Zero-config speech: skip upload when no transcription API, use browser speech directly

- Add GET /api/transcribe/status endpoint — returns whether any server
  transcription provider (Whisper/AWS/Local) is configured
- Frontend checks status on login via checkTranscribeStatus()
- When no provider configured: recording stops instantly, keeps live
  Web Speech API text, shows friendly toast — no error, no upload wait
- Works in encounter, dictation, and SOAP tabs
- App now works fully out-of-the-box with just an AI provider key

public/js/app.js

@@ -482,7 +482,31 @@ AudioRecorder.prototype.stop = function() {
   });
 };
 
+// Check if server-side transcription (Whisper/AWS) is available
+window._transcribeAvailable = null; // null = not checked yet, true/false after check
+function checkTranscribeStatus() {
+  var token = window.AUTH_TOKEN || localStorage.getItem('ped_scribe_token') || '';
+  if (!token) return;
+  fetch('/api/transcribe/status', {
+    headers: { 'Authorization': 'Bearer ' + token, 'Content-Type': 'application/json' }
+  })
+  .then(function(r) { return r.json(); })
+  .then(function(data) {
+    window._transcribeAvailable = !!data.available;
+    window._transcribeProvider = data.provider || 'none';
+    if (!data.available) {
+      console.log('[Transcribe] No server transcription configured — using browser speech recognition only');
+    }
+  })
+  .catch(function() { window._transcribeAvailable = false; });
+}
+
 function transcribeAudio(blob) {
+  // If no server transcription is configured, skip upload entirely
+  if (window._transcribeAvailable === false) {
+    return Promise.resolve({ success: false, noProvider: true, error: 'No transcription API configured — using live transcript' });
+  }
+
   var startTime = Date.now();
   var formData = new FormData();
   formData.append('audio', blob, 'audio.webm');

public/js/auth.js

@@ -167,6 +167,9 @@ document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {
 
     // Load announcement banner if function is available
     if (typeof loadAnnouncement === 'function') loadAnnouncement();
+
+    // Check if server-side transcription is configured
+    if (typeof checkTranscribeStatus === 'function') checkTranscribeStatus();
   }
 
   function exitApp() {

public/js/liveEncounter.js

@@ -78,21 +78,30 @@
       if (recognition) try { recognition.stop(); } catch(e) {}
       document.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent('recording-stopped', { detail: { module: 'enc' } }));
 
-      showLoading('Transcribing...');
+      // If no server transcription API, use live transcript directly (no upload)
-      recorder.stop().then(function(blob) {
+      var liveText = (finalText + sessionFinals).trim();
-        if (!blob || blob.size === 0) { hideLoading(); if (finalText.trim()) transcript.textContent = finalText.trim(); return; }
+      if (window._transcribeAvailable === false) {
-        if (blob.size > 24 * 1024 * 1024) {
+        recorder.stop().then(function() {});
-          hideLoading();
+        if (liveText) transcript.textContent = liveText;
-          transcript.textContent = finalText.trim();
+        showToast('Using browser speech recognition (no transcription API configured)', 'info');
-          showToast('Recording too large for AI transcription — using live transcript', 'info');
+      } else {
-          return;
+        showLoading('Transcribing...');
-        }
+        recorder.stop().then(function(blob) {
-        return transcribeAudio(blob).then(function(data) {
+          if (!blob || blob.size === 0) { hideLoading(); if (liveText) transcript.textContent = liveText; return; }
-          hideLoading();
+          if (blob.size > 24 * 1024 * 1024) {
-          if (data.success) { transcript.textContent = data.text; showToast('Transcribed ' + dur + 's', 'success'); }
+            hideLoading();
-          else { if (finalText.trim()) transcript.textContent = finalText.trim(); showToast(data.error || 'Failed', 'error'); }
+            transcript.textContent = liveText;
-        });
+            showToast('Recording too large for AI transcription — using live transcript', 'info');
-      }).catch(function(err) { hideLoading(); if (finalText.trim()) transcript.textContent = finalText.trim(); showToast(err.message, 'error'); });
+            return;
+          }
+          return transcribeAudio(blob).then(function(data) {
+            hideLoading();
+            if (data.success) { transcript.textContent = data.text; showToast('Transcribed ' + dur + 's', 'success'); }
+            else if (data.noProvider) { if (liveText) transcript.textContent = liveText; showToast('Using live transcript', 'info'); }
+            else { if (liveText) transcript.textContent = liveText; showToast(data.error || 'Failed', 'error'); }
+          });
+        }).catch(function(err) { hideLoading(); if (liveText) transcript.textContent = liveText; showToast(err.message, 'error'); });
+      }
     }
   });
 

public/js/soap.js

@@ -65,21 +65,29 @@
       indicator.classList.add('hidden');
       if (recognition) try { recognition.stop(); } catch(e) {}
 
