If you're having issues enabling your Microphone or Webcam for use in the classroom, the cause is likely one or both of the following:
- You have not granted Engageli.com access to your mic/webcam. This is configured within your web browser permissions.
- You have not granted your web browser access to your mic/webcam. This is configured within your operating system permissions (e.g. Windows, macOS, ChromeOS).
- Security software is blocking access to your mic/webcam. This could be a browser extension or software installed on your computer.
This article will walk you through addressing all the above issues.
Browser Permissions
This section will walk you through configuring your browser permissions to grant Engageli.com access to your mic/webcam. We'll focus on Chrome, but the process is more or less the same for any Chromium-based browser, such as Microsoft Edge or Brave.
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When you are at your classroom lobby or inside the classroom, look for the URL bar at the top of the page and click the icon to the left of it, as highlighted below:
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Once you click the icon, a permissions window will appear. Look for the "Camera" and "Microphone" permissions. If you do not see both of the permissions, try refreshing the page. If the permissions are grayed out or set to "Block", that means they are disabled. In Chrome, you can click the corresponding switches to enable them, as shown below:
You may also see dropdowns, instead of switches, as is the case with Microsoft Edge. Below is a screenshot of the permissions window from Microsoft Edge--you'll want to set both dropdown values to "Allow":
- Once you have enabled the permissions, refresh the page for the changes to take effect.
Operating System Permissions
This section will walk you through configuring your operating system permissions to grant your web browser access to your mic/webcam. We've provided instructions for Windows, macOS, and ChromeOS. Please review the article that is relevant to the operating system you are using.
Windows System Permissions
This section will walk you through configuring your Windows system preferences to grant your web browser access to your mic/webcam.
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Click the Windows Start Menu, then click on the "Settings" icon, as shown below.
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In the System Settings page that opens, look for "Privacy" and click it. Below is an image for reference:
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In the Privacy area of your settings, scroll down to the "App permissions" section and look for "Camera", then click it. We've provided an image below for reference. In the image, notice that "Microphone" is also found in this section.
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Under the Camera settings, verify that you have enabled the "Camera access for this device" permission, as shown below:
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On the same page, confirm that the "Allow apps to access your camera" permission is enabled. Example image below:
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Finally, on the same page, make sure the "Allow desktop apps to access your camera" permission is enabled, as shown below.
- Once you are done, repeat the same steps for the "Microphone" settings.
macOS System Permissions
This section will walk you through configuring your macOS system preferences to grant your web browser access to your mic/webcam.
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Click the Apple Logo at the top-left of your screen, then click "System Preferences...", as shown below.
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In the System Preferences page that opens, look for "Security & Privacy" and click it. Below is an image for reference:
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In the Security & Privacy area of your preferences, navigate to the "Privacy" tab. From here, look for the "Camera" option in the left-hand list and click it. We've provided an image below of where to find the "Camera" option. In the image, notice that "Microphone" is also found in this area.
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Under the Camera preferences, verify that the checkbox next to your web browser is marked. If you have multiple browsers, consider enabling all of them. Below is a reference image showing multiple browsers enabled.
Note: If your browser does not appear in the list, it means you have not attempted to use Engageli in that browser, yet. Only browsers that have attempted to request access to your camera will appear here. - Once you are done, repeat the same steps for the "Microphone" preferences.
- After you have configured the preferences for your Camera and Microphone, you will need to quit and re-open your browser. If you continue to have issues, try restarting your computer to ensure the settings have taken effect.
ChromeOS System Permissions
This section will walk you through configuring your ChromeOS system preferences to grant your web browser access to your mic/webcam.
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Click the Launcher button at the bottom-left of your screen, then search for and select "Privacy and security", as shown below:
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In the Settings page that opens, look for "Privacy controls" and click on it. Below is an image for reference:
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In the subsequent "Privacy controls" screen, look for both the "Camera access" and "Microphone access" entries and ensure they are enabled. The below screenshot is an example of how these two settings should look when enabled:
Security Software
If you have reviewed your browser and operating system permissions and continue to have issues granting access to your mic/webcam, consider doing the below:
- Disable all browser extensions. Certain browser extensions, especially security-related ones, can interfere with mic/webcam access. For purposes of troubleshooting the issue, try disabling all of them to see if that resolves the problem. Alternatively, try running the browser in private/incognito mode, as this mode will often automatically disable all browser extensions.
- Disable all security software running on the computer. Similar to the issue with browser extensions, security-related software running on your computer can interfere with mic/webcam access. For purposes of troubleshooting the issue, try disabling all of them to see if that resolves the problem.
If you continue to experience issues after these steps, please review the below articles for additional, in-depth troubleshooting:
Audio Issues Troubleshooting Guide
Camera Issues Troubleshooting Guide