If suggestion pills, Ask AI, or the Smart Panel are not working in Convo, this guide will help you diagnose and resolve common issues.
Quick checklist
Before troubleshooting, verify these requirements:
- • You are logged into your Convo account
- • You have clicked the "Listen" button to start recording
- • Microphone permission is granted
- • Dictation is enabled in System Settings (Mac) or speech services are available (Windows)
- • You have not exceeded your daily rate limit
- • You have an active internet connection
Understanding AI features
Smart Panel
The Smart Panel provides on-demand AI help during meetings. It opens when you click a suggestion pill or use Ask AI (⌘Enter on Mac / Ctrl+Enter on Windows). Convo only responds when you ask.
Suggestion Pills
Quick-action buttons you click to get AI help (e.g., "How can I answer?" or "Follow-up question"). Responses return within 4-5 seconds based on your live transcript.
Ask AI
Spotlight-style interface (⌘Enter on Mac, Ctrl+Enter on Windows) with three modes: Context (analyzes conversation), Screen (analyzes visual content), and Search (web search).
Common issues
Not logged in
AI features require authentication. Check if your account name appears in the app's top bar.
- Click "Sign In" and authenticate
- Verify your session hasn't expired
- If issues persist, sign out and sign back in
Recording not active
AI help only works during active recording sessions.
- Click the "Listen" button in the Convo toolbar
- Speak for at least 10-15 seconds to build transcript context
- Click a suggestion pill or use Ask AI to get a response (returns in 4-5 seconds)
Microphone permission denied
Without microphone access, Convo cannot capture audio or generate suggestions.
- Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone (Mac) or Windows Settings → Privacy → Microphone (Windows)
- Find "Convo" and enable the toggle
- Restart Convo after granting permission
Dictation disabled (Mac)
On Mac, Convo uses macOS Dictation for speech recognition. This must be enabled at the system level.
- Open System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation
- Turn Dictation ON
- Download language pack if prompted (may take several minutes)
- Restart Convo after enabling Dictation
Note: On Mac, Dictation is a system requirement for speech recognition. On Windows, speech services are handled automatically and no extra setup is needed.
Rate limit exceeded
Each plan has daily AI request limits:
- Starter Plan ($14.99-$19.99/month): 100 requests/day
- Professional Plan ($37.99-$49.99/month): 2,000 requests/day
Limits reset at midnight UTC. Upgrade your plan for higher limits or wait until reset.
No internet connection
AI features require active connectivity to OpenAI's API and Convo's backend.
- Verify your internet connection is active
- Check if your firewall is blocking Convo
- Try disconnecting from VPN temporarily
- Restart Convo after restoring connectivity
Smart Panel hidden
- Try triggering Ask AI with ⌘Enter (Mac) / Ctrl+Enter (Windows)
- Click "Listen" button to restart analysis
- Check if panel is positioned off-screen (try moving it)
- Restart Convo to reset UI state
Advanced troubleshooting
Screen analysis not working
Ask AI's Screen mode requires Screen Recording permission on Mac:
- Mac: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen Recording
- Enable "Convo" in the list
- Restart Convo (required for permission to take effect)
- Try Screen mode by clicking "Screen" before asking
Check system logs
For technical users, Console.app (Mac) or Event Viewer (Windows) provides detailed errors:
- •
[OpenAI]- API call status - •
[COST]- Rate limit checks - •
[SPEECH]- Speech recognition status - •
[OVERLAY]- Smart Panel visibility
Still having issues?
If AI suggestions still don't appear, contact support with:
- Your Convo account email
- Your current plan tier
- OS version — macOS version (System Settings → General → About) or Windows version (Settings → System → About)
- Description of what you see (or don't see)
- Any error messages from Console.app (Mac) or Event Viewer (Windows)
Contact support at ivan@itsconvo.com
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