I am experiencing an issue with the Transcribe feature in Microsoft Word.

Question

I am experiencing an issue with the Transcribe feature in Microsoft Word.

Matthijs Halff 20

When I navigate to Home > Dictate > Transcribe and click the Upload audio button, nothing happens. The button appears to be unresponsive, and no file selection window opens.

As a result, I am unable to upload audio files for transcription.

Expected Behaviour: Clicking the Upload audio button should open the file selection dialog, allowing me to browse and select an audio file for transcription.

Actual Behaviour: Clicking the Upload audio button does not trigger any action. No file picker opens, and no error message is displayed.

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Answer accepted by question author

DaveM121 (2) 18,075 Volunteer Moderator

Hi, this is a widely reported problem at the moment where the option to upload an audio file for transcription is not working in the installed version of Word, this process is still working in the online version of Word in a web browser, there is nothing wrong with your Windows version or Office installation, this is a problem that Microsoft needs to fix on their side.

The best option is to open Word, then go to Help - Feedback - Report a Concern and report this bug to the Office developers there.

DaveM121 (2) 18,075 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-11-11T07:59:34.28+00:00

Just a quick update, some people are reporting a possible workaround now, try to widen the transcribe panel by dragging the edge of the panel to the left and test if that resolves the problem.

1 additional answer

Your answer

DaveM121 (2) 18,075 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-11-11T07:59:34.28+00:00

Just a quick update, some people are reporting a possible workaround now, try to widen the transcribe panel by dragging the edge of the panel to the left and test if that resolves the problem.

Answer 1

Widen the Transcribe pane before clicking Upload audio; this is the current desktop workaround reported for the same Word for Windows symptom where the button does not open the file picker.^1^

Desktop workaround

In Word, select Home → Dictate → Transcribe.
Place the pointer over the left edge of the Transcribe pane.
When the resize pointer appears, drag the edge left to make the pane substantially wider.
Select Upload audio again.
If the picker opens, select a supported .wav, .mp4, .m4a, or .mp3 file and leave the Transcribe pane open while processing.^2^

This workaround was specifically reported for build 2610. If you are on another build and resizing has no effect, use the web fallback rather than repeating desktop repairs.

Immediate fallback: Word for the web

Open Word for the web in the latest Microsoft Edge or Chrome.
Sign in with the same Microsoft 365 work account.
Create or open a document.
Select Home → Dictate → Transcribe → Upload audio.
Choose the recording and keep the Transcribe pane open until processing finishes.

Word supports recording and uploading transcriptions in both its desktop and web editions.^3^ Recent matching reports identify the web edition as the temporary workaround when the Windows desktop button is unresponsive.^1^

If the web version also fails

Check these conditions only if Upload audio also fails in the browser:

Tenant eligibility: Desktop Transcribe is currently available in Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows for commercial tenants. Government tenants must use Word for the web.^2^
OneDrive: Uploaded recordings are stored in the Transcribed Files folder in OneDrive. Check that OneDrive is available and not over quota.^4^
Browser restrictions: If Word for the web incorrectly reports private/incognito browsing, allow the required cookies for Microsoft 365 and SharePoint, then reload the document.
File format: Use .wav, .mp4, .m4a, or .mp3.^2^

If resizing works only temporarily—or does not work—submit the regression through Word → Help → Feedback → Report a problem. Include the Office build from File → Account → About Word and state: “Transcribe pane opens, but Upload audio does not invoke the Windows file picker.”

References