Chats
Voice
How to talk to an agent with the mic, and how to hear an answer read aloud.
# Voice You can talk to any agent instead of typing, and have any answer read back to you. ## Talking to an agent The prompt bar has a **mic** button beside the send button. 1. Select **Record Voice Message**. The first time, your browser asks to use your microphone. 2. Speak. While it listens, the button shows a stop square, the word **Listening** and a running timer. 3. Select the button again, or press **Enter**, to stop. The button says **Transcribing** for a moment. 4. Your words appear in the message box. Check them, change anything you like, then send as usual. On a phone you can also press and hold the mic, speak, and let go to stop. To throw a recording away, press **Esc** or select **Cancel Recording**. Nothing is sent. A voice message can be up to about 5 minutes long. At 5 minutes the recording stops by itself and your words still come through. Voice works while an agent is still answering, because it only fills the message box. Send it when you are ready and it joins the running reply like any typed message. ### Sending straight away If you would rather skip the check, open **Your profile** and turn on **Send Voice Messages Straight Away**. Your words then send as soon as they are transcribed. This choice is kept in your browser, so set it on each device you use. It is off unless you turn it on. ### When the mic cannot listen The mic says why under the message box instead of failing quietly. For example: - **Microphone access is blocked.** Allow the microphone for this site in your browser's settings, then try again. - **No microphone was found.** Connect one and try again. - **No speech was heard.** Try again a little closer to the mic. Recordings are sent to your company's speech service, turned into text and then discarded. They are never stored. If your company has not set up a speech service, your browser's own speech recognition listens instead where the browser has one. ## Hearing an answer Every finished answer has a **Read Aloud** button beside **Copy Answer**. - Select **Read Aloud** to hear the answer. While it reads, the button shows a stop square and **Reading aloud** shows beside it. - Select it again (**Stop Reading**) to stop. - Only one answer reads at a time. Starting another answer stops the first. Code blocks, citation numbers such as [3], web addresses and formatting symbols are skipped, so you hear only the words. The answer is read in your company's voice when one is set up, and in your browser's own voice otherwise. Starting a voice message stops any answer being read.You can talk to any agent instead of typing, and have any answer read back to you.
Talking to an agent
Section titled “Talking to an agent”The prompt bar has a mic button beside the send button.
- Select Record Voice Message. The first time, your browser asks to use your microphone.
- Speak. While it listens, the button shows a stop square, the word Listening and a running timer.
- Select the button again, or press Enter, to stop. The button says Transcribing for a moment.
- Your words appear in the message box. Check them, change anything you like, then send as usual.
On a phone you can also press and hold the mic, speak, and let go to stop.
To throw a recording away, press Esc or select Cancel Recording. Nothing is sent.
A voice message can be up to about 5 minutes long. At 5 minutes the recording stops by itself and your words still come through.
Voice works while an agent is still answering, because it only fills the message box. Send it when you are ready and it joins the running reply like any typed message.
Sending straight away
Section titled “Sending straight away”If you would rather skip the check, open Your profile and turn on Send Voice Messages Straight Away. Your words then send as soon as they are transcribed. This choice is kept in your browser, so set it on each device you use. It is off unless you turn it on.
When the mic cannot listen
Section titled “When the mic cannot listen”The mic says why under the message box instead of failing quietly. For example:
- Microphone access is blocked. Allow the microphone for this site in your browser’s settings, then try again.
- No microphone was found. Connect one and try again.
- No speech was heard. Try again a little closer to the mic.
Recordings are sent to your company’s speech service, turned into text and then discarded. They are never stored. If your company has not set up a speech service, your browser’s own speech recognition listens instead where the browser has one.
Hearing an answer
Section titled “Hearing an answer”Every finished answer has a Read Aloud button beside Copy Answer.
- Select Read Aloud to hear the answer. While it reads, the button shows a stop square and Reading aloud shows beside it.
- Select it again (Stop Reading) to stop.
- Only one answer reads at a time. Starting another answer stops the first.
Code blocks, citation numbers such as [3], web addresses and formatting symbols are skipped, so you hear only the words. The answer is read in your company’s voice when one is set up, and in your browser’s own voice otherwise. Starting a voice message stops any answer being read.