However, in some cases Whereby won't detect a cam or mic, or the device selection. Skype or Google Hangouts can cause Whereby to be unable to access the cam/mic. In this case, the first thing to check on is if your browser is up to date. In MacOS Mojave, Apple has introduced some system-level privacy controls for. This morning, you open Google Hangouts to start a phone call or video call with your family, friends or workmates. But unfortunately, the one your are calling can't hear you. That's because your Google Hangouts microphone stops working. Don't be frustrated. You can fix it and enjoy the call on Google Hangouts again.
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Beginning an audio conversation only to discover that your headphones or microphone aren't working properly can be annoying, causing frustration for you and the person you're talking to. Do a headphone sound test and ensure that your microphone and headphones are working properly before you begin using Windows' audio controls. Some Internet voice and video chat programs, such as Skype, also have an option to test your audio devices before a call.
Test Headphones and Mic
Hook Up Your Headphones
Connect the microphone and headphones to the microphone and headphone sockets on your computer to test the mic on your PC. These will be typically labeled with icons representing a microphone for the microphone socket and headphones for the headphones socket. If you're using headphones in place of speakers, connect your headphones to the line out socket.
On a laptop or a set of speakers with a headphone socket, the headphone socket will be marked with an icon in the shape of a set of headphones. Some sockets and some headphone and microphone jacks are also color coded, usually green for headphones and the line out jack and pink for the microphone.
Don't plug your headphones into the line out socket if you're using speakers. Use a headphone socket at the front of your computer or a socket marked specifically for use with headphones.
Load Media Player Software
Launch your media player software. You can do this from the list of programs in the Start menu or from a desktop or taskbar icon associated with that particular program. Select the audio track you want to play from the media player's library. You can also double-click the audio track in Windows Explorer to launch your default media player and play the track automatically. You should hear the audio track through your headphones.
Select Your Microphone
Turn on your microphone if the mic has an On button on its body . Open the Start menu and then navigate to 'Settings,' then click 'System' and 'Sound.' Select your microphone under 'Input' if it's not already selected.
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Speak Into the Microphone
Speak into your microphone. You should see an indicator of the sound level under 'Test Your Microphone.' If you don't, try clicking the 'Troubleshoot' button for assistance from Windows.
Voice Chat Test Options
Load Your Chat Tool
Launch a voice chat service that allows test calls, such as Skype. Log in with your username and password, if applicable.
Check Your Sound Levels
Open the menu for sound levels. This will be slightly different depending on what service you're using, but is typically called something like Audio Settings and may be found under Tools. Make sure the headphones and microphone are enabled. Save your settings.
Make a Test Call
Activate the Test Call or similar feature. Typically you do this by selecting a dummy contact labeled Test Call or something similar from your contacts list, and then initiate a call. When you speak into the microphone, you should be able to hear your voice played back over the headphones.
Debugging Headphone Issues
If you're using USB headphones and can't hear any sound, try removing the headphones and quitting whatever audio application you're using. Wait a few seconds and then reconnect the headphones and re-launch the application. Your problem may have been resulting from a temporary glitch with the program.
If you're having trouble with headphones or a microphone, try disconnecting them and using the speaker or microphone built into your computer. If you still can't get sound, it may be a software problem. If it works correctly, try using the headphones or microphone with another device to see if you still are having difficulties.
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About the Author
Clare Edwards has been providing Internet content since 1998. She has written and translated for a variety of markets: everything from technical articles to short fiction and essays on alternative spirituality. She holds a certificate of higher education in electronics and audio arts from Middlesex University.
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By clicking on the Cam/Mic button in your room, you can select the microphone or camera that you'd like to use for your meeting. However, in some cases Whereby won't detect a cam or mic, or the device selection won't save. In these cases, there are a few things you can do get everything working again!
In this article
For some users, we've found that having another video conferencing program open like Skype or Google Hangouts can cause Whereby to be unable to access the cam/mic. If your cam/mic buttons are greyed out, it's possible that this is what's causing the problem. In this case, the first thing to check on is if your browser is up to date. We support the most recent versions of our supported browsers, so double check that there isn't an update for the one you're using! There are links below that walk you through updating your browser if you don't know how to:
- Microsoft Edge - This browser is updated automatically when you update Windows
Note
If you are using an older operating system like Windows Vista or XP, these no longer have support from Microsoft or browser teams like the Chrome and Firefox; and they won't be able to run an up-to-date browser. In these situations we highly recommend you update your operating system to a more current version.
If your browser is up-to-date, it's possible that this is caused by a stale mic/cam permissions cookie, or possibly because of another application that's taking priority access over Whereby.
In this case we recommend clearing your cache and cookies for your entire browser and then restarting your computer. Sometimes a reset of your system environment will resolve these types of issues, so this is a 'catch-all' solution before further investigation is required. Instructions for clearing your cache and cookies for our supported browsers are linked below:
If resetting the system environment doesn't solve the problems you can try the below items to resolve the issue!
Confirm the Microphone/Camera settings for your operating system
MacOS 10.14 (Mojave) and newer
In MacOS Mojave, Apple has introduced some system-level privacy controls for your mic and camera. These are great for privacy, but it is possible that your browser was mistakenly blocked from accessing your devices. You can check on this and allow your browser to access them from the Security & Privacy section in your System Preferences.
To access these settings, do the following:
- Click on the apple in the top left > select System Preferences
- Click on the Security & Privacy section
- Click on Camera in the list of options, and tick the box next to your browser to allow access
- Repeat Step 3 for your Microphone
- After doing this, restart your browser for the updates to take effect
MacOS 10.13 (High Sierra) and older
If you use an older version of MacOS, there are not system level permission for your camera, and instead MacOS will default to the settings on the application level. However if your mic selection isn't sticking, there is a system level control of your mic. You can access this by clicking on the Apple in the top left corner of the screen and selecting System Preferences. From here, click on Sound and then select the Input tab. This area will list all input devices that are available, and you can set the default as necessary.
Windows 10
In Windows 10, you're able to set a default Microphone, but there are also system-level Camera permissions on what applications can access your camera. For either of these settings, the first thing to do is open up your system settings by clicking on the Start menu and selecting the Settings gear.
Default Mic
You can adjust the microphone settings by typing 'Mic' into the search bar and going to the Sound settings. Scroll down to Input and use the dropdown to select the proper input device
Camera Permissions
Camera permissions can be accessed by typing 'Cam' into the search bar. These settings are under your general Privacy settings, but search is the easiest way to access them. From here, be sure that your browser has permission to access your camera.
Confirm the Mic/Cam settings for your browser
Google Chrome
Mic and Cam defaults can be accessed in a number of ways in Chrome, but the easiest is to paste the following links into your URL bar:
Cam: chrome://settings/content/camera
Mic: chrome://settings/content/microphone
From these areas, you can manage the default cam/mic for Chrome, and also whitelist or block websites from accessing your cam/mic! Be sure that Whereby is listed under the Allow section.
Mozilla Firefox
In Firefox, you can also use a URL link to get to your privacy settings. Start by going to about:preferences#privacy, and then looking under the Permissions section. Here you can adjust which websites are allowed to use your camera, and you'll want to see Whereby listed as Allow.
To adjust which camera or microphone Firefox is accessing, you'll need to go into a Whereby room. From here, click on the icon that's just to the left of your URL bar, and you'll have a dropdown menu where you can select the camera you want to use.
Opera
In Opera you can get to settings by typing ' settings' into your URL bar. From here, click on Websites in the left hand menu list. Then scroll down to the Microphone and Camera area, and use the dropdown menus to select the default devices. You can also adjust your permissions preferences and set up Exceptions as necessary.