Troubleshooting & FAQ
Central reference for the most common operator questions. If you are setting up for the first time, start with Getting Started — then return here when something does not behave as expected.
Audio and microphone
What does the mic meter Amber, Green, or Red mean?
| Color | Meaning | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Amber | Input is below the speech-recognition threshold — the AI may miss words | Speak louder or raise mixer/Windows mic gain until the pulse turns green |
| Green | Good level for speech-to-text | No action needed |
| Red | Clipping — audio is too hot | Turn the mic or gain down |
During a mic test, speak at normal volume. If the meter stays amber, raise your soundboard fader or PC input level first. Only then try Quiet under Room Environment in Advanced Settings.
Speech recognition is too quiet but the meter looks fine
- On your sound mixer: raise the main fader or mic gain feeding the PC.
- On the PC: open Windows Sound Settings and increase the microphone input level.
- For naturally quiet speakers only: in ADVANCED, set Room Environment to Quiet. Do not use this to fix a silent mixer.
Live translation modes
What's the difference between MC & Intro and Sermon mode?
| Mode | Best for | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| MC & Intro | Announcements, welcomes | Short cues · fast captions (lowest latency) |
| Sermon | Main message | Full sentences · higher accuracy |
Both modes use the same Speaker pace silence wait. Pause translation before switching modes. See Live Translation.
How do screen captions (Live Translation) work?
- On Live, in the Languages section, pick a Live Translation language (and Live Translation 2 if you need a second feed).
- Open Account → Settings → Screens & Broadcast, select the room, and copy the Web Overlay URL for Target 1 / Target 2 — or enable ProPresenter Direct for Message tokens
{Lang1}/{Lang2}. - For Browser Sources: paste the URL into a ProPresenter Prop Web Object, OBS Browser Source, or vMix Browser Input.
Full setup: Broadcasting.
Congregation QR and mobile viewers
QR codes do not work on phones (localhost / LAN)
QR codes and congregation links require a public HTTPS URL. localhost and private LAN addresses (e.g. 192.168.x.x) cannot be opened from attendee phones.
Fix: Deploy OmniWord on your production domain and set VITE_PUBLIC_URL (or PUBLIC_BASE_URL on the server) to that HTTPS origin — e.g. https://app.omniword.com. Test by scanning the QR from a phone on cellular or church Wi-Fi before Sunday.
See Mobile Viewers.
Do congregants need to download an app?
No. They scan a QR code and read captions in their mobile browser.
Can one person open the viewer on multiple tabs?
Only the newest tab stays active. Older tabs show Session moved to a new tab.
Does the viewer work after the service ends?
The page shows Service Ended when the operator clicks End Service. Past sessions are in Sermon History, not on the live viewer page.
OBS and screen-caption transparency
OBS shows a black background instead of transparent captions
OmniWord serves a transparent overlay page by default.
- In OBS Browser Source, enable transparency when the toggle is available.
- If your stream path still flattens to black, append
&bg=greento the overlay URL (from Screens & Broadcast) and add an OBS Chroma Key filter — or use&bg=blackfor luma key. Full OBS / vMix steps: OBS & vMix Integration.
ProPresenter or OBS — which do I set up?
They are alternatives, not sequential steps. Configure delivery once under Screens & Broadcast, then follow only the guide for the software you run on Sunday: ProPresenter (Prop Web Object or ProPresenter Direct) or OBS / vMix.
Dashboard and rooms
What is a Room on the dashboard?
Each Room is a named broadcast space with its own stable room ID and bookmarkable Live URL. Create one per venue or campus, then open it from the dashboard to start translation.
How do I protect billing and profile with a PIN?
On the dashboard Account PIN widget, set a 4-digit PIN to lock Profile and Plan & balance. After 15 minutes of inactivity you must re-enter it. Usage and Settings do not require the PIN.
Billing and usage
How am I billed when translation is running?
You are billed per minute of active speech, not idle wall-clock time. Voice Activity Detection (VAD) counts only seconds when someone is speaking — silence does not add minutes. Live translation auto-stops after 4 hours as a fail-safe.
Included allotments on Pro / Premium are Language-Hours (audio time × number of active languages).
What counts as an active language?
Your Live Translation language(s) plus any viewer language with at least one connected congregant on their phone.
Can I see usage before the month ends?
Yes. The Usage tab shows running totals for the current month (with Export CSV), and the dashboard widget shows a quick summary. See Account & Billing.
Balance depleted — translation stopped
On On-Demand, when prepaid balance reaches zero, live translation stops. Add credit or upgrade via Account → Plan & balance (Stripe Checkout).
On Pro / Premium, you can keep recording while the subscription is active; overage bills to prepaid balance first, then to your next Stripe invoice. Use Manage Billing & Invoices for cards and receipts.
How do I cancel or resume a subscription?
Open Account → Plan & balance, cancel under Billing (reason required), and keep access until the period end date. Click Resume Subscription before that date to stay on the plan. Details: Account & Billing.
What are the plan prices?
| Plan | Price | Included | Overage |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-Demand | Pay-as-you-go | — | $4/hr per active language |
| Pro | $49/month, or $39/month billed yearly ($468/yr) | 15 Language-Hours | $4/hr |
| Premium | $119/month, or $95/month billed yearly ($1,140/yr) | 40 Language-Hours | $3/hr |
Toggle Monthly / Yearly on the plan cards in Account → Plan & balance before checkout. Details: Account & Billing.
Dictionary
Where do I find the custom dictionary?
Open Account → Settings. Dictionary is no longer a top-navigation item. See Custom Dictionary.
How do dictionary terms override translation?
When live speech matches a dictionary source phrase, the target translation is substituted automatically — ideal for church names, places, and fixed theological terms.
Do dictionary changes update old sermon history?
No. Dictionary entries apply to new live translation only. Edit past sessions manually in Sermon History if needed.
What format does CSV import expect?
UTF-8 CSV with two columns: source and target. An optional header row (e.g. source,translation) is skipped. Quote fields that contain commas; empty or invalid rows are ignored.
Sermon history and exports
How do I filter Sermon History by room or date?
Use the Room and Date filters at the top of Sermon History. The date filter defaults to the most recent day that has sessions; choose All dates to see everything. Session titles include the room name (e.g. Main Sanctuary · Sunday Morning).
How do I download subtitles from a past session?
Open a session and choose Export — TXT, CSV, PDF, or SRT depending on your plan. SRT and CSV work well for video editors and archives.
What is Post-Sermon AI, and do I get free trials?
✨ Generate Post-Sermon AI creates a Manuscript, summary, article, action items, quotes, and YouTube SEO from a session. Premium is unlimited. Other plans get 2 free VIP trial generations (lifetime per church). There is no multi-session Merge step — generate from one session at a time. See Sermon History.
Can I edit a saved transcript after the service?
Yes. Open any completed session to edit segment text inline, rename the custom title with the pencil icon, and export the corrected version when ready.
Still need help?
Use Help (?) inside the OmniWord app for page-specific tips. For cards, invoices, and plan changes, use Account → Plan & balance (including Manage Billing & Invoices). Contact OmniWord support if you need help with something that cannot be self-served.