about 3 meters in a quiet room. Beyond that, background noise overtakes speech. Move your device closer to the speaker.
- Microphone blocked by a case -- some phone cases cover the microphone opening. Check that your case has a clear opening over the microphone (located at the bottom of iPhones, next to the Lightning or USB-C port).
- Background noise -- fans, air conditioning, traffic, and other ambient sounds reduce transcription accuracy significantly. If you cannot control the environment, place the device as close to the speaker as possible.
- Multiple speakers talking over each other -- overlapping speech is difficult for any transcription engine. In meetings, encourage one speaker at a time for the best results.
12scribe records at a fixed high quality. There are no app-level quality settings to adjust -- the recording bitrate is optimized for speech clarity and file size balance.
Microphone Placement Tips
Getting the best audio quality comes down to microphone placement. These tips apply whether you are recording a lecture, interview, or meeting:
- Place your device face-down on a flat surface like a desk or table. The microphone picks up sound better when it is not obstructed by the screen.
- In a lecture hall, sit in the first three rows for optimal audio capture. The farther you are from the speaker, the more room echo and ambient noise the microphone picks up.
- For one-on-one interviews, position the device between you and the interviewee, approximately 30-50 centimeters from each person.
- Avoid placing the device on soft surfaces like bags, clothing, or cushions. Soft materials absorb sound and muffle the microphone.
- If you use an external microphone or wired headphones with a built-in mic, 12scribe uses that microphone automatically. Wired accessories generally provide better audio in noisy environments.
For information about adjusting the audio buffer duration, which controls how much audio is captured before each marker tap, see the buffer settings guide.