-      showLoading('Transcribing...');
+      var liveText = (finalText + sessionFinals).trim();
-      recorder.stop().then(function(blob) {
+      if (window._transcribeAvailable === false) {
-        if (!blob) { hideLoading(); if (finalText.trim()) transcript.textContent = finalText.trim(); return; }
+        recorder.stop().then(function() {});
-        if (blob.size > 24 * 1024 * 1024) {
+        if (liveText) transcript.textContent = liveText;
-          hideLoading();
+        showToast('Using browser speech recognition', 'info');
-          transcript.textContent = finalText.trim();
+      } else {
-          showToast('Recording too large for AI transcription — using live transcript', 'info');
+        showLoading('Transcribing...');
-          return;
+        recorder.stop().then(function(blob) {
-        }
+          if (!blob) { hideLoading(); if (liveText) transcript.textContent = liveText; return; }
-        return transcribeAudio(blob).then(function(data) {
+          if (blob.size > 24 * 1024 * 1024) {
-          hideLoading();
+            hideLoading();
-          if (data.success) transcript.textContent = data.text;
+            transcript.textContent = liveText;
-          else { if (finalText.trim()) transcript.textContent = finalText.trim(); showToast(data.error || 'Transcription failed — using live transcript', 'error'); }
+            showToast('Recording too large for AI transcription — using live transcript', 'info');
-        });
+            return;
-      }).catch(function(err) { hideLoading(); if (finalText.trim()) transcript.textContent = finalText.trim(); showToast('Transcription error: ' + (err.message || 'unknown'), 'error'); });
+          }
+          return transcribeAudio(blob).then(function(data) {
+            hideLoading();
+            if (data.success) transcript.textContent = data.text;
+            else if (data.noProvider) { if (liveText) transcript.textContent = liveText; showToast('Using live transcript', 'info'); }
+            else { if (liveText) transcript.textContent = liveText; showToast(data.error || 'Transcription failed — using live transcript', 'error'); }
+          });
+        }).catch(function(err) { hideLoading(); if (liveText) transcript.textContent = liveText; showToast('Transcription error: ' + (err.message || 'unknown'), 'error'); });
+      }
     }
   });
 

public/js/voiceDictation.js

@@ -73,21 +73,29 @@
       if (recognition) try { recognition.stop(); } catch(e) {}
       document.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent('recording-stopped', { detail: { module: 'dict' } }));
 
-      showLoading('Transcribing...');
+      var liveText = (finalText + sessionFinals).trim();
-      recorder.stop().then(function(blob) {
+      if (window._transcribeAvailable === false) {
-        if (!blob || blob.size === 0) { hideLoading(); if (finalText.trim()) transcript.textContent = finalText.trim(); return; }
+        recorder.stop().then(function() {});
-        if (blob.size > 24 * 1024 * 1024) {
+        if (liveText) transcript.textContent = liveText;
-          hideLoading();
+        showToast('Using browser speech recognition (no transcription API configured)', 'info');
-          transcript.textContent = finalText.trim();
+      } else {
-          showToast('Recording too large for AI transcription — using live transcript', 'info');
+        showLoading('Transcribing...');
-          return;
+        recorder.stop().then(function(blob) {
-        }
+          if (!blob || blob.size === 0) { hideLoading(); if (liveText) transcript.textContent = liveText; return; }
-        return transcribeAudio(blob).then(function(data) {
+          if (blob.size > 24 * 1024 * 1024) {
-          hideLoading();
+            hideLoading();
-          if (data.success) { transcript.textContent = data.text; showToast('Transcribed ' + dur + 's', 'success'); }
+            transcript.textContent = liveText;
-          else { if (finalText.trim()) transcript.textContent = finalText.trim(); showToast(data.error || 'Transcription failed — using live transcript', 'error'); }
+            showToast('Recording too large for AI transcription — using live transcript', 'info');
-        });
+            return;
-      }).catch(function(err) { hideLoading(); if (finalText.trim()) transcript.textContent = finalText.trim(); showToast('Transcription error: ' + (err.message || 'unknown'), 'error'); });
+          }
+          return transcribeAudio(blob).then(function(data) {
+            hideLoading();
+            if (data.success) { transcript.textContent = data.text; showToast('Transcribed ' + dur + 's', 'success'); }
+            else if (data.noProvider) { if (liveText) transcript.textContent = liveText; showToast('Using live transcript', 'info'); }
+            else { if (liveText) transcript.textContent = liveText; showToast(data.error || 'Transcription failed — using live transcript', 'error'); }
+          });
+        }).catch(function(err) { hideLoading(); if (liveText) transcript.textContent = liveText; showToast('Transcription error: ' + (err.message || 'unknown'), 'error'); });
+      }
     }
   });
 

src/routes/transcribe.js

@@ -23,9 +23,23 @@ function getTranscribeProvider() {
   return 'openai';
 }
 
+// Check if any transcription provider is actually available
+function isTranscribeAvailable() {
+  if (isLocalWhisperConfigured()) return true;
+  if (isAWSTranscribeConfigured()) return true;
+  if (whisperClient) return true;
+  return false;
+}
+
 var provider = getTranscribeProvider();
 var medical = process.env.AWS_TRANSCRIBE_MEDICAL === 'true';
-console.log('🎙️  Transcribe provider:', provider + (provider === 'aws' && medical ? ' (Medical)' : ''));
+var available = isTranscribeAvailable();
+console.log('🎙️  Transcribe provider:', provider + (provider === 'aws' && medical ? ' (Medical)' : '') + (available ? '' : ' (NOT CONFIGURED — browser speech only)'));
+
+// Status endpoint — frontend checks this to decide whether to upload audio
+router.get('/transcribe/status', authMiddleware, (req, res) => {
+  res.json({ available: available, provider: available ? provider : 'none' });
+});
 
 router.post('/transcribe', authMiddleware, upload.single('audio'), async (req, res) => {
   try {