Patients don't have to type their answers to the pre-visit questionnaire. They can speak them instead. This helps anyone who finds typing on a phone slow or awkward, and it often makes for fuller, more natural answers. Here's how voice input works.

## How to answer by voice

```steps
1. In the questionnaire, choose **Speak** instead of **Type**.
2. Start talking. The microphone stays on once you begin, so you can speak naturally without holding a button down.
3. Watch the audio-level feedback on screen. It moves as you talk, so you know you're being heard.
4. When you've finished your answer, choose **Submit Answer** to send it.
5. Want to type instead? Switch back to text at any time. You can move between speaking and typing for every question.
```

## What to expect

- The mic stays on. Once voice input starts, the microphone stays active so the patient can speak at their own pace rather than tapping for each sentence. A first-time note, "Microphone Will Stay On", explains this so it isn't a surprise.
- You can see it's working. Real-time audio-level feedback shows the patient that their voice is being picked up.
- Speaking and typing mix freely. The patient can answer one question by voice and the next by typing; it doesn't have to be one or the other for the whole questionnaire.

```callout kind="info"
**The first time a patient opens the chat**, i-consult suggests voice with a "Try Speaking for Quicker Input" tip. Patients who prefer to type can simply ignore it and use the **Type** box (placeholder "Type your response here...").
```

## If voice isn't available

Voice input relies on the patient's web browser supporting it. If their browser doesn't, i-consult shows the message **"Voice recording is not supported in this browser"**. The fix is straightforward: the patient can keep typing their answers as normal, or reopen the same link in a different, up-to-date browser.

For more on browser and microphone problems, see [A patient hit an error / voice isn't working](/i-consult/patient-error-or-voice).

```callout kind="info"
**Voice input currently understands English only.** A patient who is more comfortable in another language can still complete the whole questionnaire by **typing** their answers, and nothing is lost by using text. Broader language support is something the team is working towards.
```

## Related articles

- [What your patients receive and see](/i-consult/what-patients-receive): the full questionnaire journey, start to finish.
- [Can a patient pause and come back?](/i-consult/can-a-patient-pause): yes, the same link resumes where they left off.
- [A patient hit an error / voice isn't working](/i-consult/patient-error-or-voice): microphone permissions, unsupported browsers, and what to tell a patient.