[iOS] Recorder does not initialise without AudioSession properties set

[marksyzm]

Description

Just trying to get worklets going and I had to run the app to see why I couldn't get AudioBuffer data. Turns out it was this:

AVAEInternal.h:83 required condition is false: [AVAudioEngineGraph.mm:1419:Initialize: (IsFormatSampleRateAndChannelCountValid(inputHWFormat))]

Which means that the session category or mode isn't set. By doing this, I managed to get it to work.

        AudioManager.setAudioSessionOptions({
          iosCategory: "playAndRecord",
          iosMode: "measurement",
          iosOptions: ["mixWithOthers"],
        })

All going well so far, otherwise.

Steps to reproduce

1. set up AudioRecorder in iOS 26.1, connect up worklet
2. start the recorder instance
3. no data received in recorder.onAudioReady() or WorkletNode

Snack or a link to a repository

https://github.com/marksyzm/scratch-audio

React Native Audio API version

0.10.1

React Native version

0.81.5

Platforms

iOS

JavaScript runtime

Hermes

Workflow

Expo Dev Client

Architecture

Fabric (New Architecture)

Build type

Debug app & dev bundle

Device

Real device

Device model

iPhone 16 Pro

Acknowledgements

Yes

[poneciak57]

Proper session settings are required for recorder to work. We will mention that in docs

[marksyzm]

Thanks :) yeah there's not really anything to know what the issue is beyond running the console in Xcode, which a lot of people running expo seem to be encouraged to avoid

[PierreCapo]

I faced the same issue and realized by luck that indeed AudioManager.setAudioSessionOptions was required to make recording works.
Curious to know though, it seems iOSCategory: "playAndRecord" parameter is the only one that works for recording. When using iOSCategory: "record", my recordings aren't working anymore and I get an empty buffer. @marksyzm are you facing the same situation too?

[marksyzm]

Yes, I just tried that and can confirm that is the case. I only figured out it needed AudioSessionOptions by searching on the warning it gave when it ran in XCode :)

[PierreCapo]

@poneciak57 iOSCategory: "record" not working is not the same issue per se, do you want us to open a new dedicated issue?

[poneciak57]

yeah @PierreCapo you can open dedicated issue, it should be tackled

[michalsek]

Sorry for the inconvenience!

In the upcoming refactor of AudioRecorder, we will properly communicate all error-cases regarding input start :)

[marksyzm]

All good :) it's not easy writing all the particular details to such an extensive code base.

[savinov007]

@marksyzm You are my hero! I tried to record audio for a day before see your Issue
@michalsek Guys please add it to docs asap, I spent a working day only because it's not there