If you’re testing your set-up and encountering issues with your camera, microphone, or sound, try some of the troubleshooting methods listed below.
Camera issues
- Quit Chrome or Edge and open a new browsing session. When in doubt, refreshing your browser is always a good first step.
- Use a different browser. If you're attempting to complete your pre-test or join a session in Chrome, try it in Edge (or vice versa).
- Make sure nothing is blocking your camera. We’re all human. You might not see anything (or a black screen) in your camera test because something is literally blocking it.
- Make sure you’ve selected the correct camera. Newer models of laptops and computers come with internal cameras. If you’re using an external camera (i.e. one that you plug into your computer using a USB port), you may have to choose that camera instead of your computer’s internal camera.
- Close out any other applications that may be using your camera. There may be another program that is actively using your camera. Please make sure you close out any of those programs.
- Test your camera on another Chrome- or Edge-based video application. If you have access to a gmail account, you can test your camera on Google Hangouts, which is another video-conferencing tool.
Pro tip: Did none of these methods help? Maybe your issue is with permissions. Please make sure that you’ve given Dscout permission to access your camera. Read more about how to do that here.
Microphone issues
- Quit Chrome or Edge and open a new browsing session. When in doubt, refreshing your browser is always a good first step.
- Use a different browser. If you're attempting to complete your pre-test or join a session in Chrome, try it in Edge (or vice versa).
- Are your headphones plugged in? The Dscout app may sometimes not recognize your microphone if you have your headphones plugged into the auxiliary jack. Unplug the headphones and see if that lets Dscout recognize your microphone.
- Disable Bluetooth. Your computer may be connected to a Bluetooth device that's not nearby; disable Bluetooth to see if connecting via your computer's microphone helps.
- Try saying something! When you test your set-up, the microphone portion of your test will pass if your microphone picks up any sound. This test is very sensitive, so try saying something aloud and see if that fixes the issue.
- Make sure you’ve selected the correct microphone. Newer models of laptops and computers come with internal microphones. However, if you’re using an external microphone (such as one connected to a headset or one that you plug into the USB port), you may have to manually select that microphone during set-up.
- Double check your computer’s microphone settings. Maybe you haven’t enabled your microphone or there’s something wrong with your computer’s internal settings. Please double check them and try again.
Pro tip: Did none of these methods help? Maybe your issue is with permissions. Please make sure that you’ve given Dscout permission to access your microphone. Read more about how to do that here.
Sound issues
- Quit Chrome or Edge and open a new browsing session. When in doubt, refreshing your browser is always a good first step.
- Test your audio in the pre-test. To test your sound, simply click on the blue button that says TEST. You should hear a little chime coming from your computer’s speakers.
- Make sure you’ve selected the correct speakers. Newer computer and laptop models may come with internal speakers. However, if you’re using external speakers, please make sure you’ve selected those from the dropdown menu. You can also unplug and replug your external speakers if necessary.
- Are your headphones plugged in? Try unplugging your headphones to see if you’re able to hear your moderator(s) better.
- Disable Bluetooth. Your computer may be connected to a Bluetooth device that's not nearby; disable Bluetooth to see if connecting via your computer's speakers helps.
- Check your computer’s volume settings. Maybe your volume is not turned up loud enough for you to hear.