diff --git a/web/app.js b/web/app.js
index d84f6e3..dda58da 100644
--- a/web/app.js
+++ b/web/app.js
@@ -162,6 +162,9 @@ function updateModeUI() {
     if (isText) {
         setState(room ? "listening" : "idle");
         window.setTimeout(() => chatInput.focus(), 0);
+    } else {
+        // Refresh mode-specific copy even when the underlying state is unchanged.
+        setState(uiState);
     }
 }
 
@@ -188,19 +191,28 @@ async function setConversationMode(mode) {
         stopVisualLoop();
         statusEl.textContent = "Secure room · Text mode";
     } else {
-        await room.startAudio();
-        await room.localParticipant.setMicrophoneEnabled(true);
         micMuted = false;
         muteBtn.disabled = false;
         updateMuteIcon();
-        setupMicAnalyser();
         startVisualLoop();
-        statusEl.textContent = "Secure room · Microphone on";
+        try {
+            await room.startAudio();
+            await room.localParticipant.setMicrophoneEnabled(true);
+            setupMicAnalyser();
+            statusEl.textContent = "Secure room · Microphone on";
+        } catch (err) {
+            // Keep the conversation usable even if this browser denies or does
+            // not implement microphone capture. The mute control can retry.
+            console.warn("Microphone could not be enabled:", err);
+            micMuted = true;
+            updateMuteIcon();
+            statusEl.textContent = "Voice mode · Microphone unavailable";
+        }
     }
 }
 
-voiceModeBtn.addEventListener("click", () => setConversationMode("voice"));
-textModeBtn.addEventListener("click", () => setConversationMode("text"));
+voiceModeBtn.addEventListener("click", () => setConversationMode("voice").catch(console.error));
+textModeBtn.addEventListener("click", () => setConversationMode("text").catch(console.error));
 
 // ── Audio analysers (mic + remote agent audio) ─────────────────────────────
 let micCtx = null;
@@ -523,9 +535,15 @@ function handleDataPacket(payload, participant, topic) {
             agentReady = true;
         } else if (msg.type === "transcript") {
             addMessage(msg.role || "agent", msg.text);
-            if (conversationMode === "text" && (msg.role || "agent") === "agent") {
-                setState("listening");
-                chatInput.focus();
+            if ((msg.role || "agent") === "agent") {
+                if (conversationMode === "text") {
+                    setState("listening");
+                    chatInput.focus();
+                } else if (uiState === "thinking") {
+                    // Text arrives even when headless playback or an analyser is
+                    // unavailable; use it to release the thinking state.
+                    setState("speaking");
+                }
             }
         } else if (msg.type === "task_event") {
             handleTaskEvent(msg);
@@ -913,9 +931,15 @@ stopBtn.addEventListener("click", () => {
 // ── Mic mute toggle ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 muteBtn.addEventListener("click", async () => {
     if (!room || !room.localParticipant) return;
-    micMuted = !micMuted;
-    await room.localParticipant.setMicrophoneEnabled(!micMuted);
-    updateMuteIcon();
+    const nextMuted = !micMuted;
+    try {
+        await room.localParticipant.setMicrophoneEnabled(!nextMuted);
+        micMuted = nextMuted;
+        updateMuteIcon();
+    } catch (err) {
+        console.warn("Microphone toggle failed:", err);
+        statusEl.textContent = "Microphone unavailable in this browser";
+    }
 });
 
 function updateMuteIcon() {