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Tella shows the “no sound” warning when it hears almost nothing from your selected microphone for about 5 seconds. It usually means the mic is muted, disconnected, or not the one selected in Tella. If you have a very quiet, noise-isolating mic and can see sound on the mic icon when you speak, you can ignore it. No Sound Warning.png

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What the warning says

  • Web app: “We’re not detecting much sound from your mic.” appears in the recorder, with a Learn more link to this page.
  • Mac app: a No sound detected alert appears when you press record, saying “We’re not detecting any sound from your microphone. Make sure you have the correct mic selected.” Choose Record anyway or Go back. On a MacBook with the lid closed, the alert asks you to open the lid, because the built-in mic is off while the lid is closed.
  • Windows app: a No sound detected banner appears if the mic hasn’t picked up any sound in the first 5 seconds of recording.

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Mic or camera stops partway through a recording

If your mic or camera stops sending anything after you’ve started recording (for example, it’s muted, unplugged, or the mic is sending only silence), the web app and Chrome extension warn you while the recording keeps running:
  • Web app: a message stays on screen until the input is back: “Your mic stopped sending audio. Check that it’s connected and unmuted. The recording is still running.” For the camera, it says “Your camera stopped sending video.” The browser tab’s title also starts with ⚠, so you can spot it while you’re recording another tab.
  • Chrome extension: the recording controls show “Your mic stopped sending audio”, “Your camera stopped sending video”, or “Your mic and camera stopped working”, even if you’ve hidden the on-screen controls.
The warning goes away on its own once the mic or camera is sending again. Fix the connection or unmute, then keep recording. You may want to re-record the part that was lost.

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Is your mic muted?

Some external mics have a mute button or switch on the mic itself. Check that it isn’t muted on the hardware before recording.

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Is the right mic selected and connected?

Check that your microphone is selected in Tella and that it’s plugged in or paired properly. If you recently switched headphones or docks, Tella may still be pointing at the old device.

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Is it just quiet?

Good mics block out background noise and isolate your voice, so they’re very quiet when you’re not speaking. If that’s your setup, you can ignore the warning.

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How do I know my mic is working?

If you see sound moving on the mic icon while you speak, your mic is fine. Mic On.png If there’s no movement when you speak, work through the checks above. Mic Off.png
Last modified on November 6, 2026