Audio Input

Use it when VoiceInk is recording from the wrong microphone, when you switch between a headset and built-in mic, or when you want a fallback order for multiple devices.

Selected Microphone

Selected Microphone pins VoiceInk to one input device.

Options include:

System Default: Uses the microphone currently selected in macOS.
Current device: Records from a specific available microphone.

Click Refresh Microphones if you connected a new device and it does not appear yet.

Priority Order

Priority Order lets you build a ranked list of microphones. VoiceInk tries the first available device in the list, then falls back to the next one if the earlier device is disconnected.

Use Priority Order when you regularly move between devices, such as:

A desk microphone.
A headset.
The built-in Mac microphone.

The Audio view shows which devices are active or unavailable so you can quickly see what VoiceInk will use.

macOS Input Level

If VoiceInk detects the right microphone but accuracy is poor, also check macOS:

Open System Settings -> Sound -> Input.
Select the same microphone.
Speak and confirm the input level moves.

For best results, use the Mac built-in microphone or a dedicated external microphone. Many wireless headset microphones are optimized for calls and can produce lower-quality transcription audio.

Recording Feedback

Recording feedback controls what you hear and what happens to other audio while VoiceInk records.

Recording Sounds

VoiceInk can play sounds when recording starts and stops. Each sound can be:

A built-in VoiceInk sound.
A custom audio file.
Disabled.

Use the test controls to preview sounds, and reset them if you want to return to the defaults.

Recording Behavior

Setting	What It Does
Mute Audio While Recording	Temporarily mutes system audio so app audio is less likely to leak into the microphone.
Pause Media While Recording	Pauses playing media while recording and resumes it afterward.
Resume Delay	Waits 0 to 5 seconds before audio or media resumes after recording stops.

These settings are useful when you dictate while music, videos, meetings, or notification sounds may be playing.