Voice Mode

What is voice mode?

Voice mode lets you have a real-time spoken conversation with a Theostack assistant. Instead of typing, you speak your question and hear a spoken response — while still getting source-grounded answers from the theological library.

This is useful for hands-free research, brainstorming sermon ideas while driving, or simply thinking out loud about a passage.

Starting a voice session

1. Open the Chat page.
2. Click the microphone icon in the chat input bar.
3. Grant microphone permission when your browser asks.
4. Start speaking. The assistant will respond in real time.

Your browser handles echo cancellation automatically — no headphones required in most environments.

The voice interface

Once a session starts, the chat input is replaced by the voice interface:

• The orb pulses to show the assistant is listening, processing, or speaking. Tap the orb at any time to mute or unmute your microphone.
• Transcript appears above the orb as the conversation unfolds — both your words and the assistant's responses.
• Source cards appear after each response so you can see where the answer came from.

Muting

Tap the orb to mute yourself mid-conversation. Tap again to unmute. The orb dims while you're muted. Muting does not end the session — the assistant stays connected and ready.

Tips for good results

• Speak naturally. You don't need to use search keywords. Ask questions the way you'd ask a colleague.
• Ask follow-up questions. Voice sessions maintain context, so you can build on previous answers.
• Be specific. "What does Calvin say about predestination in the Institutes?" will get better results than "Tell me about predestination."
• Pause between thoughts. The assistant uses voice activity detection to know when you've finished speaking.

Speech-to-text dictation (text mode)

In the regular text chat interface, there is also a dictation button (microphone icon) in the chat input toolbar. This is separate from voice mode — it transcribes your speech into the text box so you can review and edit before sending. It does not start a live voice session.

Use dictation when you want to speak your question but prefer text-based responses with citations you can read and copy.

Known limitations

• Browser support: Voice mode works best in Chrome, Edge, and Safari. Firefox support may vary.
• Microphone permissions: If voice mode doesn't start, check that your browser has microphone access enabled for theostack.com.
• Environment: Background noise can interfere with voice activity detection. A reasonably quiet environment works best.

Ending a session

Click End session in the voice controls to stop the session. Your conversation transcript is saved to your history.