# How to fix microphone delay

If Aqua Voice takes a second or two to start listening after you press the activation key, the delay is usually caused by the microphone.

### AirPods Delay

AirPods and some Bluetooth mics have a short wake-up time when first activated. Once active, they respond instantly until they go idle again.

For more context, see this user discussion: [🔗 AirPods mic take a while to activate (Reddit)](https://www.reddit.com/r/airpods/comments/f1f2g8/airpod_pro_mic_takes_a_while_to_activate/)

🔑 **Solution:** Switch to a wired or USB microphone to eliminate this delay.

### Windows Laptops

Some laptops like the HP Spectre and Dell XPS use a power-saving mode called S0 (Modern Standby). This mode aggressively puts hardware—including microphones—into a low-power sleep state when idle.

When you press the activation key, the operating system must wake the microphone before Aqua Voice can start recording, causing a brief delay.

This doesn't happen on desktop PCs or Macs because their power management is less aggressive.

Unfortunately, Windows doesn't currently offer a setting to disable S0 for specific devices.

🔑 **Solutions:**

- Stay plugged in or use an external USB mic to reduce the lag.