Transcription not working? How to fix it
Updated
Most of the time, reloading the WhatsApp Web tab or clicking “Try again” on the message fixes it. Below are the most common problems, with the message Prontei shows and what to do in each case.
First, test your browser: the test shows whether your browser is supported and whether Prontei can use the graphics card (GPU).
The hummingbird doesn’t appear
If WhatsApp Web was already open when you installed or updated Prontei, reload the WhatsApp Web tab. Tabs opened before the installation don’t change on their own, and Prontei never reloads tabs by itself.
If it still doesn’t appear:
- Check that you’re logged in to WhatsApp Web and that your chats have loaded.
- Check that Prontei is turned on in the browser’s extensions page.
- Open Prontei’s settings (from the Prontei button in the browser toolbar). The “WhatsApp connection” section shows what’s going on and, if needed, asks you to reload the tab.
“Switching to the compatible version”
Whenever possible, Prontei uses the graphics card (GPU) to transcribe. If the graphics card fails, Prontei switches to the compatible version, which runs on the processor. It needs more of your computer’s resources and a one-time download of its own model; your audio still stays on your computer.
- Accept the download and transcription carries on as usual, just more slowly.
- If the browser test says the GPU test failed and hardware acceleration is turned off in the browser settings, turn it on, restart the browser and test again.
- If the message is “This browser can’t run local transcription”, update to Chrome 120 or Firefox 153 or newer.
The model download failed
- “The download stopped. Check your connection and try again.” Check your internet connection and click “Try again”. What was already downloaded stays saved and the download resumes.
- “The downloaded model failed verification.” Click “Try again” to download it again.
- “Not enough space on this computer”. Free up disk space (leave about 1 GB free) and try again. If you downloaded both transcribers, you can delete the one you don’t use in Prontei’s settings, under “Models”.
Voice messages longer than 15 minutes
If you see “This audio couldn’t be opened, or it’s longer than 15 minutes”, check how long the voice message is. Prontei transcribes voice messages up to 15 minutes long; longer ones aren’t supported yet. If the message is shorter, the problem was opening the file: click “Try again”.
In Firefox: Prontei’s tab was closed
In Firefox, Prontei opens its own tab to transcribe. If it closes in the middle of a voice message, you’ll see “Transcription was interrupted. Try again.” Click “Try again” on the message and keep the tab open while you use transcription. It closes on its own after a few minutes without use, and that’s normal.
Transcription is slow
- First time: besides transcribing, Prontei downloads and prepares the model (“Getting Prontei ready…”). After that, it starts faster.
- Compatible version: on the processor, transcription takes longer than on the graphics card. In Prontei’s settings, “Last used” shows which version was used.
- Several voice messages: they wait in a queue (“Queued · 2”) and are transcribed one at a time.
- Speed depends on your computer. Recent Macs and computers with a compatible graphics card tend to be the fastest.
Still not working?
Use “Report a problem” in Prontei’s settings or the contact page. The technical details you can include never contain audio, transcripts, chats or contacts.