How blabe reports problems
The pill is the small capsule at the bottom of the screen. A message stays for a few seconds. The blabe menu, from the icon in the taskbar’s notification area, names anything that needs you. Text blabe has transcribed isn’t lost: if it can’t paste it, it stays on your clipboard, cleaned up if AI cleanup is on, and Copy Last Transcript copies your words as transcribed, before any AI cleanup. A failure that can be sent again ends with “— Retry from the tray”: choose Retry Transcription in the blabe menu.
Microphone
Microphone blocked in Windows settings
What happened. Windows isn’t letting blabe use the microphone.
Fix. Open Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone. Turn on Microphone access and Let apps access your microphone, and make sure blabe is on in the list of apps. Fix Microphone Access… in the blabe menu opens the same page. The blabe window updates when you come back. Then hold the hotkey again.
Microphone unavailable
What happened. blabe couldn’t start recording: no microphone is connected, another app is using it exclusively, or Windows is blocking blabe.
Fix. Check that a microphone is connected and chosen in Settings → General → Microphone, or choose System default. Open Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone. Turn on Microphone access and Let apps access your microphone, and make sure blabe is on in the list of apps. Fix Microphone Access… in the blabe menu opens the same page.
Microphone disconnected
What happened. The microphone went away while you were recording.
Fix. Reconnect it, or choose another in Settings → General → Microphone, and dictate again.
Using default mic
What happened. The microphone you chose in Settings isn’t connected, so blabe is recording with the Windows default.
Fix. Nothing, if that’s fine. To go back, reconnect your microphone. Settings lists it as “Saved microphone (not connected)” until you do.
Hotkey
Hotkey unavailable — quit and reopen blabe
What happened. blabe couldn’t start listening for the hotkey.
Fix. Choose Quit blabe, then open blabe again from the Start menu.
Nothing happens when I hold Ctrl+Win
What happened. blabe may not be running, or another key you pressed cancelled the dictation.
Fix. Check that the blabe icon is in the taskbar’s notification area; if not, open blabe from the Start menu. Hold only the hotkey, and let go of other keys first. If another app also uses Ctrl+Win, pick Right Ctrl or Right Shift in Settings → General. See Hotkey.
Pasting
A message that starts with “Copied”
What happened. blabe put your words on the clipboard instead of pasting them: for example in an app run as administrator, a password field or while an IME is composing.
Fix. Press Ctrl+V where you want your words. Every Copied message is explained in When blabe copies instead of pasting.
Your account and trial
Sign in to blabe
What happened. This PC isn’t signed in.
Fix. Open Settings → Account. Click Start Free Trial, or enter the license key from your purchase and click Sign In.
Sign in to blabe again
What happened. Your session ended. Sessions last 30 days and renew while you use blabe.
Fix. Open Settings → Account and sign in with your license key again.
All 3 devices are in use
What happened. One subscription covers up to 3 devices, Macs and PCs together, and all 3 are taken. Signing out of a device doesn’t free its place.
Fix. Free one in your Polar customer portal, then sign in again.
That license key wasn’t recognized, or it was turned off.
What happened. The service didn’t accept the key.
Fix. Copy the key again from your purchase email or your Polar customer portal and paste it. If it still fails, email support@blabe.dev.
This license isn’t active, or all its devices are in use.
What happened. The subscription has ended, or all 3 devices are in use.
Fix. Renew in your Polar customer portal, or free a device there, then sign in again.
Couldn’t reach blabe. Try again.
What happened. blabe couldn’t reach its service to sign you in.
Fix. Check your internet connection and try again.
Trial ended — subscribe to keep going
What happened. The 2-day free trial on this PC is over. Each PC gets one trial, and reinstalling blabe doesn’t restart it.
Fix. Subscribe on the pricing page, then sign out in Settings → Account and sign in with your license key.
Trial limit reached
What happened. The trial has a fair-use limit, and this PC has reached it. It doesn’t refresh.
Fix. Subscribe to keep dictating.
Too long for the trial time left
What happened. That recording is longer than what’s left of the trial’s allowance.
Fix. Dictate something shorter, or subscribe.
Trial busy today — try after a time, or tomorrow
What happened. All free trials share a daily transcription capacity, and it’s used up for today.
Fix. Try again after the time shown. A subscription isn’t affected.
Fair-use limit reached — contact support
What happened. Your subscription reached its fair-use limit.
Fix. Email support@blabe.dev and it will be extended. See fair use in the terms.
Subscription ended
What happened. Your subscription isn’t active any more.
Fix. Renew in your Polar customer portal, then choose Refresh Account in the blabe menu.
Access turned off
What happened. The service no longer accepts this sign-in.
Fix. Sign in again. If it persists, email support@blabe.dev.
Transcription
No internet
What happened. blabe couldn’t reach its service. It needs the internet to transcribe.
Fix. Reconnect, then choose Retry Transcription in the blabe menu if it’s offered, or dictate again.
Rate limited — try again, or blabe is busy — try again
What happened. The service is handling too many requests right now.
Fix. Wait a moment and try again. Retry Transcription sends the same recording again without charging it twice.
blabe service unavailable
What happened. The service is down for the moment.
Fix. Try again in a few minutes. Your last words are kept until you quit blabe.
Didn’t catch that
What happened. The service heard no words in the recording.
Fix. Check the microphone in Settings → General, speak a little closer, and try again.
Result uncertain — record again
What happened. blabe couldn’t confirm whether the transcription went through, so it won’t send the recording again on its own.
Fix. Dictate it again.
Audio cut off — text may be incomplete
What happened. Part of the recording was lost, so the text may be missing words.
Fix. Check the pasted text, or dictate again.
Pasted without AI cleanup
What happened. AI cleanup failed or timed out, so blabe pasted your words as transcribed.
Fix. Nothing is lost. Edit the text, or dictate again.
Settings
Turned off in Startup apps. Allow blabe in Settings → Apps → Startup.
What happened. Windows, or you, turned blabe off in the list of startup apps, so Launch at login can’t start it.
Fix. Open Windows Settings → Apps → Startup and turn on blabe.
Still stuck
Choose Export Support Bundle… in the blabe menu. It saves a file called blabe-support.zip on your PC. Look through it, and attach it only if you want to. Email support@blabe.dev with your blabe version (bottom of the Settings sidebar), your Windows version and what the pill said. Never send your license key. See Support.