Stenovo
Support
We're happy to help you get the most out of Stenovo.
Need a hand?
Email us and we'll get back to you, usually within 1–2 business days.
Getting started
Upload a file
The main way to use Stenovo. Nothing to install.
- Open the app and sign in with Google — or try it as a guest, with no account at all.
- Click Transcribe file, then drag your audio or video file onto the drop area, or click Browse files.
- Pick the Audio Language, or leave it on Auto-detect.
- Click Transcribe. Processing runs in the background, so you can close the tab and come back to it.
- Open the finished transcript to read, search, and copy it, or download it as PDF, TXT, or SRT subtitles.
Record from your microphone
For a conversation, a lecture, or a voice note happening in front of you. In the same Transcribe file window, click Record instead of choosing a file, allow microphone access when your browser asks, and click Stop recording when you are done. Recording stops on its own at your plan's per-file length limit. Your browser will not let a page use the microphone without your permission, and Stenovo only records while you have a recording running.
Capture a tab with the extension
Optional, and only for transcribing audio that is playing in a browser tab — a call, a stream, a video you cannot download.
- Install Stenovo from the Chrome Web Store and pin the toolbar icon.
- Open a tab playing the audio you want: a normal web page, not a chrome:// page.
- Click the Stenovo icon on that tab. This opens the side panel and starts capture. Clicking the icon is what grants permission to capture that specific tab.
- Sign in with Google when prompted. The transcript streams into the side panel as the tab speaks.
- Click Stop to finalize and save the transcript so you can read, search, and revisit it later.
Frequently asked questions
Uploads and transcripts
My file was rejected as an unsupported type
Stenovo accepts MP3, MP4, M4A, MOV, AAC, WAV, OGG, OPUS, MPEG, MPG, WMA and WMV. If your file is one of those and still fails, it is usually damaged or only partly downloaded — you may see Couldn't read this file's duration instead. Re-export or re-download it and try again.
My file is too long or too large
Per-file limits step up with your plan, and Pro takes files up to 300 minutes or 2 GB. When a file is over your current limit, Stenovo tells you what to do next: guests lift it by signing in, and free accounts by upgrading. If you are already on Pro you will see a short form instead — tell us what you need and we will review it and reply personally by email.
The transcript came back empty, or failed
No audio track was found means the file carries no sound at all — usually a video whose audio did not survive an export. No speech was detected means we processed it but heard only silence or background noise. The audio couldn't be transcribed and Processing timed out are usually transient: try the same file again.
I've run out of minutes or files for the week
On a free or Pro account your allowance refills automatically every week — 1200 minutes on Pro. You've used your transcription minutes and You've reached your file limit for this week both clear at the start of the next week, and upgrading takes effect immediately. The guest allowance is a one-off rather than a weekly one: sign in with Google to get an allowance that refills.
I've reached my storage limit
The transcripts you keep count toward a storage allowance. Delete the ones you no longer need from your library and the space is freed straight away.
Can I close the tab while a file is processing?
Yes. Processing happens on our side, not in your browser. Close the tab, come back whenever you like, and the finished transcript is waiting in your library.
Browser extension
Stenovo isn't capturing any audio
Make sure the tab is actually playing sound, and that you clicked the Stenovo icon while that tab was active. Capture is granted per tab, on the click. Capture doesn't work on chrome:// pages, the Chrome Web Store, or other restricted pages. If audio still doesn't appear, reload the tab, then start the capture again.
Can I still hear the tab while it's being transcribed?
Yes. Stenovo transcribes the tab audio while you continue to hear it normally.
I can't sign in with Google
Sign-in opens a Google account picker in a secure pop-up. If it closes without signing you in, make sure pop-ups aren't blocked for the extension and that you're completing the Google prompt. If the problem persists, fully quit and reopen Chrome, then try again, or email us at support@stenovo.online.
Does the extension record my microphone, screen, or other tabs?
No. The extension captures the audio of the specific tab you start it on, and only after you start it. It never captures your microphone, your screen, or any other tab. The microphone is used only by Record in the app, which you start yourself and which your browser gates behind its own permission prompt. See our Privacy Policy for details.
Where are my saved transcripts?
Finalized transcripts are saved to your account and available in the app. As long as you sign in with the same Google account, your transcripts stay available to you.
Am I allowed to record any audio I want?
You are responsible for making sure you have the right to capture and transcribe the audio you record, and for following any applicable laws and the terms of the sites or services you capture, including consent requirements where they apply.
Delete your account or data
You can do this yourself at any time, without asking us. Delete any single transcript from your library, or use Delete account in the user menu to remove your account and everything in it. If you have an active Pro subscription, cancel it in the billing portal first.
For access to or correction of your data, or if you would rather we handled the deletion, email support@stenovo.online from the address associated with your account and we'll take care of it.
Still stuck?
Email support@stenovo.online with a short description of what happened and, if you can, the exact message you saw and the name of the file or the page you were capturing. The more detail you share, the faster we can help.