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Troubleshooting#

This page covers the most common issues users encounter with Power Interview AI and how to resolve them.

Installation & Startup#

The app does not launch after installation#

Possible causes and fixes:

  • Missing runtime: Ensure you are on a supported OS version (Windows 10/11 or macOS 13+).
  • Antivirus blocking: Some antivirus programs quarantine desktop app binaries. Add the Power Interview AI installation folder to your antivirus exclusion list and try launching again.
  • Corrupted install: Uninstall the app, delete any leftover files from %AppData%\Power Interview AI, and reinstall.

The app opens but shows a blank white screen#

This typically means the renderer process failed to load.

  • Restart the app.
  • If running from source, ensure the Vite dev server started correctly on port 15173 before Electron attempted to connect to it.
  • Check for Node.js version compatibility - Node.js 22.15 or higher is required.

macOS Permissions#

Screen Recording stops working after updating the app on macOS#

Each new build of Power Interview AI is signed independently, so macOS treats an updated app as a different app for permission purposes. After updating, the Screen Recording grant from the previous version no longer applies to the new one, and the app will show a Permissions Required dialog with Screen Recording marked as denied.

Permissions Required dialog showing Screen Recording access denied

Re-opening System Settings and toggling the existing entry back on is not enough: macOS still associates that entry with the old build. You need to remove the old entry and add the updated app fresh:

  1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording.

  2. Select the existing Power Interview AI entry and click the - button to remove it.

    Removing the old Power Interview AI entry from Screen & System Audio Recording

  3. Click the + button to add the app again.

    Clicking the + button to add the app again

  4. In the file picker, navigate to Applications, select Power Interview AI, and click Open.

    Selecting Power Interview AI from the Applications folder

  5. Restart Power Interview AI. The Screen Recording permission should now show as granted.

Authentication#

Cannot log in - "Invalid credentials" error#

  • Verify your email and password are correct at powerinterviewai.com.
  • If you recently reset your password, use the new password. Old sessions may be cached; log out completely and log in again.
  • Check that your internet connection is active.

Session expires immediately after login#

  • Your system clock may be out of sync. JWT tokens are time-sensitive. Enable automatic date/time sync in your OS settings.

Backend & Service Connectivity#

Cannot connect to the backend services#

The app checks connectivity to backend services on startup and periodically during a session. If a service is unreachable, the relevant feature (transcription, AI suggestions) will not work.

Steps to diagnose:

  1. Check your internet connection.
  2. Visit powerinterviewai.com in a browser to confirm the service is not under maintenance.
  3. Check if a firewall or VPN is blocking outbound WebSocket connections (ports 443 or 8080 are typically used).
  4. Disable your VPN temporarily and retry.

Transcription#

No transcription appearing at all#

  1. Confirm the session is started (the Start button should show as active / Stop should be visible).

  2. Open Audio Options from the control panel (microphone icon) and verify your physical microphone is selected.

    Audio Options - verify the correct microphone is selected

  3. Speak and check if your operating-system audio settings show sound input from the selected device.

  4. Ensure the backend is reachable - transcription is processed on the backend. Try visiting powerinterviewai.com to rule out a service outage.

  5. Restart the session.

Only your voice is being transcribed (not the interviewer's)#

The interviewer's voice is captured via system audio loopback - whatever is playing through your system speakers is automatically picked up. If the interviewer's channel is silent:

  1. Make sure your video call is actually playing audio through your default playback device (e.g., not routing audio only to a secondary device).
  2. Check your system volume mixer: the video call app's audio level should not be muted or at zero.
  3. Restart the session after verifying audio is coming through the speakers.

Transcription is inaccurate or garbled#

  • Move to a quieter environment or use a better microphone.
  • Avoid speaking too quickly; natural pacing improves ASR accuracy significantly.
  • Check whether background noise sources (fans, AC, keyboard) are being picked up by your microphone. Use a directional or noise-cancelling microphone.

Transcription has significant delay#

  • A brief delay (1–3 seconds) is normal for streaming ASR. Longer delays indicate a network issue.
  • Check your upload bandwidth. The transcription stream sends audio data continuously to the backend.
  • If using a VPN, try disabling it or switching to a VPN server with lower latency.

The language button is red and says "Suggestions only"#

You changed the interview language mid-session, and only half of it applied: suggestions are being generated in the new language, but transcription could not reconnect and is still arriving in the old one.

The setting itself is saved, so:

  1. Try picking the language again - the reconnect may simply have hit a momentary network problem.
  2. If it fails again, Stop and Start the assistant. The next session opens both audio channels on the stored language, and the warning clears.

