diff --git a/tools/chatgui-android/app/src/main/java/com/utun/chat/viewmodel/ChatViewModel.kt b/tools/chatgui-android/app/src/main/java/com/utun/chat/viewmodel/ChatViewModel.kt
index 353d80c9..653c7f48 100644
--- a/tools/chatgui-android/app/src/main/java/com/utun/chat/viewmodel/ChatViewModel.kt
+++ b/tools/chatgui-android/app/src/main/java/com/utun/chat/viewmodel/ChatViewModel.kt
@@ -195,11 +195,14 @@ class ChatViewModel : ViewModel() {
 
     fun startVoiceRecording() {
         val ch = _currentChannel.value ?: return
+        if (!audioRecorder.startRecording(ch.id)) {
+            LogManager.addLog("ERROR", "VM", "voice recording failed to start")
+            return
+        }
         _isRecording.value = true
         _isRecordingLocked.value = false
         recordingStartTimeMs = System.currentTimeMillis()
         _recordingDurationMs.value = 0
-        audioRecorder.startRecording(ch.id)
         LogManager.addLog("INFO", "VM", "voice recording started ch=${ch.id}")
     }
 
diff --git a/tools/chatgui-android/jni_bridge/android_jni_bridge.c b/tools/chatgui-android/jni_bridge/android_jni_bridge.c
index ddfb1140..b7a203b0 100644
--- a/tools/chatgui-android/jni_bridge/android_jni_bridge.c
+++ b/tools/chatgui-android/jni_bridge/android_jni_bridge.c
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 #include "../libutun_lite/utun_config_api.h"
 #include "../libutun_lite/invite_link_c.h"
 #include "../libutun_lite/instance_lite.h"
+#include "../libutun_lite/voice_recorder.h"
+#include "../libutun_lite/attachment_sender.h"
 #include "../../../lib/debug_config.h"
 #include "../../../lib/u_async.h"
 #include "../../../lib/mem.h"
@@ -140,10 +142,12 @@ bool utun_bridge_init(const char* db_path, int control_port,
 
     bridge_log(BLEV_INFO, "bridge init: db=%s port=%d (stub, use nativeStart for real init)",
                db_path ? db_path : "(null)", control_port);
+    voice_recorder_init(db_path);
     return true;
 }
 
 void utun_bridge_destroy(void) {
+    voice_recorder_deinit();
     instance_lite_stop();
     g_on_log   = NULL;
     g_on_event = NULL;
@@ -428,9 +432,6 @@ int utun_bridge_is_responsive(void) {
  * Voice recording
  * ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
 
-#include "../libutun_lite/voice_recorder.h"
-#include "../libutun_lite/attachment_sender.h"
-
 int utun_bridge_voice_start(const char* channel_id) {
     return voice_recorder_start(channel_id, 48000, 1);
 }