What to do if audio/video quality is inadequate? (as a notary)

If you are unable to establish an adequate audio/video connection, you will need to terminate the session. Before terminating, you can try troubleshooting with you and your signer using the tools below.

There are a few things that can cause your Audio & Video check to not connect. Usually they will pertain to either your browser settings or system settings. Often times a simple refresh will suffice.

The most common scenarios in which this is seen:
Audio or Video Connections being blocked by the browser
Old machines
Not having permission in your system settings (Mac & Windows)
Not searching for the right camera in system settings. (Mac & Windows)
Dual Monitors
More than 1 Webcam attached to the same computer
Use of OBS or Recording Software

3 Potential Solutions

Check if you are using some VPN and turn off the VPN
Make sure you are not behind some firewall (like Office Firewall, Country Firewall)
Make sure no other video call is going on in Google Meet / Zoom / Microsoft Teams or any other video calling software (specifically if on a mobile phone)

Here are a few more potential Solutions to try first:

Browser check
How to change your default camera in Windows
How to manage apps accessing your mac's camera and microphone
How to change mic and webcam settings for Safari on Mobile OS

You can always test the quality from within your Session Simulator.

If all else fails, please try opening the Session in a separate browser like Edge or Firefox, although typically Chrome and Safari are kind of considered the gold standard here.

Updated on: 11/08/2023