Solved Microphone usage problem at Duolingo

rviertel

I am running Ubuntu 16.04 and Duolingo's microphone works just fine on Chrome, however on Vivaldi it doesn't work. Again on google translate, the microphone works fine when using chrome but with Vivaldi it does not work. Symptoms are exactly as described in the original post.

luetage

This post is deleted!

ademord

+1 Still waiting on a solution to this. I can't do the microphone tests on duolingo.com

taka_

@monkey_wrench_gang898 I happened to pop over here, and decided to scan the Duolingo support article that you linked. I have a cookie blocker made by the EFF called PrivacyBadger, and it blocks what they consider over-the-top tracking.

I disabled it on Duolingo, and I still can't use my microphone. I'll be patient, though...

hobbes444

It seems microphone only works in Chrome. I just verified both do not work in Safari for Mac and Firefox for Mac, both on Duolingo and Google Translate.

Normally duolingo is smart enough to detect the browser and not offer the option to record audio when a browser different than chrome is detected but somehow for Vivaldi it fails and duolingo offers to record audio, which then fails.

Google translate is smarter and the mic button is greyed out with Vivaldi.

In summary, I think it's not a bug but a feature request. Maybe someone has the time to test this on chromium, that should tell us if the code for microphone is something that is google proprietary or open-source.

sfpear

Is this ever going to be fixed? I was just on babbel, mic works fine on firefox, but with vivaldi it straight up says I can't hear me

HanlonsRazor

Bump, because the problem is still there.

HanlonsRazor

@gwen-dragon said in Microphone usage problem at Duolingo:

The developers have no fix for this issue.
Duolingo does only work on Google Chrome (as Duolingo states in their help page).

Thanks for confirming this.

Btw, for future onlookers, it works on Chromium as well.
https://fosslovers.com/how-to-install-chromium-web-browser-in-windows-10/
For linux users →
Arch: sudo pacman -S chromium
Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install chromium

pjm77

Dear lord, ist's been 5 years. Is it EVER going to get fixed?

luetage

@pjm77 Not likely. You just need to read Duoling technical support which states:

Check that you are using Google Chrome. Speaking exercises only work on Chrome.

Duolingo doesn’t seem to want to support other browsers. Vivaldi is not Google Chrome, it’s a Chromium browser with a user agent that makes it look like Chrome to websites, which don’t check for features. My guess would be Duolingo relies on a non open source Chrome api.

qkX7

There is still no microphone on Vivaldi 5.1.2567.73 (Stable channel) (64-bit).
Please fix it. I don't want to switch to Google Chrome.

Pesala

@qkx7 The latest version is 5.2, but if this is what I think you mean, it will never be "fixed." It would cost Vivaldi too much.

I can't use search by voice on Google

//MODEDIT: marked this post as a "solution", for better visibility as the answer to the question of why the voice services don't work in Vivaldi

qkX7

@pesala it is so disappointed. It works on Firefox, Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge but Vivaldi.

hobbes444

@qkx7 said in Microphone usage problem at Duolingo:

@pesala it is so disappointed. It works on Firefox, Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge but Vivaldi.

I cannot get this to work on Firefox (I have not tried Edge). Are you certain you tested Firefox @qkX7 ? I am on macOS 12 and Firefox 99.

jstumolyon

7 years later the situation stay the same. It's not good at all to keep a problem like this so long in a web browser project.

I'm a big user of Vivaldi for many years (even make my students using it) but because of this lack of support i have no other choice than switching to Google Chrome for my professional activity.

Vivaldi should focus on compatibility instead of only UI/UX or other optionnal stuff like creating a social network (i could even accept to pay yearly to see my favorite browser having full support of all technologies on the web). I'm really not happy to switch to Chrome.

Pesala

@jstumolyon said in Microphone usage problem at Duolingo:

7 years later the situation stay the same.

I don't know how many users Vivaldi would need to for the economics to change, but it is still only 2.4 Million.

Give it another seven years. Support for Google voice is not a major issue. Some websites, e.g. YouTube, support it.

jstumolyon

@Pesala For me it's a major issue because the consequence is that i'm switching to Chrome and make my students switching too.

iAN CooG

@jstumolyon Ok then, use the tool you need. Vivaldi can't afford to have all the technologies Google has, deal with it.

DoctorG

️You will not get Duolingo with microphone as this is a Google paid per use service.

Sad, but i guess Vivaldi does not want to help Google to get richer. SCNR.

HanlonsRazor

@DoctorG Duolingo is not worth using anymore anyway. It has become more of slot machine than a learning app.