Having trouble with Bola's microphone, transcription, or voice dictation? This guide walks you through the most common fixes, from quickest to most involved.
Note: Windows 11 is actively supported. Windows 10 instructions are included as a courtesy.
Step 1: Check if your mic is being picked up
Open Bola Voice Assistant.
Click the microphone button to start voice charting.
Confirm the mic indicator turns red.
Speak a voice command or dictate a clinical note.
Watch for the waveform animation, which shows audio is being captured.
If the indicator turns red and you see a waveform, your mic and transcription connection are working.
If nothing happens, Bola can't access your mic or can't reach the transcription service. Work through the fixes below in order.
If your mic works but nothing reaches the chart
If Step 1 shows the mic indicator turning red with a waveform, and Bola is transcribing what you say, but your numbers or commands are not landing in the perio chart, this is a charting issue rather than a microphone issue. The mic fixes below will not resolve it. Do this instead:
Capture your Session ID. In the desktop app it appears at the bottom of the Bola Voice window during or right after a session. Copy and paste it or send a screenshot rather than retyping it, so no characters are lost. Watch for look-alikes: 0 and O, and 1, l, and I.
Note one exact example. What you said and what did or did not appear. For example: "said 3 2 2 on tooth #2, nothing charted."
Send both to support through the in-app chat or at support@bola.ai. The Session ID lets us trace the session logs and route it to engineering if needed.
If Bola's mic test shows an error
The desktop app's mic test names the problem it finds. Find the message you see, then follow the steps under it.
Error connecting with Bola servers (Bola Communication)
Close Bola completely and reopen it.
If the error comes back, a firewall, security policy or antivirus is blocking Bola. Share Fix 10: Network troubleshooting below with your IT team.
Low internet speed
Bola needs at least 10 Mbps on the computer you chart from.
Close any software you are not using.
Run a speed test at speedtest.net on that computer, checking both download and upload.
Restart the computer.
If the result is still below 10 Mbps, contact your IT team or internet service provider.
High latency
Latency is the delay between speaking and Bola responding. Above about 100 ms, charting starts to feel slow. Share these steps with your IT team:
Restart the office router and move anything that blocks it.
On Wi-Fi, try a different channel if the router is not set to automatic.
Upgrade the internet plan if the office is near its bandwidth limit.
If it continues, contact Bola support.
Mic not detected
For a USB mic, unplug it and plug it back in. If that does not help, try a different USB port, then a different mic.
Check that Windows lists the mic (Fix 1).
If Windows does not list it, your IT team can check Device Manager > Audio inputs and outputs for a warning icon and update the driver, and in the Sound control panel Recording tab, right-click and choose Show Disabled Devices, then enable the mic.
Built-in mic detected
A computer's built-in mic picks up the whole room, so charting is less accurate. Plug in a headset, then select it in Bola under Options > Mic Settings. See our recommended microphones.
Mic muted
Check for a mute switch on the headset, its cable or the mic itself, and turn mute off.
In Windows Sound settings, select your mic under Input and make sure it is not muted.
If it still shows as muted, check microphone permissions (Fix 3).
Fix 1: Match Windows default audio device to your mic
Bola uses Windows' default sound devices, so the OS default needs to match the mic you actually use.
Windows 11
Go to Settings > System > Sound.
Under Input, select the mic you want Bola to use as the default device (use the round selector on the left).
Scroll down to More sound settings.
In the Recording tab, select your mic and choose Default Device.
Confirm the same mic is selected inside Bola's settings.
Scroll to More sound settings:
In the Recording tab, select your mic and choose Default Device:
Windows 10
Go to Settings > System > Sound > Sound Control Panel.
In the Recording tab, right-click the mic you want and choose Set as Default Device.
Confirm the same mic is selected inside Bola's settings.
Fix 2: Turn off audio enhancements
Some devices apply processing that interferes with transcription.
Windows 11
Open Settings > System > Sound.
Click the right arrow next to your input (microphone) device.
Find Audio Enhancements and set it to Off.
Repeat for any output device that's processing audio.
Windows 10
Press Windows + R, type mmsys.cpl and press Enter to open the Sound control panel.
In the Recording tab, right-click your mic and choose Properties.
Uncheck Enable audio enhancements and click OK.
Fix 3: Check microphone permissions
Bola Voice Assistant needs permission to use your mic.
Windows 11
Open Settings (Win + I).
Go to Privacy & Security > Microphone.
Turn on Microphone access.
Turn on Let desktop apps access your microphone.
Find Bola Voice Assistant in the list and toggle it on.
Close and reopen Bola Voice Assistant for changes to take effect.
Windows 10
Open Settings (Win + I).
Go to Privacy > Microphone.
Turn on Allow access to the microphone on this device.
Turn on Allow desktop apps to access your microphone.
Confirm Bola Voice Assistant is enabled in the list.
Close and reopen Bola Voice Assistant for changes to take effect.
Fix 4: Disable audio mixing software or hardware
USB mic amplifiers, mixing software, and virtual audio cables can interfere with Bola. If you don't use any of these, skip this section.
If you do, try the following:
Disable any pass-through options that route mic input back as an output.
For stereo devices, send audio to the Left channel (or both Left and Right). Bola expects mono audio.
Make sure the mic is routed directly to Bola without extra processing layers.
If Bola starts working after disabling these, the audio chain is the cause.
Fix 5: Set the input volume and stop Windows changing it
If the input volume is too low, Bola misses commands. If it is too high, Bola picks up small talk and other people in the room. Aim for between 60 and 80 percent.
Press Windows + R, type mmsys.cpl and press Enter to open the Sound control panel.
In the Recording tab, right-click your mic and choose Properties.
On the Levels tab, set the level between 60 and 80.
On the Advanced tab, uncheck Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device, then click Apply and OK.
Back in the Sound window, open the Communications tab, select Do nothing under When Windows detects communication activity, and click OK.
These steps are the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10. They stop Windows from turning the mic volume up or down while you chart.
Fix 6: Restart Bola Voice Assistant
This resets the connection to the transcription service and resolves most one-off connection problems.
Find the Bola icon in your taskbar.
Right-click the Bola icon.
Click Close window, then reopen the app.
Fix 7: Restart your computer
Sometimes the underlying audio process crashes and restarting Bola alone won't fix it.
Save any open work.
Click Start > Power > Restart.
After restart, open Bola Voice Assistant and test again.
Fix 8: Update Bola
Make sure you're on the latest version. Download the current installer here.
Fix 9: Run Bola as administrator
Right-click the Bola desktop shortcut and choose Properties.
Open the Compatibility tab.
Check Run this program as an administrator and click OK.
Reopen Bola.
Fix 10: Network troubleshooting
If transcription still isn't working, the issue may be on the network side.
Check your internet connection
A stable internet connection is required for transcription, updates, and cloud features.
If Bola can't establish a secure connection
Turn off your VPN.
Remove untrusted certificates from your certificate store.
Whitelist these domains in your firewall:
Transcription API: .bola.ai
App updates and resources: boladentalreleases.blob.core.windows.net
If connections drop or time out
Adjust or remove firewall rules for Bola Voice Assistant.
In a managed network (most dental offices), have your IT admin whitelist Bola's services.
Dentrix integration
If you see lag or sync issues between Bola charting and Dentrix voice commands, set the script to Bola Migration Path in the Script dropdown of the Dentrix Perio Chart.
Still stuck?
Reach out through the in-app chat or reach out to Bola AI Support and we'll help you sort it out.