Voice, dictation, and camera
Choose dictation when you want to review the words before sending. Start a live call when you want a back-and-forth conversation with your agent, with optional camera sharing and captions.
Dictate into a Chat draft
| App | Control | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop | Use Hold to speak or the shortcut displayed beside it | Speech becomes text for you to review in the message box. |
| Mobile | Hold the microphone, speak, then release | Speech is transcribed into the current draft. |
| Mobile, cancel | Slide upward while holding the microphone | Discards the recording instead of adding it to the draft. |
Check names, dates, amounts, and instructions before sending. Microphone permission is required. If permission is requested on the first attempt, grant it and try dictation again after the app is ready.
On mobile, a short tap on the microphone opens voice mode. If a live call is already running, the microphone control becomes Return to call so the two features do not compete for the microphone.
Start a live conversation
- Use the call control on Home, or open the voice entry from Chat.
- Allow microphone access when requested.
- Follow the call screen's start control if shown, and wait for the connected state.
- Speak naturally and give one clear request at a time.
- End the session with End call when finished.
Your agent's configured name appears on the call. Live voice is your conversation with Zinley. Calls made on your behalf through the agent's own number are a separate feature described in Phone calls.
Review live-call credits
The current mobile call screen explains that a live conversation with Zinley needs no purchased phone number and has no plan-based call-time limit. Credits reflect AI usage, with a minimum based on call duration. Available credits and service availability still matter. Open Credits, costs & limits before starting for the public explanation, then use Billing and usage to inspect your own account activity.
Use the mobile call controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Mute / Unmute | Stops or resumes your microphone. |
| Share camera / Stop camera | Starts or stops sharing what your phone camera sees, with permission. |
| More → Speaker | Changes speaker output when the control is available. |
| More → Captions | Shows the spoken exchange as live text. |
| Minimize call | Lets you use other app screens while keeping the call available. |
| End call | Ends the call rather than just hiding it. |
Camera sharing is optional. Frame only what you want your agent to see, and use Stop camera when done. Minimize is not a privacy stop: use Mute, Stop camera, or End call for the specific effect you need.
Ask about something you can show
“Look at this appliance label and read the model number. Tell me if any character is unclear.”
Hold the phone steady and give the camera time to focus. Confirm the transcription of small text, numbers, and labels before relying on it. If camera sharing is unavailable, attach a photo in Chat using + → Camera or Photo library.
Give work a clear boundary
Tell Zinley what it may do and when it should stop. For example, ask it to prepare a draft before sending, or inspect a computer file without changing it. Existing authority rules still apply to actions discussed during voice.
If the work needs your computer, name it and check the selected device or Helping on [computer] context. The computer still needs to be reachable and allowed. A call connection is not proof that a delegated task completed; inspect the result in the related conversation or History.
Adjust voice and language
Open Settings → How [your agent's name] works → Voice to review the available voice choices and samples. For the account model, use Settings → Model; the Chat model label is a shortcut to that setting. Live voice has no separate model picker inside the call.
Ask to speak in your preferred language, or correct the language during the exchange. Use Languages for interface language and a person's saved preference. A voice choice and an app-language choice are different settings.
Fix sound, connection, or camera problems
| Problem | What to try |
|---|---|
| Zinley cannot hear you | Check Mute, microphone permission, and the selected headset or system input. |
| You cannot hear Zinley | Check volume, Bluetooth routing, speaker output, and any assistant-audio mute control. |
| Camera does not start | Check camera permission, return the app to the foreground, and retry. |
| Call says reconnecting or interrupted | Check the network and the call status; retry only after confirming whether the previous call ended. |
| Dictation goes nowhere | Stay in the same draft until transcription finishes; retry after permission setup. |
| Words are wrong | Correct the text or spell the important name aloud; inspect captions and the final record. |
For phone permission recovery, open Settings → Privacy & safety → Manage permissions. For iPhone shortcuts or car controls, see Action Button, Siri, and car voice.