When this works
Phone-only setup is useful when there is no sound desk feed available. It can work well in smaller rooms, house groups, and simple preaching setups.
It is less reliable in echoey rooms, loud rooms, or services where the speaker moves far away from the device.
Placement
- Place the phone on the lectern, pulpit, or a stable stand near the speaker.
- Keep it away from the congregation and away from PA speakers.
- Use Do Not Disturb and keep the screen awake if the browser needs it.
- Use a second device to monitor the attendee view.
Upgrade path
If the transcript is unstable, move to a laptop microphone or a direct audio feed. Translation quality depends heavily on source transcription quality.