The microphone is occupied by another Android application. “The Camera app records audio. The app cannot be used to record audio at this time

Modern devices are notable for the fact that they allow you to perform several tasks simultaneously. Thus, many modern webcams connected to a computer are additionally equipped with a built-in microphone, so that the user does not need to purchase additional sound equipment. Today we will consider the problem of incorrect operation of a webcam with a microphone - when the image works correctly, but there is no sound.

The problem when the microphone on a webcam does not work can arise for several reasons. Below we will look at them in descending order, starting with the most common problem.

Why doesn't the microphone in my webcam work?

Reason 1: drivers are not working correctly

First of all, you should suspect that the drivers for the webcam, which also doubles as a microphone, are installed incorrectly on the computer or are missing altogether. Typically, drivers for of this device are installed automatically, but this installation doesn't always happen correctly.

First of all, we need to get into the “Device Manager” window. To do this, open the menu "Control Panel" , for convenience you can set the parameter "Small Icons" , and then move on to the section "System" .

In the left area of ​​the window, go to the item "Device Manager" .

Having opened the window we need, we will need to expand the items "Image Processing Devices" And "Sound, gaming and audio devices" . At these points you will need to check whether there are drivers for your devices at all. If yes, we will try to reinstall them anyway. To do this, click on each device driver right click mouse and select "Delete" .


After that, close the Device Manager window, disconnect the webcam from the computer and restart the system. Once your computer is running, reconnect your webcam to your computer and wait for it to complete automatic installation drivers.

Reason 2: lack of nutrition

A webcam connected to a computer via a USB port will consume power from the computer to operate. And if it comes to a device that combines both a webcam and a microphone, then more power may be required, but the USB port used cannot provide this to you.

If you are a user desktop computer, try connecting the USB cable to back side system unit, and the connection should not be made to USB 3.0 (this connector is highlighted in blue).

The same goes for laptops. If you are using a connection to the connector built into the keyboard, it is worth reconnecting. Naturally, the use of any USB hubs in in this case excluded - the connection must be made directly to your computer.

Reason 3: the microphone is not used by the program

Go to the settings of the program in which you need to work with the microphone, and check whether the microphone is selected in it. For example, in Skype you will need to click on the button "Tools" , and then go to the section "Settings" . In the left area of ​​the window, go to the section "Sound Settings" , and on the right, make sure that the program is selected required device. If necessary, make adjustments and save the changes.

Reason 4: The microphone is being used by another program

If there are other programs running on your computer that can use the microphone, you will need to close them (for example, through the “Task Manager” window, which can be opened with the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+Esc).

Reason 5: problems with contacts

If the camera is detected in Device Manager, but the microphone is not, then this may indicate problems with the microphone contacts. Check the bell itself and the wire from the microphone itself for damage or oxidation - if there is any, this is the reason the microphone is not working.

In this case, you can try to fix the problem yourself by cleaning the contacts or trying to “patch” the damage, but, as a rule, the attempt ends in failure. In this case, you can only be advised to replace the device or purchase a separate microphone.

Reason 6: Microphone input not working

Try connecting any other microphone to the microphone jack. If another microphone is not detected by the system, then this may indicate that the microphone input is not working. Quite possible, desired contact, for example, could move away from motherboard. If possible, look under the system unit case. If you have no experience, it’s better to trust this task specialists from the service center.

And finally

The microphone in a webcam not working is a fairly common problem that, judging by the number of requests on the Internet, many users face. If you already have experience solving similar problem, share it in the comments.

The MIUI shell on Xiaomi smartphones has quite extensive built-in functionality, which saves you from numerous searches necessary programs in the market. In this article we will talk about the built-in call recording function. This option available on all versions MIUI shell. Let's look at example xiaomi redmi note 3 pro function"call recording"

Unlike third-party solutions, the built-in voice recorder records very good quality sound in mp3 format, there is no echo or other interference. This function can help a lot in Everyday life, recording conversations in which there is a lot of information, for further transfer of all data onto paper or into notebook. It is possible that the recorded conversation may be evidence of any misconduct person.

It's worth mentioning that the laws regarding recording conversations vary greatly in each country. In many countries, recording a telephone conversation is prohibited or only partially permitted. IN Russian Federation Recording of conversations is permitted, but with some restrictions. For more detailed information Let's turn to the Constitution of the Russian Federation (Article 23, part two):

Everyone has the right to privacy of correspondence, telephone conversations, postal, telegraph and other messages. Restriction of this right is permitted only on the basis of a court decision.

In practice, this means that you are allowed to record the conversation, but only you are allowed to listen to it, otherwise disclosing information or distributing the recording amounts to a violation of the above article.

Enabling and setting up call recording

To enable one-time recording of a conversation on xiaomi, during a call, click “More” and select “Record” in the pop-up window. We'll look at how to enable permanent recording of all conversations below.

To get into the settings, you need to go to the dialer (dialer or dialer), where we go to “Settings” - “Other settings” - “Recording settings”.

IN this menu The following options will be available to you:

  • Show call recording notification
  • Automatically record all calls
  • Which numbers to record calls from (from all, from unknown, from numbers from the list)

You can listen to all recordings of conversations in the voice recorder. They can also be found in file manager, where they will be saved after the call ends, in the MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec folder located by default in internal memory devices (tested on xiaomi mi5).

