Troubleshooting Audio Issues During a Call
This article will focus on possible solutions when the audio on a Streem Call isn't working as expected. You can jump to a section by clicking one of the following links:
- Customer can't hear expert
- Expert can't hear customer
- Distorted Audio or Echo
- General Troubleshooting
Customer Can't Hear Expert
If you can hear your customer but your customer can't hear you (or they can but it's quiet or spotty), you can try to troubleshoot the issue by working through these steps below.
Permissions and Microphone Selection:
You must give Streem permission to access your microphone in order to capture the sound and share it with your customer. This can be checked in your browser privacy settings and you can see more here.
You can also choose which microphone you want Streem to use using the device selector while on a live call. Click the down arrow next to the microphone to bring up your options for both speaker and microphone:
Headphones for the Customer:
Headphones are a common solution to audio issues in general. Having your customer put headphones in can immediately solve some issues that may be caused by the speaker output. This is especially helpful for echo and quiet audio problems.
Refresh Browser Page:
A simple refresh of a web page can fix audio issues. Your customer may try clicking the refresh button in their browser's URL bar or pulling down on the screen to refresh the browser and the Streem connection. You may temporarily lose connection while it restarts.
Updated Mobile Browser and Operating System:
Ensure your customer is using an updated operating system and a preferred browser. Android phones should use Google Chrome and iPhones should use Safari. Browsers such as Samsung can cause difficulty and are unsupported.
Expert Can't Hear Customer
If you can't hear your customer but they can hear you, please try the following things:
Customer Microphone Permissions:
Ensure your customer has approved Streem's request for permission to access their microphone via their web browser. This can be toggled both in their browser privacy settings as well as the phone's general settings.
Audio Already in Use/On a Phone Call:
Streem tries to capture the microphone if it's already in use by another app, but the quality is best if only one app has the access at a time. This may mean asking your customer to close other apps. Additionally, end any phone calls you're on prior to your customer starting the Streem call for ease.
Speaker selection:
You can choose which speaker you want Streem to use by using the device selector. Click the down arrow next to the microphone to bring up your options for both speaker and microphone.
Distorted Audio or Echo:
Expert Hears Echo:
If you are hearing your own voice as the expert, having your customer use headphones will solve the issue. They can also mute their side of the call when you are talking. Otherwise, a new invite link should be attempted.
Customer Hears Distorted Audio
If your customer hears your voice but it sounds distorted (like a robot or chipmunk), something has gone wrong with the call. Ensure network connection is strong, and it is best to send a new invite link.
General Troubleshooting:
Strong Network Connection:
A strong network is required for clear audio, and network quality and latency can quickly affect the sound quality. Please ensure both you and your customer have the best connection possible. This may mean closing other apps, moving closer to the WiFi router, switching to Data, and having the customer move as little as possible.
Third-party Calling Software:
If your workflow includes having your customer on the phone through a tool such as Avaya, you may also try muting the Streem call on both sides so they can hear your phone call. Alternatively, you may try ending the phone call (if able) so the audio is only used by Streem.