The setting is deliberately kept rather than rolled back on failure. Reverting it would leave you with no route to the language you picked.

My transcript is in one language and my answers are in another#

Same cause as above - see the previous entry. This is what the red language button is telling you, and stopping and restarting the assistant resolves it.

I switched microphone mid-interview and nothing changed#

If the device you picked could not be opened - unplugged, held by another application, or blocked by permissions - the session deliberately stays on the microphone it was already using rather than dropping to no audio at all. The control bar flags the device that failed, and the Audio Options dialog names it.

  1. Check that the device is connected and not in use by another call app.
  2. On macOS, confirm the app still has Microphone permission (see macOS Permissions above).
  3. Pick the device again once it is free.

AI Suggestions#

No reply suggestions are generated#

  • Verify your Profile (CV / resume) and Context (job description) fields are filled in. The AI requires this information to generate useful responses.
  • Confirm the backend is reachable (see Cannot connect to the backend services).
  • Ensure the session is active and transcription is running. Suggestions require conversation data.

Suggestions are generic and not relevant to the interview#

  • Your Profile field may be too sparse. Add more detail about your experience, role history, and skills.
  • Your Context field may not match the current interview. Update it with the actual job description before the interview starts.
  • If you are interviewing for a technical role, include the specific tech stack in the context field.

Suggestions are cut off mid-sentence#

  • This can happen when the session is stopped during streaming. Restart the session and request a new suggestion.
  • Poor network conditions can interrupt streaming. Check your connection.

Code Suggestions#

Screenshot capture produces a blank or black image#

  • Some applications use hardware acceleration that prevents software-level screen capture.
    • In Chrome/Edge: launch with --disable-gpu-sandbox or use the built-in window capture workaround.
    • For other apps: try taking a screenshot using your OS screenshot tool first to confirm the issue is application-specific.
  • Ensure the target window is not minimized when you press Ctrl+Shift+F9.

Code suggestion is incorrect or does not address the problem#

  • Capture additional screenshots that include edge cases, constraints, or sample I/O (Ctrl+Shift+F9 for each).
  • Clear the previous set of screenshots (Ctrl+Shift+F10) before capturing images for a new problem.
  • Zoom into the relevant portion of the problem before capturing so the model receives higher-resolution text.

Hotkeys#

Shortcuts on this page are written in their Windows and Linux form. On macOS the base modifier is Control+Option (⌃⌥) instead of Ctrl+Shift, so Ctrl+Shift+Q is ⌃⌥Q, and so on. See the complete hotkey reference for both columns side by side.

Hotkeys are not working#

  • Power Interview AI registers global hotkeys through Electron. Another application may already be using the same key combination.
    • Check for conflicting applications: screen recorders, game overlays, other productivity tools.
    • Quit potential conflicting apps and test whether the hotkeys register.
  • On some systems, Ctrl+Shift+1–9 may conflict with browser tab management shortcuts. Ensure your browser is not in focus trapping these keys.
  • Restart Power Interview AI to re-register the hotkeys.

Pressing Ctrl+Shift+Q closes the browser tab instead of the assistant#

  • This shortcut only fires correctly when Power Interview AI has successfully registered its global hotkey. If it is not registered (due to a conflict), the OS or foreground app may interpret the key combination instead.
  • Use the Stop button in the UI as a fallback.

Window Management#

The app window went off-screen and cannot be found#

Use the window positioning shortcuts to bring it back:

  • Ctrl+Shift+5 - Center of the screen
  • Ctrl+Shift+1 - Bottom-left corner

If the window is still not visible, right-click the Power Interview AI icon in the taskbar and select Move, then use arrow keys to drag it into view.

Data & Privacy#

I want to clear session data (transcripts and suggestions)#

Click the Clear button (trash icon) in the control panel toolbar. This removes all transcripts, reply suggestions, and code suggestions from the current session. Your profile, credentials, and configuration are not affected.

I want to sign out and remove my account data#

Click the menu icon (☰) in the titlebar and select Sign out. Local data such as session tokens and device settings are managed by Electron Store in your user profile folder (%AppData%\Power Interview AI). You can delete this folder manually after signing out to remove all locally stored data. Your interview configuration (full name, profile/CV, context) is stored with your account rather than in that folder, so it will be restored the next time you sign in.

The app is logging me out automatically#

Your session token may have expired. Log in again. If this happens repeatedly, check your system clock is synchronized correctly as session tokens rely on accurate timestamps.

Getting Further Help#

If none of the above resolves your issue:

When reporting a bug, include:

  • Your operating system and version
  • Power Interview AI version (shown in the app title bar or About screen)
  • A description of what you expected vs. what happened
  • Steps to reproduce the issue

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