Troubleshooting and FAQ
Each heading below is a symptom or a question. Find yours, then read the cause and the fix. Remember that SignVox is in early access and its recognition makes mistakes.
Troubleshooting
The bar says Show your hand to the camera
SignVox cannot see a hand. Move your hand fully into the picture, at chest height, and make sure the room is well lit. Light from behind you, such as a window, makes your hand hard to see.
The wrong letters are added
- Hold each handshape still until the ring closes. Letters are not accepted while your hand is moving.
- Raise Letter Hold Time in Settings so letters need a longer hold.
- Teach SignVox your hand for the letters it confuses. See Improve recognition.
- If you sign with your left hand, turn on Left-Handed Mode.
- Use Backspace to remove a wrong letter.
A letter takes too long to be accepted
Lower Letter Hold Time in Settings.
Double letters do not work
To spell the same letter twice, as in "HELLO", relax your hand slightly after the first L, then form it again. Holding the same shape without a change adds it only once.
I get letters when I want digits
Select 123 on the Translate tab. Some digits and letters share a handshape in ASL, so SignVox only reads digits in 123 mode.
Camera permission or Camera unavailable
If SignVox shows Camera permission, select Open Settings and allow the camera. If it shows Camera unavailable, another app may be using the camera; close it and reopen SignVox.
Captions Unavailable in Conversation mode
Captions need Android 12 or newer, Android's offline speech model, and microphone permission. SignVox never uses online speech recognition, so without these it shows Captions Unavailable. Signing still works.
My taught sign is not recognised
- Check that the sign is turned on in Vocabulary.
- Make sure you are in Signs mode.
- Sign it the same way and at the same distance as when you recorded it.
- Record it again with five clear samples in good light.
The phone gets hot
Hand tracking uses the camera and processor continuously. Leave Adaptive Frame Rate on so SignVox slows the camera down when the phone gets hot.
Questions
Which sign language does SignVox understand?
Fingerspelling uses the American Sign Language (ASL) alphabet and ASL digits. For whole words, SignVox has no built-in dictionary: it learns the signs you teach it, in any sign language.
Can I rely on it in an emergency?
No. SignVox is in early access and has not been measured with real people signing at real phones. Use other ways to communicate when a mistake could cause harm.
Does it need the internet?
No. SignVox does not even ask for internet permission. Recognition, the voice and the captions all run on the phone.
Are my photos or videos stored?
No. SignVox keeps only measurements of hand positions for taught signs and for Improve Recognition, never photos or video.
Can I change the voice?
You can change the speaking rate. SignVox 1.1.0 has one built-in English voice.
Is there an iPhone version?
No. SignVox is for Android only.
Where do I report a problem?
Open an issue on the SignVox issues page. Say which phone and Android version you use.