Audio not working reliably in Word transcription mode

Question

Audio not working reliably in Word transcription mode

Chris P 10

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).

Move from Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For business | Windows

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Chris P 10 Reputation points

2026-07-15T08:46:02.72+00:00

Just to add, I checked my One Drive and it is 4.9GB/1TB, so not even showing as 1% full. Whatever the problem is, it's not that.

Another point worth mentioning - this is using the desktop version on a PC. I might try using Office 365 in a browser to see if that makes any difference.

3 answers

Chris P 10 Reputation points

2026-07-15T08:46:02.72+00:00

Just to add, I checked my One Drive and it is 4.9GB/1TB, so not even showing as 1% full. Whatever the problem is, it's not that.

Another point worth mentioning - this is using the desktop version on a PC. I might try using Office 365 in a browser to see if that makes any difference.

Answer 1

Anonymous

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.

Chris P 10 Reputation points

2026-07-15T15:17:42.47+00:00

Hi @Anonymous

Thanks for looking into it. Yes, it sounds like raising a ticket with Microsoft would be a good idea (I have to confess I thought that was what I was doing!)

The transcribe feature is hugely important for me - I'm a journalist and I transcribe a lot of interviews - so while I know it will reset if I close the pane, I do it so often every day that I can't really afford to wait for the file to reload and then spend time scrolling back down to where I was in an hour-long recording.

The interesting thing is that the issue has got a lot worse in the past few weeks. It's always done this to a certain extent, but it used to happened occasionally if you left the transcribe pane dormant for a prolonged period of time. Now, it's perhaps down to seconds.
Chris P 10 Reputation points

2026-07-15T15:18:35.9633333+00:00

Hi @Anonymous

Thanks for looking into it.

Yes, it sounds like raising a ticket with Microsoft would be a good idea (I have to confess I thought that was what I was doing!)

The transcribe feature is hugely important for me - I'm a journalist and I transcribe a lot of interviews - so while I know it will reset if I close the pane, I do it so often every day that I can't really afford to wait for the file to reload and then spend time scrolling back down to where I was in an hour-long recording.

The interesting thing is that the issue has got a lot worse in the past few weeks. It's always done this to a certain extent, but it used to happened occasionally if you left the transcribe pane dormant for a prolonged period of time. Now, it's perhaps down to seconds.

Chris
Anonymous

2026-07-16T07:43:35.49+00:00

May I know which version of Office and Windows OS you're currently using? @Chris P Also, did you have a chance to install the latest Office updates? If so, has the situation improved at all since updating?
Additionally, if you've already opened a Microsoft Support ticket, would you mind sharing the ticket number? It may help provide additional context regarding the issue.
Chris P 10 Reputation points

2026-07-16T09:08:26.12+00:00

It's Word for Microsoft 365 MSO (Version 2606 Build 16.0.20131.20112) 64-bit and Windows 11, version 25H2.

My Word account is set to update automatically. It last updated two days ago and then one week and two weeks before that by the look of things.

I've just opened a request through the Help function in Word. That's number 7105762804.
Anonymous

2026-07-16T10:07:22.8+00:00

May I know which exact Microsoft 365 license you are using @Chris P ? I noticed that this thread is tagged for Microsoft 365 Business, but the support request number you mentioned appears to have been created through the in-app Help option in Word, which is usually associated with personal/consumer support.

If you are using a Microsoft 365 Business license, I would suggest creating a support ticket from the Microsoft 365 admin center instead, or asking your IT administrator to create one on your behalf. Business support can check your tenant, license, and service-side details more appropriately.

Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/admin/get-help-support?view=o365-worldwide
Chris P 10 Reputation points

2026-07-16T10:59:11.1766667+00:00

I spent an hour chatting to two different tech support people at Microsoft and after running through the checks ... they advised me to post on this forum.

I really want to emphasise what a massive benefit being able to transcribe within the document is if you use it a lot. It's so much better than flicking back and forth to a separate transcription app. If you're a journalist or someone who transcribes a lot of meetings it's worth paying the Office 365 subscription fee for this feature alone. I very much hope Microsoft will get it sorted out, because I'm not the only one having this problem (at least one other thread describes a very similar issue) and without this function I might as well use Google Docs for free.
Chris P 10 Reputation points

2026-07-16T11:01:18.2933333+00:00

Hi @Anonymous I thought I was on a business license, but looking at it, it's actually Microsoft 365 Family.
Anonymous

2026-07-16T11:54:44+00:00

Thanks for confirming @Chris P Since you're using Microsoft 365 Family, this falls under the consumer support scope rather than Microsoft 365 Business.

Let me see if I can get a consumer-focused moderator or support specialist involved who may be better equipped to assist with this issue.

Answer 2

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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Kai-H 26,860 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-07-17T07:16:46.0066667+00:00

Hi, Chris P

It has been a while and I am writing to see how things are going with this issue.

Have you had a chance to check the replies provided?

Any update would be appreciated.

Answer 3

Jonas K 0

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

Stefan Blom 352.4K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-09-15T19:52:32.3666667+00:00

@Jonas K

This thread has been inactive for two months. I recommend that you start your own thread, to get assistance. Use the Ask a question option. Good luck.

The current thread will be closed.