If one participant can’t see the other, the person whose camera appears not to be working should try the following steps to resolve this.
Some Basics: #
- Webcam connected? – Many devices now have webcams built in, but if yours doesn’t, then ensure that you have a separate webcam connected to your device
- Something covering the camera lens? – Make sure that your camera lens is not covered or blocked by anything.
- Refresh browser – Occasionally web browsers can fail to find the webcam on your computer. Refreshing the web page or closing the web browser completely and starting it again may fix this
- Close other applications that use your camera – if you have another program like Zoom already using your camera this can prevent Bilateral Base from accessing it. Close the other program and then try again.
- Restart your computer – especially if you haven’t done so in a while
Web Browser Access To Camera? #
When you first started an online session, you will have been asked to give permission for your web browser to access your camera. If you didn’t allow this, you will need to go into the browser settings to allow this. Go to https://app.bilateralbase.com/pre-call-test when you reach the camera test, you will see instructions suitable for your browser on how to allow the web browser to access your camera
Operating System Allowing Camera Access? #
Your operating system may have privacy features that are preventing access to your camera.
For Windows: #
- Go to Start menu > Settings > Privacy.
- Click Camera in the left sidebar and then turn on access for the web browser that needs to use the camera.
- If this option is greyed out, make sure Let apps use my camera hardware is turned on.
- (While you’re here) Click Microphone in the left sidebar and then turn on access for the app that needs to use the mic.
- If this option is greyed out, make sure Let apps use my microphone is turned on
For Mac: #
- Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy tab.
- Unlock (click) the lock icon in the lower-left to allow you to make changes to your preferences.
- Click Camera in the left sidebar and then select the checkbox next to the web browser that needs camera access.
- Click Microphone in the left sidebar and then select the checkbox next to the web browser that needs mic access.
- Also check System Preferences > Screentime >Content & Privacy
- If it is switched on, go to App Restrictions
- Ensure “Allow Camera” is switched on
Other Things To Try: #
- Try opening your session in an incognito window – this can sometimes resolve camera issues as it prevents any extensions you have running in your browser from potentially blocking access to you webcam. See ‘How to open incognito window‘ (this is for chrome but it’s very similar in other browsers).
- Check antivirus and firewall settings – make sure that Bilateral Base has proper permissions to access your camera. Or you can try temporarily disabling the antivirus/firewall on your computer to see if this resolves the issue. If it does but you need to know how set things up so it isn’t blocking your Bilateral Base session then contact us.
- Try a different browser – Switching to a different web browser is worth a try if you’re still struggling to get your camera to work. We support Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari for PC/Mac
Update 8th October 2023 – MacOS 14 Sonoma Webcam Issues #
If you have just updated your Mac to OS14 (Sonoma) we’ve had reports of users cameras no longer working in Safari. We’ve been investigating this.
Apple have introduced a bug in their latest versions of MacOS (Sonoma) & Safari which means that the camera can’t be accessed within Safari on any website. Sadly this is outside our control and Apple need to fix the error they have introduced.
Until Apple resolve this you will need to use a different browser to access Bilateral Base (or any other website that uses your webcam).
When opening a session, if you either don’t see the “Allow Camera” option or you receive an error message in Safari, please download and use the Google Chrome Browser (recommended) or Firefox Browser and use that to join your session.
Please contact our support team if you still are unable to get your camera working on MacOS Sonoma and we’ll be happy to help.