Third party solutions

operating room Android system unlike many others, it supports the ability to record calls and provides developers with access to the API (deeper integration with the system). In practice this means that you can use third party programs to record voice on any android device, unless there is a restriction from the manufacturer. Therefore, if you are not satisfied with the built-in function, you can try one of the recommended applications.

Pros of third-party solutions

  • Ability to choose a program with a user-friendly interface
  • Numerous flexible settings

Disadvantages of third-party solutions

  • There are no guarantees that programs will work correctly on your OS version.
  • Increased battery consumption

All applications have been tested on xiaomi smartphones mi5 and redmi 3s long time. The most downloaded and popular solutions were selected from maximum number positive feedback.

Automatic Call Recorder

There are a lot of programs with a similar name in Google Play, so there will be a link to it just below. The program works excellently on all tested devices, very flexible settings, a lot of positive reviews and can be downloaded completely free of charge. During operation, built-in advertising bothers you, which can be disabled by purchasing the application.

The program supports automatic recording calls, saving files to Dropbox clouds And Google Drive, the only thing missing is the choice of sound recording quality. IN paid version you will have a voice recorder and the ability to automatically start recording only when talking with certain contacts. In the signal source settings, select Voice Communications - this is the simultaneous reception of data from the microphone and from the line. You can choose to record in one of four formats: AMR, WAV, AAC or 3GP.

Call/conversation recording (CallU)

Another great app for recording conversations, the quality is no worse than that of competitors. Saving files to the cloud is supported, the recording function only from certain contacts works here without the need for a purchase, there is even password protection for recordings.

After the call ends, you can add a text note to the recording. There is no voice recorder, but you can choose the recording quality. There are only two formats for saving: MP3 or WAV. The application is distributed free of charge.

ACR call recording

This program did not want to work on devices with Android version 5. On version 6 everything works fine. The program stands out very much flexible settings who work in free version, the paid version gives access to saving recordings in the clouds, auto-deleting small recordings, recording conversations with certain contacts, etc.

Among the minuses, it is worth noting the lack of a voice recorder and that Last update The application was released at the end of 2014, so before purchasing, be sure to test the work using the free version.

For some users Huawei smartphones Every time I try to open the camera, the error message “ The Camera app records audio. IN this moment com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox:interactor cannot be used to record audio." If you click OK, the error message will disappear, but will reappear after a few seconds. You can use the camera, but the intrusive message is, of course, very annoying. In addition, it prevents you from seeing what you are about to photograph.

Google says Quicksearchbox refers to a search box or Google Now . However, if there is no search box widget on the smartphone screen, but a virtual Google Assistant Now the owner of the device has never used it, it is difficult for him to understand how QuickSearchBox.apk interferes with the operation of the smartphone. And to trace the connection of this system application with a camera it’s even more impossible.


This error is quite rare, but we still managed to find several solutions proposed by users on English-language forums. If you systematically see the message “The Camera application is recording audio on the screen of your smartphone when you try to launch the camera. At the moment, com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox:interactor cannot be used to record audio,” try using them to resolve the error. In any case, this is better than resetting the device to factory settings.

Method 1: Clear cache.

Quite often, smartphones are used with a full cache. Its cleansing from temporary system files allows you to solve many problems.


In particular, this operation is performed in Wipe Cache Partition (cleaning the cache section where unnecessary temporary files). You can get to the section by holding the key combination “Power on/off button + Volume up button” for 15 seconds with the device turned off. When the menu opens, scroll down to the “Wipe Cache Partition” entry using the Volume Down button. Select the found position by pressing the power button - this will start clearing the cache. It takes 1-2 seconds. A menu will appear again asking you to confirm the “Reboot system now” prompt by pressing the Power On/Off button. Ready.


If the problem persists, check if it appears after booting your smartphone into . If this is the case, then it is likely that correct operation the camera is being interfered with by one of the applications you installed in Lately. You may have to uninstall apps one by one until the problem goes away in search of the culprit.

Method 2: Disable "OK Google" voice control.

While searching for a solution to the problem, we found out that the setting “ OK Google on any screen", that is, the ability to get to Google from any screen by saying the command "OK Google" means always on microphone. This appears to be causing the error "The Camera app is recording audio. com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox:interactor cannot be used to record audio at this time" as well as a host of issues in other apps.


Go to "Settings" -> "Google" panel -> "Search" (Select " Voice search") -> "OK Google recognition". Disable the option according to which you can access Google from any screen.

Method 3: Disabling voice calls to subscribers.

Disabling the voice calling function can also help solve the problem. To do this, go to "Settings" -> " Voice control" -> "Quick call" -> disable the function.


The Huawei P9 user who suggested this option reported that the error occurred after updating the OS from Android 4.0.1 to and suggested that voice call and “OK Google” simultaneously keep the microphone in a ready state, and connecting a third option (camera) is no longer possible for the smartphone. Therefore, by disabling any of the first two, you don’t have to worry about an error appearing.

Method 4: Block Google apps from accessing your microphone

Unfortunately, method 3 does not help everyone - sometimes the problem returns, but the user still has to say goodbye to “OK Google”. If you're not too attached to "OK Google" and rarely use Quick Voice, it's easier to opt out entirely in Google apps access to the microphone. (“Settings” -> “Applications” -> “Application permissions” -> use the slider to disable access to the microphone Google apps).


If these or other methods helped you fix the error “The Camera application is recording audio. com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox:interactor cannot be used to record audio at this time,” please share your experience in the comments.