Troubleshooting the companion

When something needs your attention, the companion tells you in three places: a card on the Halo at the top of your screen, a notification, and a line in the menu-bar menu, whose heading changes to Needs attention. This page goes through the messages you're most likely to see.

A recording couldn't be sent

If Goose gives up sending a recording, the Halo shows a card such as Goose couldn't send 1 recording. It names the oldest one, says it's still on this Mac, and gives the reason. Its buttons:

• Retry upload tries the oldest one again. A recording that can't be sent at all has no Retry upload; use Open Meetings….
• Open Meetings… opens your recordings list, where you can retry each one. See Your recordings.
• Later hides the card for an hour.

If the Halo card isn't showing, you get a notification instead, with Retry upload and Later. To turn this notification off, open the companion's Settings, choose Notifications, and switch off A recording couldn't be sent. The card still shows.

The recording stays on your Mac until you delete it. Common reasons and fixes:

• Your Mac was offline, or Goose was busy. Press Retry upload once you're back online.
• "Sign in to Goose, then press Retry again." You were signed out. Choose Sign in with browser in the menu-bar menu, then retry.
• "Goose can't re-link this recording to its meeting. Export it or delete it." The row says Can't be sent, and retrying won't help. In the recording's ⋯ menu, choose Export audio… to keep a copy, then Delete recording….
• "Goose couldn't re-link this recording right now. Try again." Press Retry again in a minute.
• "Goose can't retry this recording — it was never linked to a meeting." Export the audio, then delete the recording.
• "Goose can't retry this recording — the meeting's consent record is no longer on this Mac." Export the audio, then delete the recording.

If the meeting still has no notes, you can upload a transcript for it in Goose instead.

Goose can't use your microphone

If microphone access is off when a meeting is about to start, the Halo shows Goose needs microphone access in place of the usual Record card, with the meeting's name and how soon it starts:

• Open System Settings takes you to the switch. Turn on Goose under Privacy & Security › Microphone. The card stays up while you do.
• Don't record skips the meeting.

Until you allow it, Goose can't record that meeting. See What the companion asks permission for.

Goose can't hear the other side of the call

Before a meeting, Goose can't hear the other side of the call means call-audio permission is off. Press Allow: macOS asks you, or System Settings opens. If you turn it on while Goose is open, quit and reopen Goose so it notices. Without it, Goose records only your side. See Call audio.

During a recording, Goose can't hear the other side or Goose can't hear your microphone means one side has gone quiet. Check that you're not muted, and that your headphones or speakers are the ones the call is using. You can pick the microphone Goose uses in the companion's Settings, under Recording.

Goose didn't start recording

When Goose can't start, the card or a notification says why:

• "Recording is paused for your organization — ask an admin to re-enable it." An owner or admin has turned recording off for your workspace. The menu-bar menu reads Recording is off for your workspace. They can turn it back on in Goose, in Settings › Recording, with Companion recording enabled for this workspace.
• "This copy of Goose is out of date — update it before starting a recording." See Goose asks you to update.
• "Not paired — sign in before recording." See Goose asks you to sign in.
• Could not start recording: … macOS wouldn't open the microphone or call audio. Close other apps using the microphone, check its permission, and try again.
• Low disk space. For example This Mac is almost out of disk space — free storage before recording. Free up space, or delete old recordings in the companion's Settings, under Storage.

Goose asks you to sign in

• Not signed in, or This Mac is not paired — sign in to connect it to your workspace. Choose Sign in with browser in the menu-bar menu.
• Session expired — sign in again. Your access to the workspace changed, or this Mac was removed from it. Sign in again.

To move this Mac to a different workspace, sign out, then sign in again and choose the other workspace. Sign out this Mac is in the menu-bar menu, and in the companion's Settings under Account. Before you sign out, check that no recordings are still waiting to upload: once you sign out, they can't be sent. Goose warns you if there are any.

Goose asks you to update

If your workspace needs a newer version of the companion, a window titled Update Goose to keep recording opens. Press Update. Until you update, new recordings can't start, but recordings you've already made keep uploading.

If you accept an update during a recording, it installs after you stop.

To check for updates yourself, choose Check for updates… in the menu-bar menu.

A recording stopped by itself

• Recording stopped automatically. It had been running for eight hours. The audio was kept and is sent as usual.
• Recording stopped — disk full. Your Mac ran out of space. What was recorded so far was kept and is sent as usual. Free up space before your next recording.

Notifications are off

The menu-bar menu says Notifications are off — you may miss the pre-meeting check. Goose still records, and still shows its cards before meetings, but it can't send you notifications such as Notes ready. Choose Open notification settings in the menu, or go to System Settings › Notifications › Goose.

Still stuck

Write to support@getgoose.ai with what the companion's menu says.