Audio not working reliably in Word transcription mode

Chris P 10 Reputation points
2026-07-15T08:44:19.41+00:00

I use the transcription mode in Word a lot with pre-recorded interviews. The initial upload and transcription always works perfectly. A while back, I started noticing that if I left the transcription panel open for a long time (maybe 10 minutes) without using it, I could still access the text, but I couldn't play the audio. If I closed and then re-opened the transcription panel the file would re-load and the audio would work again. It was annoying but manageable as it only 'timed out' occasionally.

Recently, that time has come right down. If I pause the recording for more than a few seconds it won't play again until I've re-loaded the file.

Can anyone suggest a solution?

I don't really use my One Drive for anything other than these transcriptions, so I don't think it's anywhere near full. Just to be on the safe side, I deleted all the old files on there, but that doesn't seem to have solved the problem. My internet connection isn't brilliant, but I don't think it has got any worse since I noticed this problem (I can still stream movies etc).

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  1. Jonas K 0 Reputation points
    2026-09-15T15:50:44.32+00:00

    Are there any solutions yet? I'm struggling with the same problem. :/

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  2. Kai-H 26,860 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-07-16T12:45:03.1266667+00:00

    Hi, Chris P

    This looks more like the Transcribe pane losing its connection to the cloud-hosted audio than a OneDrive storage problem. Closing and reopening the pane refreshes that connection, which explains why playback returns.

    Here are some suggestions you can try:

    Update Office first. In Word, select File > Account > Update Options > Update Now. Build 20131.20112 is no longer the latest Version 2606 build, so test again after updating.

    Try the same file in Word for the web using the latest Edge or Chrome. Transcribe requires an Internet connection, and Edge or Chrome are the supported browsers.

    If it works online, use that as a temporary workaround. If playback also stops there, try an Edge InPrivate window. It is recommended that you clear the browser cache if InPrivate works normally.

    In desktop Word, check File > Account > Account Privacy > Manage Settings and make sure optional connected experiences are enabled, since desktop Transcribe depends on them.

    If the updated desktop app still fails but Word online works, send feedback through Help > Feedback, including the build number and the exact pause behavior.

    Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you. 

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  3. Anonymous
    2026-07-15T10:31:41.0433333+00:00

    Hello @Chris P

    First, I’d like to clarify that this is a user-to-user support forum. Moderators here are not Microsoft Support, so we don’t have backend access or the ability to investigate service-side changes or perform escalations. However, we’re happy to help with troubleshooting and share our own testing results.

    I tested the behavior you described, and I was able to reproduce something very similar on my side using an MP3 file. In my case, when the audio stopped responding, I did not need to close the entire document. Simply closing and reopening the Transcribe pane caused Word to re-fetch the audio file, and playback started working again.

    I also tested the same scenario in Word for the web, and the behavior appeared to be quite similar there as well. Based on that, this does not seem to be limited to the desktop client alone.

    To be completely honest, I do not currently have a workaround that I can confidently recommend which would fully resolve the issue. The main suggestion I can offer is to make sure that Microsoft 365 Apps are updated to the latest version. My test environment is running the latest Current Channel build, so it may be worth updating and then checking whether the experience improves. Specifically, see whether closing and reopening the Transcribe pane is sufficient to restore playback, rather than having to close and reopen the entire document.

    User's image

    Given that I was able to reproduce similar behavior, I would recommend opening a support ticket with Microsoft. Their support engineers have access to internal diagnostics and can determine whether this is related to a recent service-side change, a known issue, or something specific to the Transcribe feature. As forum moderators, we are generally limited to publicly available information and our own testing, so our visibility into backend activity is quite limited.

    I understand this might not be the answer you were hoping for, and I’m sorry that I don’t have a more effective solution to offer at the moment. Hopefully, Microsoft Support will be able to provide additional insight and determine whether this is related to a recent service change, a known issue, or a problem specific to the Transcribe feature.

    Thank you for your understanding and patience. If you notice any improvement after updating Office, or if Microsoft Support shares any findings, please feel free to post an update. It may help others experiencing the same issue.

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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