diff --git a/src/vocalinux/ui/settings_dialog.py b/src/vocalinux/ui/settings_dialog.py
index 40fab6e..a97f32b 100644
--- a/src/vocalinux/ui/settings_dialog.py
+++ b/src/vocalinux/ui/settings_dialog.py
@@ -2140,6 +2140,18 @@ def _combo_chrome(combo: Gtk.Widget, tooltip: Optional[str] = None) -> None:
     _prevent_scroll_on_hover(combo)
 
 
+_AUDIO_DEVICE_TOOLTIP = "Select the microphone to use for voice recognition"
+
+
+def _sync_audio_device_tooltip(combo: Gtk.ComboBoxText) -> None:
+    """Show the selected microphone's full name, which the fixed-width combo truncates."""
+    label = combo.get_active_text()
+    if not label or combo.get_active_id() in (None, "-1"):
+        combo.set_tooltip_text(_AUDIO_DEVICE_TOOLTIP)
+    else:
+        combo.set_tooltip_text(label)
+
+
 def _new_spin(
     lower: float, upper: float, step: float, digits: int, tooltip: Optional[str] = None
 ) -> Gtk.SpinButton:
@@ -3137,7 +3149,7 @@ class SettingsDialog(AboutSectionMixin):
         self.audio_device_combo = Gtk.ComboBoxText()
         _combo_chrome(
             self.audio_device_combo,
-            tooltip="Select the microphone to use for voice recognition",
+            tooltip=_AUDIO_DEVICE_TOOLTIP,
         )
 
         refresh_btn = Gtk.Button.new_from_icon_name("view-refresh-symbolic", Gtk.IconSize.BUTTON)
@@ -9925,6 +9937,7 @@ For now, the engine has been reverted to VOSK."""
                 if self.speech_engine is not None:
                     self.speech_engine.set_audio_device(None, None)
 
+        _sync_audio_device_tooltip(self.audio_device_combo)
         logger.info(f"Found {len(devices)} audio input devices")
 
     def _on_refresh_audio_devices(self, widget):
@@ -9934,6 +9947,7 @@ For now, the engine has been reverted to VOSK."""
 
     def _on_audio_device_changed(self, widget):
         """Handle changes in the selected audio device."""
+        _sync_audio_device_tooltip(self.audio_device_combo)
         if self._initializing:
             return
 
diff --git a/tests/test_pulse_sources.py b/tests/test_pulse_sources.py
index c8c0a5c..055e37b 100644
--- a/tests/test_pulse_sources.py
+++ b/tests/test_pulse_sources.py
@@ -633,6 +633,52 @@ class TestSettingsPersistsServerName:
         dialog.audio_device_combo.set_active_id.assert_called_with(str(PULSE_INDEX_BASE - 1))
 
 
+class TestAudioDeviceTooltip:
+    """The fixed-width dropdown truncates long names; the tooltip shows them whole (#1029)."""
+
+    _SOF = "sof-hda-dsp: - (hw:0,6)"
+
+    def _combo(self, device_id: Optional[str], label: Optional[str]) -> MagicMock:
+        combo = MagicMock()
+        combo.get_active_id.return_value = device_id
+        combo.get_active_text.return_value = label
+        return combo
+
+    def test_choosing_a_device_shows_its_full_name_in_the_tooltip(self) -> None:
+        settings_dialog = _load_settings_dialog()
+        dialog = MagicMock(_initializing=False, _pulse_source_names={})
+        dialog.audio_device_combo = self._combo("1", self._SOF)
+        settings_dialog.SettingsDialog._on_audio_device_changed(dialog, None)
+        dialog.audio_device_combo.set_tooltip_text.assert_called_with(self._SOF)
+
+    def test_system_default_keeps_the_generic_tooltip(self) -> None:
+        settings_dialog = _load_settings_dialog()
+        dialog = MagicMock(_initializing=False, _pulse_source_names={})
+        dialog.audio_device_combo = self._combo("-1", "System Default")
+        settings_dialog.SettingsDialog._on_audio_device_changed(dialog, None)
+        dialog.audio_device_combo.set_tooltip_text.assert_called_with(
+            "Select the microphone to use for voice recognition"
+        )
+
+    def test_populating_shows_the_saved_device_in_the_tooltip(self) -> None:
+        """The saved device is selected before the change handler is wired up."""
+        settings_dialog = _load_settings_dialog()
+        dialog = MagicMock()
+        dialog.config_manager.get_optional_int.return_value = 1
+        dialog.config_manager.get.return_value = self._SOF
+        dialog.audio_device_combo = self._combo("1", self._SOF)
+        devices = [(0, "sof-hda-dsp: - (hw:0,0)", False), (1, self._SOF, False)]
+        with (
+            patch.object(settings_dialog, "get_pulse_sources", return_value=[]),
+            patch(
+                "vocalinux.speech_recognition.recognition_manager.get_audio_input_devices",
+                return_value=devices,
+            ),
+        ):
+            settings_dialog.SettingsDialog._populate_audio_devices(dialog)
+        dialog.audio_device_combo.set_tooltip_text.assert_called_with(self._SOF)
+
+
 def _load_settings_dialog() -> ModuleType:
     """Import settings_dialog with real GTK base classes so its methods are callable.