Manual Fix a problem
Meeting audio isn't captured
Only your voice is recorded, or nothing is — the Windows audio helper, the default output device, and what to check.
Your meeting recording contains your side of the conversation and nothing else, or the transcript is empty.
Capturing other people means capturing system audio — what your PC is playing — which is a separate thing from your microphone, with its own machinery.
How system audio is captured
System audio is captured by a bundled helper, windows-system-audio-helper.exe,
which needs no permission prompt and hears every application on every output
device. It requires Windows 10 version 2004 or later.
If the helper is missing or fails to start, Neato Echo falls back to capturing through the browser engine, which only hears your default output device. So:
- If you can hear the meeting but Neato Echo can't, check that the meeting application is playing through your default output device — not a headset you've selected only inside that app.
- If you see "System audio capture failed. Continuing with microphone only", system audio capture failed entirely. Your microphone is still being recorded; everyone else isn't.
- Check your antivirus hasn't quarantined the helper — see Antivirus blocks Neato Echo.
If recording never starts at all
That's meeting detection rather than audio capture:
- Check Meeting detection is enabled — Settings → Preferences under App, in the Notifications group.
- Keep talking for a few seconds. The prompt is triggered by sustained microphone activity, not by having a meeting app open, so a very short exchange may not reach it.
- Connect your Google or Microsoft calendar in Integrations if you want calendar-driven detection. A scheduled event doesn't depend on hearing anything, which makes it the most reliable trigger. See Connect your calendar.
- You can always start recording by hand with the Meeting Mode Hotkey (set one in Settings → Hotkeys), or from the in-app meeting prompt — an always-on-top card that works with Do Not Disturb on and never appears in screen shares.
FAQ
Do I need to tell people I'm recording?
Depends on where you and they are — recording laws vary and some jurisdictions require everyone's consent. Worth knowing before you rely on it.
I hear the meeting fine, so why can't Neato Echo?
If the bundled helper isn't running, the fallback capture path only hears your default output device. Check the helper hasn't been quarantined, and check which device the meeting app is playing through.
Can I record just my microphone?
Yes — that's what you get when system audio isn't available, and it's a valid way to work if you only need your own side.
Related
Still need help?
Write to [email protected] with your Windows version, your Neato Echo version (Settings → System), and what you were doing. A person reads every message.