Even when voice disabled, viewer still uses the microphone
tracked
VriSeriphim Resident
Even when voice is not enabled in the viewer, SLvoice.exe is still using the microphone.
When voice is not enabled, SLvoice.exe should not be running.
And when the new WebRTC voice is deployed, it should not use the micro when voice is not enabled.
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AAngel Braveheart
I have noticed the same issue too. Has to be disabled by disabling the FS viewer program access to the microphone in Windows 11
Thornotter Resident
Same issue here. When SL is running I can’t tell whether the microphone is actually recording or not.
I usually frequent a region (99% of the time) that fully has voice disabled and I still see the windows “mic in use” warning/icon.
Atlas Linden
tracked
Atlas Linden
under review
Atlas Linden
Hi VriSeriphim,
Can you confirm how you are disabling voice on your viewer?
If I disable voice via the top-right media drop down (or in Preferences>Sound & Media) I can see SLVoice.exe stop running in Windows Task Manager. Reopening Help>About Second Life also shows "Voice Server Version: Not Connected". This is observed on both Vivox and WebRTC regions.
Frio Belmonte
Atlas Linden Not the reporter, but on my system (Windows 11 24H2, SL Develop build v7.1.14.15840066527) doing the above does not release the microphone according to Windows' microphone privacy report. (Edit for clarity: the
viewer
, not SLVoice.exe, is reported as hogging the audio input.) Windows Settings->Privacy & security->Microphone (or hovering the "apps using your microphone" taskbar warning icon) will still list the viewer as using the microphone until it is completely shut down. Only starting with voice disabled and never enabling it will keep it disabled from Windows' point of view.Atlas Linden
Frio Belmonte: Thanks for pointing out the Windows settings! It appears that Second Life is registered here (rather than SLVoice) upon visiting a WebRTC region with voice enabled and is hence the likely trigger of this issue.
Knowing this, I've created a GitHub issue to further investigate this: https://github.com/secondlife/viewer/issues/4358
VriSeriphim, can you confirm if this is the same behaviour you're seeing?
VriSeriphim Resident
Atlas Linden I unchecked the box in Preferences (see attached)
The systray microphone icon says SLvoice.exe is using the microphone. But, if I use Taskmanager to end SLvoiceexe, the icon then says that Second Life is using the microphone.
Atlas Linden
Thanks VriSeriphim, it sounds like this is the same behaviour so this report will now be set to Tracked.