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Video: Troubleshooting

This article talks about some common issues people may have with our Video consultation feature, and how to troubleshoot them.

Moreen avatar
Written by Moreen
Updated over a year ago

This article covers questions such as:

  • What do I do when I see 'You're trying to join on an unsupported browser' in a video consultation?

  • Can my patient use their tablet or computer for a video consultation?

  • What should I do when my patient and I cannot see or hear each other on a video consultation?

What do I do when I see 'You're trying to join on an unsupported browser' in a video consultation?

Only certain browsers are supported by our video consultation product. Notably, Internet Explorer is not supported.

I'm on mobile

On iOS, you need to be on iOS13. If you're on 12 or 11, you'll be prompted to download the whereby app, because the Safari version isn't compatible. iOS <10 isn't supported at all, sadly. You will not be able to access Video Consultations from Google Chrome on iOS.

On Android, if you see this error, please make sure the link is being opened in the Google Chrome app. Chrome is installed by default on most Android devices, so we recommend setting it as your default browser by following these instructions.

I'm on a desktop

We recommend downloading Google Chrome. This will allow the video stream to work and is generally recommended as a more secure and up-to-date browser.

You can then either:

or

  • Copy the link for the video call into the top of Chrome in the web address bar

I'm already using one of the browsers that says it's supported

  • Some users have found that setting it as their default browser fixes this issue, to open Chrome

  • We've also seen some users see this error if their network is blocking the connection. Try switching over to a different network, e.g. your mobile data. If you find it works, your IT team might need to allow list on their firewall.

Can my patient use their tablet or computer for a video consultation?

A patient can join a consultation on their tablet or computer if you send them the invitation via email.

When opening a message to begin a video consultation you can click the "Mobile" dropdown shown in the image below πŸ‘‡ here you can either select the patient's email address or type one in πŸ‘

Then the patient will receive an email like this that they can open on their tablet or computer:

They just need to click on the link in the email and it will open up a video consultation!

What should I do when my patient and I cannot see or hear each other on a video consultation?

You may occasionally see an issue connecting to a patient or colleague on a video consultation. This article has a list of things to try if you're seeing this issue. 😊

Most common causes

  • You're on a phone call at the same time - sadly, some phones aren't able to handle the microphone being used by two things, so if you're on a phone call at the same time, our video call is likely to have trouble. Make sure you hang up the phone call before you start your video call.

  • Another app using a camera/microphone is running in the background - make sure you've closed any apps like Zoom, Skype, or any other previous video tabs that might be accessing the camera and microphone.

  • You're using a VPN - Right now we don't recommend using video consultations with a VPN. Not having a consistent IP address can cause problems connecting to a consultation. Our recommendation is to turn off your VPN for the video consultation, and then turn it back on after finishing.

  • There is a firewall blocking the connection - If you or the patient can see/hear yourselves but not each other, it is likely that there is a firewall blocking the connection. To fix this, please share this article with your IT department and ask them to update your firewall settings.

Testing your webcam and microphone:

You can test your webcam and microphone at these two external websites to see if there is an issue:

When joining a video consultation, you should see an option to test your microphone and request permissions:

Occasionally we see issues where this doesn't appear or doesn't seem to have worked. This can then mean no sound for you or the patient OR no image for one of you. This is typically due to an issue with your camera and/or microphone being blocked at a phone setting level, but it is quick to resolve.

Mobile: Camera/microphone settings to check

iPhone

  • Go to your "Settings"

  • Scroll down and tap on your browser e.g. Safari

  • Scroll down and you should see "Camera" and "Microphone"

  • Tap into "Camera"/"Microphone" and click "Allow"

Android*

  • Go to your Settings

  • Click "App Settings & Notifications"

  • Scroll down and tap on your browser e.g. Chrome (you may have to click "See all apps" if not initially visible)

  • Click "Permissions"

  • Scroll down and you should see "Camera" and "Microphone"

  • Tap into "Camera"/"Microphone" and enable them

*If you are still having issues with Chrome on Android, please try to allow change your Chrome settings by following these steps.

Settings to check when you've already begun a video consultation:
You should also try these steps while in the room, to check what camera is being used (you might need to click 'continue without devices' first to enter the room)

Desktop: Camera/microphone settings to check

See here to learn how you can run video consultations on your desktop (if you've got a webcam set up).

Google Chrome settings

  1. Open Chrome.

  2. At the top right, click the 3 dots, and then Settings.

  3. Under "Privacy and security," click Site Settings.

  4. Click Camera or Microphone. Turn Ask before accessing on or off. To remove an existing exception or permission, to the right of the site, click Delete.

Settings to check when you've already begun a video consultation:
You can check what the room is trying to use by going to the cog in the top right (you might need to click 'continue without devices' first to enter the room)

If you're still seeing issues, please try clearing your cache and cookies.

Windows systems settings

This may also be related to your computer's camera and microphone settings. See the Windows section of this article to learn how to tweak your computer's camera and microphone settings in your computer's Windows settings.

If you have any questions, chat with our support team. We're always happy to help! πŸ‘‰

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