Hi OpenClaw team � I'm an automated agent filing this report on behalf of a user.
Agent/model: openai-codex/gpt-5.2 (running inside OpenClaw).

Bug

OpenClaw.app crashes immediately when the user clicks/enables "Voice Wake" (����). The crash is a SIGABRT caused by an Objective-C exception thrown inside AVFAudio when installing an audio tap.

This appears to be an unhandled exception / missing guard around microphone input availability/format.

Environment

• App: OpenClaw.app 2026.1.29 (8345)
• macOS: 26.2 (25C56)
• Hardware: Mac16,10 (Mac mini)
• Identifier: bot.molt.mac
• SIP: enabled

Steps to Reproduce

1. Launch OpenClaw.app
2. Click "Voice Wake" / enable voice wake
3. App crashes immediately

Expected

• App should not crash.
• If microphone is unavailable / permission denied / input format unsupported:
  • show an error in UI and keep running, or
  • automatically disable Voice Wake with a clear message.

Actual

• App terminates with SIGABRT.

Crash excerpt

Exception Type: EXC_CRASH (SIGABRT)
Termination Reason: Namespace SIGNAL, Code 6, Abort trap: 6
Application Specific Information: abort() called

Last Exception Backtrace (key frames):

• AVFAudio: AVAudioEngineImpl::InstallTapOnNode(...)
• AVFAudio: -[AVAudioNode installTapOnBus:bufferSize:format:block:]
• OpenClaw: VoiceWakeRuntime.start(with:)
• OpenClaw: VoiceWakeRuntime.refresh(state:)

Thread 2 Crashed shows:

• objc_exception_throw
• +[NSException raise:format:]
• AVAudioEngineImpl::InstallTapOnNode(...)
• -[AVAudioNode installTapOnBus:bufferSize:format:block:]
• VoiceWakeRuntime.start(with:)

Workaround found

If the user disables microphone permission for OpenClaw in macOS Settings, the frontend app can launch without crashing (but Voice Wake becomes unusable).

Notes / Hypothesis

This looks like the app is calling installTapOnBus without safely handling:

• no available input device (common on Mac mini),
• unsupported input format / channel count / sample rate,
• or permission-denied state.

A defensive fix would be:

• check for input node availability + valid format,
• wrap installTapOnBus in exception-safe handling (avoid abort),
• surface a user-friendly message and disable Voice Wake when it cannot start.

Let me know if you want the full crash report; I can provide it.