> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.openwhispr.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Meeting audio isn't captured

> Only your voice is recorded, or nothing is — permissions, the Windows audio helper, and what to check per platform.

Your meeting recording contains your side of the conversation and nothing else,
or the transcript is empty.

Capturing other people means capturing **system audio** — what your computer is
playing — which is a separate thing from your microphone, with its own
permission on macOS and its own machinery on every platform.

<Note>
  OpenWhispr records what your computer plays. It never joins the meeting as a
  bot, and on macOS it never records your screen.
</Note>

## macOS

macOS gates system audio behind the same permission it uses for screen
recording, so the name you see in System Settings isn't the name the app uses.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Grant System Audio in the app">
    **Settings** → **Privacy & Data** under **System** → **Permissions**. If
    **System Audio** hasn't been granted yet, its card has a **Grant Access**
    button that takes you to the right place. If the card is green with a
    checkmark and shows no button, it's already granted — skip to the next step.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enable OpenWhispr in System Settings">
    You'll land on **Privacy & Security → Screen Recording** — on recent macOS
    versions it's labelled **Screen & System Audio Recording**. That's the
    correct pane even though you're not recording your screen; macOS controls
    both with one permission.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Restart OpenWhispr">
    macOS only applies this permission to a fresh launch. If you granted it
    while the app was running, quit and reopen it — this is the step most often
    missed.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Windows

System audio is captured by a bundled helper, `windows-system-audio-helper.exe`,
which needs no permission prompt and hears every application on every output
device. It requires **Windows 10 version 2004 or later**.

If the helper is missing or fails to start, OpenWhispr falls back to capturing
through Chromium, which only hears your **default output device**. So:

* **If you can hear the meeting but OpenWhispr can't**, check that the meeting
  application is playing through your default output device — not a headset
  you've selected only inside that app.
* **If you see "System audio capture failed. Continuing with microphone only"**,
  system audio capture failed entirely. Your microphone is still being recorded;
  everyone else isn't.
* **Check your antivirus hasn't quarantined the helper** — see
  [Antivirus blocks OpenWhispr](/help/fix/antivirus-blocks-openwhispr).

<Warning>
  **Microsoft Teams on Windows has been reported as an exception in some
  setups.** In affected cases the Teams app renders audio in a way our
  system-audio capture doesn't see, so a Teams meeting can record silence for
  the other participants without reporting an error. This doesn't match how
  the Windows capture path is designed to work (it's meant to hear every
  application), so treat it as an open, unconfirmed issue rather than a fixed
  limitation. Check a short test recording before relying on a Teams meeting,
  and tell us your Teams and Windows versions if you hit this — that's what we
  need to pin it down.
</Warning>

## Linux

System audio is captured through PipeWire, directly from the default sink
monitor. There's no screen-share chooser and you shouldn't expect one.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Install PipeWire if it isn't already there">
    * Debian and Ubuntu: `sudo apt install pipewire libpipewire-0.3-0`
    * Fedora and RHEL: `sudo dnf install pipewire pipewire-libs`
    * Arch: `sudo pacman -S pipewire`
  </Step>

  <Step title="Make sure the PipeWire user service is running">
    For the current session. Sign out and back in after installing or updating
    the packages.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Restart OpenWhispr and start recording again">
    Confirm the meeting audio is playing through the default sink.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## If recording never starts at all

That's meeting **detection** rather than audio capture:

* Check **Meeting detection** is enabled — **Settings** → **Preferences** under
  **App**, in the **Notifications** group.
* Keep talking for a few seconds. The prompt is triggered by *sustained*
  microphone activity, not by having a meeting app open, so a very short
  exchange may not reach it.
* Connect Google Calendar in Integrations if you want calendar-driven detection.
  A scheduled event doesn't depend on hearing anything, which makes it the most
  reliable trigger.
* You can always start recording by hand with the **Meeting Mode Hotkey**, or
  from the in-app meeting prompt — an always-on-top card that works with Do Not
  Disturb on and never appears in screen shares.

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Why does macOS ask for screen recording permission?">
    Because macOS has no separate system-audio permission — capturing audio your
    computer plays is governed by the screen-recording permission. OpenWhispr
    doesn't capture your screen; it only takes the audio.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I need to tell people I'm recording?">
    Depends on where you and they are — recording laws vary and some
    jurisdictions require everyone's consent. Worth knowing before you rely on
    it.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I hear the meeting fine, so why can't OpenWhispr?">
    On Windows, the fallback capture path only hears your default output device.
    On macOS, the permission is almost always the answer. Both are covered
    above.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I record just my microphone?">
    Yes — that's what you get when system audio isn't available, and it's a
    valid way to work if you only need your own side.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Snippet file="still-need-help.mdx" />

## Related

* [Meeting transcription](/guides/meeting-transcription)
* [My microphone isn't working](/help/fix/microphone-not-working)
* [Clipboard and system audio on Linux](/help/fix/linux-clipboard-and-audio)