How to enable microphone Access
🎙️ Heidi requires access to your microphone for the transcribe and dictate functions, which is how notes are generated, allowing you to use and benefit from all the features that Heidi offers. If your notes aren't generating it could be that you haven't enabled microphone access!
There can be a few reasons as to why the mic is not working:
Ensure your microphone is properly connected.
Check if the Heidi app requests access to your microphone.
Look into your device's settings to ensure the app has permission to access the microphone.
🎤 Different systems use different settings, and access controls. We apologise in advance if we don't have the solution for the tool you are working with listed below.
Heidi on Desktop
Try looking at the audio input. Before you start recording you are able to select the microphone you are wanting to use by clicking on the drop down option.
If you want to enable your microphone for an existing session, when you click 'Resume' to resume the recording, you can adjust the microphone in the top right of your screen. It won't work with a desktop computer that has no microphone, you'll need to plug in an external Mic instead. Laptops have a built-in microphone.
Heidi on Mobile
Try refreshing the page and changing note styles, this should trigger the pop-up. If you are still having trouble connecting to your microphone on mobile try to enable your access to your microphone via system preferences.
You will have to go into your apps, select Chrome (or your selected browser) and view the settings there.
Another thing to check would be your browser settings. To the right of the address bar, tap More Settings. (The three little dots in the top right-hand corner)
Tap Site Settings.
Tap Microphone or Camera.
Tap to turn the microphone or camera on or off. If you see the site you want to use under Blocked, tap the site Access your microphone Allow.
This is what it should look like in your Chrome -> privacy/permission settings on your phone.
How do I enable Heidi to access my microphone via desktop system preferences?
Check System Settings:
On Windows: Go to "Settings" > "Privacy" > "Microphone" and ensure that microphone access is enabled for the specific apps or system-wide.
On macOS: Navigate to "System Preferences" > "Security & Privacy" > "Privacy" tab, then select "Microphone" and grant access to the browser you intend to use.
Chrome:
Go to your browser settings
Click Privacy and Security > Site Settings > Microphone.
Select the option you want as your default setting.
Review your blocked and allowed sites.
To remove an existing exception or permission: To the right of the site, click Delete.
To allow a site that you already blocked: Under "Not allowed," select the site's name and change the camera or microphone permission to "Allow."
Make sure to refresh the browser page after changing permissions.
Microsoft 10:
Select Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone and make sure Microphone access is turned on.
Make sure Let apps access your microphone is turned on, then choose which apps have access. Desktop apps won't appear in this list.
Make sure to refresh the browser page after changing permissions.
Resolving Microphone and Audio Conflicts for Heidi on Windows
Troubleshoot issues that arise when Heidi can not gain access to your microphone, only relevant for windows users.
If you are a windows user, and you're having trouble using your microphone with Heidi during calls or communication sessions, the issue might stem from exclusive control settings or audio driver configurations. Here’s how you can check and update these settings to get everything running smoothly.
Step 1: Check Exclusive Control Settings
Search for Control Panel in the Windows search bar and open it.
Go to Hardware and Sound > Sound.
In the new window, select the Recording tab.
Find and click your microphone, then select Properties.
Navigate to the Advanced tab. You’ll see two checkboxes:
Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device
Give exclusive mode applications priority
If these are checked, uncheck them to avoid conflicts between Heidi and other applications.
Step 2: Adjust Realtek Audio Console Settings (if applicable)
If your computer uses Realtek audio drivers, these settings might also impact your experience:
Open Realtek Audio Console by searching for it in the Windows search bar.
Under Speakers, turn off Noise Cancellation.
Switch to the Headphones section and disable Noise Cancellation there as well.
Why This Matters
These settings control how your computer handles audio input and output. Unchecked exclusive control allows Heidi and other apps like Zoom to share your microphone without interruptions, ensuring seamless communication.
Situations where this would be applicable:
Mic works in regular recording app but can't be detected in Heidi
Running other apps that need microphone access (zoom, teams, skype, etc) at the same time as Heidi eg. telehealth
Microphone in Heidi seems to drop when starting a call on zoom (or visa versa)
How do I record notes using a desktop if it doesn't have any audio?
The easiest way to do this is to record the session on your phone. Then, if you log into Heidi on your desktop, you will be able to access the consult notes from past sessions.
From there, you can simply copy and paste the notes into your EMR.
How to increase the volume of your Microphone
For Mac:
System settings -> Sound -> input -> Input level
For Windows:
Right-click the speaker icon in the system tray (bottom-right corner).
Select Sounds or Open Sound settings.
In the Sound window, go to the Recording tab.
Select your microphone and click Properties.
Under the Levels tab, adjust the microphone volume slider to increase input volume.
Click OK to save changes.
Does Heidi work with a headset?
At the moment, this only works if you play the audio out loud. We are currently working on a method to detect the sound coming through a headset so you can use Heidi with a headset soon!