This is a long running problem that has been 'fixed' numerous times but keeps popping back up (see here for example: https://www.duolingo.com/comment/916420). I came here to create a new thread about it when I saw yours. It is particularly bad recently: I'd say I have to turn off microphone during at least 1/3 practices.

I know Duolingo is putting a lot of effort into developing new stuff, but it would be really great if they could prioritise the small number of big bugs that ruin the site experience.

There are many of us who have reported these microphone problems...PatriciaJH's description of the circle matches my experience exactly. Without the audio side of Duolingo working properly I have discontinued using until they decide to fix it. As it's a free programme it feels churlish to complain but on the other hand the audio really is a vital element. Learning a language without the aural side of it is not very effective. Prolanguages/proidiomas is worth trying - there is a cost, but it's relatively small for what you get.

I'm just glad to know I'm not the only one having these problems.

My mic worked but now when I click to use it, it jumps ahead and marks me wrong before I have time to speak! Anyone else experiencing this? Help please!

are people still having microphone issues? Mine isn't working

Come one - get this fixed please - it worked fine on Safari, now I've been forced to use Chrome, as you no longer support Safari, and the audio part is next to useless especially in the timed practice.

I do not hear any voice, replying to listening question.

I am having the same issue.

I too am having microphone problems. I’ve gotten “microphone is off. It will be back up in one hour messages twice.

This is definitely still happening on Chrome. My android device does fine, but on the laptop the first 1-3 speaking exercises of each lesson don't register my voice after the first few words. I've already completely dumbed down my spoken fluency in hopes that the pauses will help them to understand me (I'm re-learning) and it's still not enough.

If I have to go mobile only I guess I will, but the translation exercises are much better on a laptop.

I have the same problem, and it's obviously a bug, as the sound level never changes (the boundary across the circle between light blue and dark blue stays steady in the middle), the mike is fine on previous and subsequent questions without any changes; and I can record just fine via the desktop krec app at the time when the problem is happening.

I've reported it via the "support" tab, which is on the screen to your left.

I had this issue also, when using Chrome. I switched to Internet Explorer and updated the Adobe flash driver and the problem went away. I think the issue is due to a problem with possibly an older version of flash running in Chrome.

I found a pseudo solution for this. While the loading circle is spinning if you click on it with the mouse cursor that apparently shakes it out of whatever is lagging it.

A hack to be sure, but its been working consistently.

Yes, yet another complaint about the microphone: I can't use it at all on my Mac, and it's not working properly on my iPhone (it keeps rejecting what I say). It would greatly enhance my Italian practice if these functions were working. Thank you!

I do not see any microphone exercise on my iPhone. Any suggestion if I went wrong somewhere?

This is frustrating. It just stops you doing the exercises dead in your tracks. You don't get asked for permission, the microphone is clearly not going to work yet there's no timeout or check for a non-response to the non-existent request for access. It should be an easy fix!

I have audio, but the microphone doesn't work when I speak into it. I don't know how to fix this.

The microphone isnt working

My microphone cut out today during my German lesson - how am I supposed to type in what the app has said if I can't hear it? For a while I couldn't hear anything in my Japanese lessons, but that was seemingly fixed, and now it's the other languages!

Please report that as a device bug - but not here. They will fix it, I hope.

I had a problem with something else two days ago and got an email back within 24 hours that they will fix the problem. (The bug is that when you use the tiles in the app they are lining up right on top of the sentence I am trying to translate instead of underneath it. So with a long sentence you would have to memorize which words you will use in the right order. - or write them down. The bug is not immediately fixed but they did acknowledge and thank me for the report quickly!

Report bugs here: https://support.duolingo.com/hc/en-us/requests/new and if there is something visual add a screenshot.

Also in the last month I have received 19 acknowledgements of translation reports which they are accepting after I made a suggested correction. So there is some action happening.

My microphone tells me I am wrong almost all the time, and I don't believe it! Or, it doesn't hear me at all. I get a message saying the microphone is off and will be on in an hour. What's with that?

I turned the volume on my microphone to the highest setting, and that seems to have helped a lot. I have an iMac desktop.

My microphone lessons don't have sound. I have been using Duolingo for a long time.