> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getrivet.ca/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Client can't join session > What to send your client when the waiting-room link won't load — usually a browser update or a corporate firewall. When a client can't reach the session, it almost always falls into one of three buckets. Walk them through these in order — most cases resolve in under a minute. ## 1. Their browser is too old Rivet's waiting room needs a browser built since roughly 2020 (any recent Safari on iPhone or Mac, Chrome, Edge, Firefox). Older browsers lack the features the session needs; they'll load the page and show a "Couldn't start" message, or freeze at the pre-join screen. **Send them this:** > If the session won't load, please update your browser and try again. > On iPhone or iPad, update iOS in Settings → General → Software Update > (Safari updates with iOS). On a laptop, install the latest Chrome at > google.com/chrome. 99% of "won't load" reports are this. Update Chrome, retry, they're in. ## 2. They denied camera or mic permission earlier If they (or their kid, or whoever last used the device) tapped Block on a camera prompt for `getrivet.ca` in the past, the browser remembers and won't ask again. The waiting room loads but the video is black and the Join button can't proceed. **Send them this:** > Look for a small camera or lock icon in the address bar at the top of > your screen. Tap it, and change Camera and Microphone to **Allow**. > Then refresh the page. The exact wording differs by browser, but the lock-icon path works everywhere. On iPhone Safari, the fix is in Settings → Safari → Camera (Ask) and Microphone (Ask) instead. ## 3. They're on a corporate or hospital network that blocks video calls Some workplaces and hospitals block the network traffic browsers use for peer-to-peer video. Rivet has a fallback relay (a Canadian server that forwards encrypted call traffic when the direct route is blocked), and it kicks in automatically for most restrictive networks. But a small number of locked-down enterprise networks block even that. **Symptoms:** The pre-join screen works, they tap Join, the screen says "Connecting…" and stays there. **Send them this:** > Some workplace networks block video calls. Please try joining from > your phone's cellular data (turn off Wi-Fi for the moment) — that > almost always works. If they're on a phone, the cellular switch is the fastest fix. If they're on a desktop at work, hotspotting their phone is the workaround for that day, and a longer-term conversation about which network to use for sessions makes sense. ## What clients should be on, ideally If you can pick the environment for them ahead of session day, the combinations that work without fail are: * **iPhone or iPad, Safari, home Wi-Fi or cellular** — the most reliable setup. Safari on iPhone handles video sessions natively, no add-ons. * **Mac, Chrome or Safari, home Wi-Fi** — desktop video, full size, works first time almost always. * **Android phone, Chrome, cellular** — works without fuss in almost every case. * **Windows laptop, Chrome or Edge, home Wi-Fi** — works as long as Chrome/Edge are recent (within a year). What to avoid if possible: * A browser they haven't updated in two years. * Internet Explorer (too old for video sessions). * A school or hospital Wi-Fi if there's a cellular alternative. ## The thing that always works as a last resort If the session is starting in three minutes and nothing is working, end the video attempt and call them on the practice phone. Phone-line audio works on any phone with a signal, no browser involved. Reschedule the video session for next week and figure out their setup with more time. ## Related articles Once they're in but the audio is broken. Black screen and choppy video, on your side or theirs.