If your camera or microphone isn’t working, there are several things to check. Start by reloading the page and rejoining the lesson, which resets the connection and fixes many temporary issues. If that doesn’t help, work through the rest.
Use Google Chrome
Chrome is the browser most compatible with the online classroom. Camera and microphone problems are more common in other browsers like Safari, so if you’re having issues, switch to Chrome.
Check your camera and microphone are allowed
Make sure you’ve allowed access and selected the correct camera and microphone. For step-by-step help, see:
- “Always allow camera and microphone in Chrome”
- “Allow access to your camera in Safari”.
- “Enable camera and microphone access on Mac”.
Check it isn’t the camera or microphone itself
Try your camera or microphone in another application. If it doesn’t work there either, the problem is likely the device itself. You could try headphones instead of a built-in microphone.
Check no other app is using your camera or microphone
Other open applications, like Skype or Zoom, can block access. Close them, or turn your device off and on again to make sure nothing else is using the camera and microphone.
Try an incognito window
If your camera and microphone work in other applications, open the lesson space in an incognito window, or switch browsers. If it works in incognito, clear your cookies and cache to fix it going forward. To clear them in Chrome:
- Open your full browsing history (at the top of your screen on Mac, or Ctrl+H on Windows).
- Select Clear browsing data on the left.
- In the pop-up, tick Cookies and other data and Cached images and files, then select Clear data.
Update your drivers
If your webcam or microphone still isn’t working, this points to a driver issue. Search for updated drivers on the manufacturer’s website and install them.