If participants can’t hear you, or you can’t hear any sound from your device during a session, there may be an issue with your speaker or microphone. Follow the steps below to ensure that your speaker and microphone are working properly.
💡 Top Tips for fixing Audio:
Most issues related to audio and webcam can often be resolved by refreshing the page or by restarting your browser application
Chrome is the recommended browser for Sana, however we support Edge and Safari too. Make sure your browser is always updated to the latest version
Ensure permissions have been granted to your microphone (see here)
Testing your setup
In the pre-lobby, before joining your session, you can make sure that everything is set up correctly for a smooth experience. If it is the first time you are joining a Sana Live session, or if joining as a guest, you will be asked to give permission to your microphone and camera. In most browsers, this will appear in the top left corner of your browser window.
When permissions have been given, you are able to configure and test your setup underneath your video tile:
Under the video feed you will find 3 options:
Camera: Choose the preferable camera on the left dropdown menu
Microphone: Choose the preferable microphone on the middle dropdown
Test that your microphone is working by checking the audio icon moves in the lower left corner of the video tile
Speaker: Click 'Test speaker' and check if you can hear the sound
Note that your microphone might be different from your speaker. Unfortunately, we can not control the speaker settings, so this has to be configured on your browser or desktop.
If you can not configure your setup properly, we recommend you continue reading this page for troubleshooting.
You can also test that your microphone and camera is working correctly with your browser by going to https://webcammictest.com/, see further instructions here.
Testing your microphone with your browser
First off, let’s test your microphone set up is working correctly with your browser:
Go to webcammictest.com
Allow permission to access your microphone (if a request prompt appears)
Go to the input/output settings on the right of the webpage and select the correct microphone input
Click Record make some test noises and click Stop
The video will playback and you should hear the audio
If there is recorded audio please read through the rest of the article.
If you cannot hear audio, go to Have I granted access to my mic.
Did you get a Device not found message during this test? Have you already tried restarting your browser? If you also need assistance with your camera, go to Video and camera on Sana Live for more help.
Troubleshooting errors
Not giving permission to access the mic
If you see the message "We can't access your microphone", this is most probably due to the fact that we don't have permission to access it.
Browsers often require your permission to access the microphone and webcam for each new website you enter. If access was not granted for a website, you can update it by following the steps for your browser below:
On Chrome and Edge:
Click the lock (or slider in recently updated browser versions) icon next to the Sana URL in the browser address bar
Switch on the ‘Camera’ & ‘Microphone’ if it is not turned on
On Safari:
Click Safari -> Settings for yourcompany.sana.ai... in the top bar
Make sure Camera and Microphone are set to Allow
I have given permission, but I still see the error...
If you have given permission to your microphone, but you still see the message "We can't access your microphone", this is most likely due to the microphone being used in another program on your device. In order for the browser and Sana Live to access it properly, you need to close any other tabs or programs that might be using it.
Here is what you can do:
Double-check check you have given Sana Live permission to access your microphone and camera (see more here on how to enable)
Force quit and restart your browser
Check if other applications are using your microphone and camera - if so, close the applications or browser tabs.
Can't connect to the right microphone
If you see the message "We can't connect to the microphone", this is probably due to the browser and Sana Live can't find microphone devices to connect to. This might happen if you disconnect a microphone or if you initially chose a microphone that is no longer available.
Here is what you can do:
Make sure your preferred microphone is properly connected to your device
Check the selected microphone options in the dropdown by clicking on Settings (‘3 dot menu’ button) in the toolbar and going to the audio tab. Make sure the microphone of choice is selected (see more here)
If the above does not work, we recommend:
Force quit and restart your browser
Try using another microphone
Check if other applications are using your microphone and camera - if so, close the applications or browser tabs.
Microphone is not working
If your microphone is not working properly, you might see a message "Microphone is not picking up any audio". This means that we are not picking up any audio from the microphone when you are unmuted.
Here is what you can do:
Make sure your preferred microphone is properly connected to your device
Check the selected microphone options in the dropdown by clicking on Settings (‘3 dot menu’ button) in the toolbar and going to the Audio tab. Make sure the microphone of choice is selected (see more here)
Check the audio levels of the chosen microphone. The Audio Level bar should be moving if we can pick up any sound.
If the above does not work, we recommend:
Disconnect and connect the microphone
Try using a different microphone
I can't hear others
💡 Tip: Restarting your computer and browser are usually the first steps we recommend
As a browser application, Sana Live can not control the speaker, unfortunately. You can test your speaker however in the pre-lobby before joining your session, see more here.
