Good call quality depends on your audio devices, browser settings, and network connection. When something sounds off—whether it's echo, choppy audio, or one-way sound—there's usually a quick fix. This guide walks you through dialnote's built-in diagnostics and common solutions.

Run the Audio Test#

dialnote includes a preflight diagnostic tool that checks your setup before you make calls. Go to Settings → Audio Test and click Start Test. The system runs four checks:

1. Browser Compatibility — Verifies your browser supports WebRTC and the Web Audio API. Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge all work.
2. Microphone — Confirms your mic is connected and receiving audio input.
3. Speaker — Plays a short 440Hz test tone to verify audio output.
4. Network Connection — Measures latency to voice servers. Under 200ms is excellent, 200-500ms is good, and over 500ms may cause delays.

The test results are saved, so you can check when you last ran diagnostics. If all four tests pass, your setup is ready for calls.

Common Audio Problems#

Echo or Feedback#

Echo happens when your microphone picks up sound from your speakers. Try these fixes:

• Use headphones — The most reliable solution. It physically separates your mic from the speaker output.
• Lower speaker volume — If you're using built-in speakers, reduce the volume so less sound feeds back into the mic.
• Move away from hard surfaces — Sound reflects off walls, desks, and monitors.

One-Way Audio#

If you can hear the caller but they can't hear you (or vice versa), check these:

• Verify device selection — Click the gear icon in the dialer and confirm the right microphone and speaker are selected. dialnote saves your preferences, but devices sometimes change after unplugging headphones.
• Check system mute — Look for hardware mute switches on your headset or laptop. Also check your operating system's audio settings.
• Close other apps — Video conferencing tools like Zoom or Teams can lock the microphone. Close them and try again.

Choppy or Robotic Audio#

This usually points to network issues:

• Check your connection — Run the audio test to see your latency. High latency or packet loss causes choppy sound.
• Switch to wired ethernet — WiFi is convenient but introduces variability. A wired connection gives more consistent performance.
• Reduce bandwidth usage — Pause large downloads or streaming video on the same network.
• Move closer to your router — If WiFi is your only option, reduce the distance and obstacles between you and the access point.

Calls Drop or Fail to Connect#

• Check browser permissions — dialnote needs access to your microphone. If you accidentally denied permission, reset it in browser settings.
• Disable browser extensions — Ad blockers or privacy extensions sometimes interfere with WebRTC connections. Try disabling them temporarily.
• Update your browser — Outdated browsers may have WebRTC bugs that newer versions have fixed.

Select Audio Devices#

You can choose which microphone and speaker dialnote uses. Click the gear icon in the dialer header to open the Audio Settings dropdown. You'll see two sections:

• Microphone — Lists all available input devices. The one with a checkmark is currently selected.
• Speaker — Lists all available output devices.

Your selections are saved automatically and persist across sessions. If you plug in new headphones, the list updates—just select the new device.

Mobile App Audio#

On the mobile app, audio routing works differently:

• iOS/Android — The system handles device selection. During a call, you can switch between earpiece, speaker, and Bluetooth devices using the audio route button.
• Bluetooth headsets — Connect them through your phone's Bluetooth settings before starting a call. The app detects connected devices automatically.
• Background audio — The app continues playing call audio when minimized, but some Android devices aggressively manage background apps. Check your battery optimization settings if calls drop when you switch apps.

When to Contact Support#

If you've worked through these steps and still have issues:

• Note your browser version and operating system
• Run the audio test and screenshot the results
• Check if the problem happens with all calls or just certain numbers
• Contact support with these details for faster troubleshooting