diff --git a/firebase-vertexai/src/main/kotlin/com/google/firebase/vertexai/LiveGenerativeModel.kt b/firebase-vertexai/src/main/kotlin/com/google/firebase/vertexai/LiveGenerativeModel.kt
index 8ee07ac3211..218ad441379 100644
--- a/firebase-vertexai/src/main/kotlin/com/google/firebase/vertexai/LiveGenerativeModel.kt
+++ b/firebase-vertexai/src/main/kotlin/com/google/firebase/vertexai/LiveGenerativeModel.kt
@@ -24,10 +24,10 @@ import com.google.firebase.vertexai.common.APIController
 import com.google.firebase.vertexai.common.AppCheckHeaderProvider
 import com.google.firebase.vertexai.type.BidiGenerateContentClientMessage
 import com.google.firebase.vertexai.type.Content
-import com.google.firebase.vertexai.type.GeminiConnectionHandshakeFailed
 import com.google.firebase.vertexai.type.LiveGenerationConfig
 import com.google.firebase.vertexai.type.LiveSession
 import com.google.firebase.vertexai.type.RequestOptions
+import com.google.firebase.vertexai.type.ServiceConnectionHandshakeFailedException
 import com.google.firebase.vertexai.type.Tool
 import io.ktor.websocket.Frame
 import io.ktor.websocket.close
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ internal constructor(
       LiveSession(session = webSession, backgroundDispatcher = backgroundDispatcher)
     } else {
       webSession.close()
-      throw GeminiConnectionHandshakeFailed()
+      throw ServiceConnectionHandshakeFailedException()
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/firebase-vertexai/src/main/kotlin/com/google/firebase/vertexai/type/AudioHelper.kt b/firebase-vertexai/src/main/kotlin/com/google/firebase/vertexai/type/AudioHelper.kt
index 25c70db3e29..b2c5acab12a 100644
--- a/firebase-vertexai/src/main/kotlin/com/google/firebase/vertexai/type/AudioHelper.kt
+++ b/firebase-vertexai/src/main/kotlin/com/google/firebase/vertexai/type/AudioHelper.kt
@@ -16,12 +16,14 @@
 
 package com.google.firebase.vertexai.type
 
+import android.Manifest
 import android.media.AudioFormat
 import android.media.AudioManager
 import android.media.AudioRecord
 import android.media.AudioTrack
 import android.media.MediaRecorder
 import android.media.audiofx.AcousticEchoCanceler
+import androidx.annotation.RequiresPermission
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.Flow
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.flow
 
@@ -66,7 +68,8 @@ internal class AudioHelper {
     }
   }
 
-  suspend fun startRecording(): Flow<ByteArray> {
+  @RequiresPermission(Manifest.permission.RECORD_AUDIO)
+  fun startRecording(): Flow<ByteArray> {
 
     val bufferSize =
       AudioRecord.getMinBufferSize(
@@ -79,7 +82,9 @@ internal class AudioHelper {
         bufferSize == AudioRecord.ERROR_BAD_VALUE ||
         bufferSize <= 0
     ) {
-      throw AudioRecordInitializationFailedException("Audio Record buffer size is invalid")
+      throw AudioRecordInitializationFailedException(
+        "Audio Record buffer size is invalid (${bufferSize})"
+      )
     }
     audioRecord =
       AudioRecord(
@@ -90,7 +95,9 @@ internal class AudioHelper {
         bufferSize
       )
     if (audioRecord.state != AudioRecord.STATE_INITIALIZED) {
-      throw AudioRecordInitializationFailedException("Audio Record initialization has failed.")
+      throw AudioRecordInitializationFailedException(
+        "Audio Record initialization has failed. State: ${audioRecord.state}"
+      )
     }
     if (AcousticEchoCanceler.isAvailable()) {
       val echoCanceler = AcousticEchoCanceler.create(audioRecord.audioSessionId)
diff --git a/firebase-vertexai/src/main/kotlin/com/google/firebase/vertexai/type/Exceptions.kt b/firebase-vertexai/src/main/kotlin/com/google/firebase/vertexai/type/Exceptions.kt
index a9facdaa1bf..7bfb6f9f8a7 100644
--- a/firebase-vertexai/src/main/kotlin/com/google/firebase/vertexai/type/Exceptions.kt
+++ b/firebase-vertexai/src/main/kotlin/com/google/firebase/vertexai/type/Exceptions.kt
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ public class AudioRecordInitializationFailedException(message: String) :
   FirebaseVertexAIException(message)
 
 /** Handshake failed with the server */
-public class GeminiConnectionHandshakeFailed :
+public class ServiceConnectionHandshakeFailedException :
   FirebaseVertexAIException("Handshake failed with the server.")
 
 /** Catch all case for exceptions not explicitly expected. */