You can also test that the speaker is correctly set with the browser in general:
Open a new browser tab and test your output audio here https://webcammictest.com/test-headphones.html
Click the play button
A sound should play from your speakers/headphones
If you can hear the audio go to Check if the browser tab is muted
If you cannot hear the audio go to Check my computer's microphone or speaker settings
Note: You might experience temporary sound issues if you have a poor network connection.
Others can't hear me
The first thing to check for is to see if you are unmuted and if there are any errors. The errors usually appear in the lower toolbar, and you can check the steps to follow for each error below:
We can't access your microphone
We can't connect to the microphone
Microphone is not picking up any audio
We also recommend you check the selected microphone (link) in Settings and the computer's microphone settings (link).
Note: You might experience temporary sound issues if you have a poor network connection.
If you’re currently in a Sana Live session
Check the selected microphone in Sana Live
💡 Tip: This can only be checked in a Sana Live session or in the pre-lobby before clicking ‘Join’!
Follow these steps to check your Sana Live setup:
Find the toolbar at the bottom of the screen
Click the ‘3 dot menu’ button
Select Audio tab
Check the Microphone selected and change if necessary
Audio Level - here you can also check your audio level from the selected microphone to make sure it's really picking up any sound.
Tip: In the Video tab you can also check your Webcam settings
Check my computer's microphone or speaker settings
Let’s check if your microphone is correctly set up with your computer.
In this section:
Check my computer permissions for Mac
Check my computer permissions for Windows
Checking my computer's input and output settings:
Mac
Go to System Preferences
Sound
Input. Check the correct microphone input is selected*
Windows
Go to Start
Settings
System
Sound
Input. Check the correct microphone input is selected*
💡 Tip: If you are using headphones for your microphone it is recommended to set the device as the input and output
*Restart your browser if you updated your settings
Check my computer permissions
Browsers and other applications often require permission from your computer to use your microphone and webcam. If access has not been granted this needs to be updated. Check your settings below:
Mac
Go to System Preferences
Privacy & Security
Microphone. Check the browser you’re using has the switch turned on*
Windows
Go to Start
Settings
Privacy
Microphone. Check 'Allow desktop apps to access your microphone' is turned on and that the browser you are using is in the list of approved applications*
*Restart your browser if you updated your settings
If you’re not currently in a Sana Live session
Check the following:
Understand if it's a hardware problem
Let’s check if your audio output (headphones/speakers) are correctly set up with your computer. This involves checking your audio output settings, see below:
Mac
Go to System Preferences
Sound
Output. Check the correct output device is selected*
Windows
Go to Start
Settings
System
Sound
Output. Check the correct output device is selected*
*Restart your browser if you updated your settings
Tip: If you select Input (instead of Output) you can check your microphone settings
Sound is choppy, how can I improve stability with the connection I have?
If your sound is choppy, this might be due to you or others in the session having an unstable internet connection.
If you can't connect to a stable network, change the settings as follows may improve the performance of the session
Go to the toolbar at the bottom of the screen
Click the 3 dot menu button
In the Video tab choose Audio only.
If nothing above works...
Refresh the browser by clicking the refresh button ⟳ in your browser toolbar. Alternatively, you can press "Ctrl" and "F5" on PC, or "Cmd" and "R" on Mac to force refresh your browser
Force quit the browser application and re-open the browser application by pressing "Alt" and "F4" on PC, or “Option” and “Command” and “Esc” on Mac to close the application, and click the browser application to re-open it
Upgrade the browser to the latest version
Disable Adblock
Try joining another browser
If joining from Windows, make sure all other applications, browsers or tabs that could use your camera are closed
More troubleshooting tips for Windows users
Check the following:
Search Windows Audio Troubleshooter in the search bar, open and click ‘Find and fix audio playback problems’ then follow the prompts
Open the Volume mixer (by right clicking the speakers icon in the lower toolbar) and check the volume controls for the headphones (make sure it's not muted)
Check the headphones properties in Start > Settings > System > Sound. Select the headphones in the dropdown. Check the settings in Device properties.
Go to Start > Settings > System > Sound, you can click the Advanced sound options and see the options there.
Check if the browser tab is muted
If your output audio isn’t working it’s possible the browser tab is muted
For example with Chrome see below: (other browsers work similarly)
Right click the browser tab
If it is muted, an option to ‘Unmute Site’ will be listed in the options in the image below: