Troubleshooting: Camera & Microphone Connections

Troubleshooting Camera Issues


Device limitations and pre-troubleshooting steps

Only one application at a time can access your camera, specifically on Windows. Prior to troubleshooting, we recommend restarting your computer to make sure no other applications are accessing your camera.

We also recommend clearing your cache/cookies prior to troubleshooting. These two things will solve most issues, so they're important steps to complete first. Please follow this guide for instructions on Clearing Cache and Cookies. Thank you!

Before continuing

In most cases, you will just need to enable your camera or microphone in the browser. For instructions on how to do that, please review our Enabling your camera and microphone guide.

If you've already reviewed that guide and you're still unable to connect your camera/microphone, please continue.

Important Note - iFrames

If you are using GoReact in an LMS (Canvas, Blackboard, etc.) and the GoReact tool is loading in an iFrame (nested in the same tab as the LMS), then GoReact may be unable to access your camera and microphone in certain browsers. If this is the case, try using Firefox specifically, or ask your instructor to change the setting so the tool opens in a new tab/window.

General Troubleshooting


GoReact is reliant on your device, operating system (OS), and browser settings to properly connect to your camera or microphone. Please review the following guide for detailed instructions on making sure all of those settings are properly set to "allow".

Please follow these general steps to see if it helps you toward a quick resolution:

  1. Check that the camera is plugged in (external cameras) and turned on (some webcams can be toggled on and off by a button near the camera or on the keyboard).
  2. Make sure that there's nothing blocking your camera, like a slider or piece of tape.
  3. Check that your camera works in other non-browser applications (such as Camera, Skype, Photobooth, or Facetime).
  4. Check that your camera works in other websites such as Google Meet.
  5. Try recording in GoReact in a different browser. Our supported browsers are Firefox, Chrome, Edge, and Safari.
  6. Close other applications and/or browser tabs that could be accessing the camera.  Only one application at a time can access your camera.
  7. Check your antivirus software for settings related to blocking access or permission to use your webcam. For help, visit your antivirus software company’s website.

Troubleshooting operating system (OS) settings


Please follow these steps to verify that your operating system (OS) has "allowed" your camera or microphone to be accessed by your browser

Verifying your Windows operating system (OS) settings


  1. Please follow these steps outlined by Microsoft: Manage app permissions for your camera in Windows .

From there, try accessing recording in GoReact again.

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