> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.vervecopilot.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Smart Listening

> Let Interview Copilot wait for the interviewer to finish before it answers.

## What is Smart Listening?

Without Smart Listening, Interview Copilot answers every line as soon as it is transcribed. If the interviewer stops mid-sentence, you get an answer to half a question. If they say "okay" or make small talk, you get an answer to that too.

**Smart Listening** checks each line before answering it:

* **A finished question** is answered right away.
* **A question cut off halfway** is held until the interviewer finishes. The rest joins it, and you get one answer to the whole question.
* **Anything that isn't a question**, such as small talk, "mm-hmm", or a comment, is skipped.

<Note>
  Smart Listening is in beta and is rolling out gradually. It works in Interview Copilot (browser and desktop app) and in [phone interviews](/features/phone-interview).
</Note>

***

## How to Turn It On

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Copilot settings">
    Click the settings gear icon on the [copilot launch page](https://www.app.vervecopilot.com/copilot).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Go to the Transcription tab">
    Switch on **Smart Listening**. Every new session starts with it on.
  </Step>
</Steps>

While Smart Listening is on, it decides when to answer, so the Auto/Manual button is hidden and the [Pause Interval](/guides/pause-interval) setting doesn't apply.

To turn it off for one interview only, use the **Smart Listening** switch at the top of the session. Your saved setting stays the same.

***

## What You'll See in the Transcript

* **Waiting for the rest.** The question is on hold, drawn as a dashed card with a countdown ring. The ring refills each time the interviewer speaks.
* **Q1, Q2, …** The question was answered.
* **Faded line.** The line was skipped. Hover over it and click **Answer** if you want an answer anyway.

If the interviewer stays quiet for about 5 seconds and the question was never finished, it is skipped rather than answered on a guess.

**Answer now:** Press <kbd>Cmd</kbd> + <kbd>Enter</kbd> (Mac) or <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Enter</kbd> (Windows) to answer a held question immediately.

***

## Good to Know

* **Answers start sooner.** Smart Listening doesn't need a long pause to tell when a question ended, so it uses a shorter transcription pause.
* **Phone interviews.** Only the speaker you select as the interviewer is checked. Pick the interviewer first.
* **If the check is slow or unavailable,** the line is handled the way it would be with Smart Listening off.
* **Privacy.** Each line is checked by an AI model with zero data retention. The transcript is not stored by the checking service.