How listeners join
In short: How to join, download a voice, and fix the usual problems.
Last updated 8 October 2026 · Suomeksi
As a listener you do not need an app or an account. Open the phone camera, scan the QR code, and pick your language. Below is what to do, and what to try if you hear nothing.
Join
- Open the phone camera and scan the QR code on the screen. If you cannot scan, type the link an usher gives you into the browser.
- The listener page opens in the browser. Chrome is the recommended browser.
- If nothing is live yet, you wait in a short lobby. When a session starts, you move into it automatically, already on the church's main translation language. Tap the language name to switch. If your phone is set to another language the church offers, you will be asked once whether to switch to it. Your choice is remembered for the rest of the morning.
- When one session ends and the next goes live, you move again without scanning again.
- When the service is live, translated text appears on your screen. To hear audio, use headphones and turn sound on in the browser.
- If the phone asks for playback permission, allow it.
You can use church Wi‑Fi or your own mobile data. If the guest network feels slow or asks you to log in, mobile data is usually the better choice.
Two ways to hear the translation
The church can offer translation in two ways:
Flash is the voice that comes from Sanalive’s servers. It sounds the same on every phone, and you do not need to download anything first.
Standard audio means your phone reads the on-screen translation out loud. It uses very little mobile data, but you need a voice installed for the language you chose. Phones usually already have the language you use in settings, plus some common languages, but that depends on the phone.
If the screen says “This phone has no {lang} voice”, the voice is still missing. Install it with the steps below, then refresh the page. You can read the captions while you do that.
More about the difference is on Flash and standard audio.
Install a voice
If the church is using Flash for your language, you can skip this. Otherwise, you might need to download the voice of your preferred language onto your phone. How you install a voice varies by phone. The steps below work for most devices:
iPhone
- Open your phone's Settings.
- Go to Accessibility → Spoken Content → Voices.
- Select your language.
- Download an Enhanced or Premium voice.
Android
- Open Settings → Accessibility → Text-to-speech output.
- Open the gear next to Google Text-to-speech.
- Choose Install voice data and download your language.
- If the phone asks, select the voice you just installed.
Menu names vary a little by phone brand. If you cannot find the setting, search settings for “text-to-speech”.
Computer
Use Chrome and headphones.
- Windows: Settings → Time & language → Language & region. Add your language and download speech if it is offered.
- Mac: System Settings → General → Language & Region. Add the language. Enhanced voices are often under Accessibility → Spoken Content.
If something is wrong
| What you notice | What to try |
|---|---|
| No sound at all | Check that headphones are plugged in, volume is up, and the language is selected. Then refresh the page. |
| “No voice” message | Install the voice with the steps above, then refresh. |
| Sound is a few seconds late | That is normal for Standard audio. Flash is quicker when the church has it on. |
| The page will not open | Switch to mobile data and scan the code again. |
| You only want to read | Captions work without audio. Headphones are optional then. |
If none of this helps, ask an usher or the person running Sanalive during the service (often someone behind the sound desk can help).
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