Here are a few useful suggestions that you can try if you’re experiencing any trouble using Online Appointments for Groups.
1️⃣ Check to make sure you’re using the following browsers for the best experience…
- Chrome on a desktop computer or laptop.
- Default browsers (Chrome for Android devices and Safari for iOS devices) on a mobile device.
2️⃣ Update your Browser and Device
Before your call, check that your device and particularly your browser are up to date. Jane is constantly making changes both big and small, and so do browsers. Ensuring you’re on the latest version helps with a smooth call experience.
3️⃣ Check your internet speed
Check your internet connection at fast.com. You will need a result of 15Mbps or higher. If you’re seeing a number measured in Kbps, that’s not good news. If your internet connection isn’t great, you can try turning off the video or do an audio-only session.
4️⃣ Try changing the video call quality
By default, the call stands on Standard quality but you could try changing to Low Quality to stabilize a call. This is particularly helpful in low bandwidth situations
5️⃣ Ensure your audio/video is enabled in your browser
Browsers may require that you provide permission for a website to have access to your microphone or webcam. If you have recently enabled Online Appointments for Groups, you’ll have a new telehealth experience in your account and may need to provide the browser permission again.
You should be prompted at the beginning of your first call to provide permission, but if you don’t and experience issues, you can check your Chrome permissions manually. If you’re using Safari, you may need to choose to always give permission to Jane’s video by adjusting your Safari permission.
6️⃣ Check your computer’s security & privacy settings (macOS)
If you’re on an Apple computer and the other participant can’t see or hear you, you may need to adjust your computer’s security & privacy settings. You can adjust them on an Apple computer by opening your System Preferences > Security & Privacy.
Once inside, make sure the browser (Chrome) is given access to the Camera, Microphone, and Screen Recording (to enable screen share). You may need to restart your browser after changing this setting.
7️⃣ Close other applications
If you have several applications running at the same time, your Online Group Appointment may have to compete a bit harder to run at full capacity. Close any windows or applications that you are not currently using, especially those that may also require the use of your microphone or video.
8️⃣ Restart your device and plug in
Sometimes our computers and phones just need a quick restart to get back in tip-top shape. Try turning off your device and turning it back on to see if that helps improve the overall quality of the session. Video calls can also be quite demanding, so you’ll want to make sure that you are also plugged into a power source to make sure your device is charged and happy.
9️⃣ Exit then re-enter the call
If you and your client are having trouble joining the call or connecting with each other (e.g. both parties are on the call, but are unable to see/hear each other), both parties can try leaving the call and re-entering to see if that gives the connection a push in the right direction.
1️⃣0️⃣ Clear your browser’s cache
Your browser is constantly remembering things for you to improve your browsing experience. But like people, sometimes the browser has things that we’d like them to forget (like an old setting). To do that, you can clear the browser’s cache. Since we recommend using Chrome, here’s how you can do that:
- First, find the three vertical dots (…) button at the top-right of your Google Chrome browser
- Find Clear Browsing Data.
- Then choose the time range to remove. To remove everything, click the dropdown and select All time.
- Make sure “Cookies and other site data” and “Cached images and files” are checked off as well.
- When you’re done, click Clear Data at the bottom of the window.
1️⃣1️⃣ Review your Chrome extensions and plugins
Extensions and plugins provide your browser with extra functionality, enabling you to be more productive with your time online. Since these are designed to supplement and modify the standard behaviour of your browser, they may impact how your browser behaves when trying to access your camera, microphone, or join a call. A good test to know if extensions are an issue is to try in Incognito mode. If it works, then extensions are a likely culprit.
1️⃣2️⃣ Temporarily disable ad-blockers and firewalls
Ad blocker extensions in your browser are great at preventing unwanted pop-ups from appearing— however, they might be doing their job a bit too well! Certain ad blockers may prevent the transmission of data between you and the person you are speaking with, which may result in both participants not being able to interact with each other despite being on the same call at the same time. If you run into this issue, temporarily disabling any ad blockers in your browser, then restarting the call might do the trick!
💡Pro-Tip: Certain ad blockers will allow you to whitelist certain websites, but remain active as you continue to explore the rest of the internet. This will save you some time from toggling on/off your ad blocker every time you wish to join a video session. While each ad blocker is a little bit different, here is an example of what whitelisting might look like:
You may also experience a similar issue if you have a firewall software like Kasperski Internet Security, McAfee LiveSafe, or Bitdefender, installed on your device. Try temporarily disabling this application for the duration of the call and rejoining the conference.