{"slug": "voice-mode-in-claude-code-vs-code-macos", "title": "Voice mode in Claude Code (VS Code, macOS)", "summary": "Claude Code's voice mode in VS Code on macOS requires the `sox` audio tool and microphone permission for Visual Studio Code. A common failure occurs when VS Code is not granted mic access before launch, resulting in silent recordings. Developers must install `sox` via Homebrew, enable VS Code in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone, and restart VS Code to fix the issue.", "body_md": "Claude Code has a built-in voice mode: hold space, talk, it transcribes into your prompt. Here's how to get it running in the **VS Code integrated terminal** on macOS — including the one step that breaks it for everyone.\n\nVoice mode records via `sox`\n\n. No sox, no audio.\n\n```\nbrew install sox\nsox --version   # sanity check\n```\n\nIn the Claude Code prompt:\n\n```\n/voice\n```\n\nHold **space** to record, release to stop.\n\nClaude Code runs inside VS Code, so macOS attributes the mic request to **Visual Studio Code**.\n\nOpen **System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone**. If VS Code isn't listed, it never requested access yet — and there's no \"+\" to add it manually. Force the prompt:\n\nmacOS only re-reads mic permissions at app launch. A VS Code instance that was already running when you flipped the toggle keeps getting fed silence until you restart it.\n\nThe nasty failure: recording \"works\" but is pure silence (permission denied → all zeros).\n\n```\nrec -q /tmp/mictest.wav trim 0 2          # records 2s — say something\nsox /tmp/mictest.wav -n stat 2>&1 | grep \"Maximum amplitude\"\n```\n\n`0.000000`\n\n→ still silent. Recheck the toggle, restart VS Code.`0.17`\n\n) → working. RMS around `0.01`\n\nis a normal talking level.| Symptom | Fix |\n|---|---|\n| \"No audio detected\" |\n`brew install sox` + grant mic permission |\nAmplitude `0.000000`\n|\nEnable VS Code in Microphone settings, then ⌘Q + reopen\n|\n\nToggle off with `/voice`\n\n. Change dictation language with `/config`\n\n.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/voice-mode-in-claude-code-vs-code-macos", "canonical_source": "https://dev.to/just_an_electron/voice-mode-in-claude-code-vs-code-macos-3cjj", "published_at": "2026-06-25 08:03:48+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-06-25 08:13:17.559100+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["developer-tools", "artificial-intelligence", "natural-language-processing"], "entities": ["Claude Code", "VS Code", "Visual Studio Code", "macOS", "Homebrew", "sox"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/voice-mode-in-claude-code-vs-code-macos", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/voice-mode-in-claude-code-vs-code-macos.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/voice-mode-in-claude-code-vs-code-macos.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/voice-mode-in-claude-code-vs-code-macos.jsonld"}}