Video session troubleshooting

A handful of issues account for the majority of mid-session problems. What follows is the fast list. For deeper coverage of each category, the global Troubleshooting section has dedicated pages.

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The client can’t join

Almost always one of:

• They opened the link in an in-app browser. The browser inside Instagram, Facebook Messenger, or Gmail often blocks camera access. Tell them to tap the three-dot menu and choose Open in Browser or Open in Safari/Chrome.
• They denied camera or mic permission. The first time the prompt appears, some people tap Block instinctively. Have them refresh the page and allow access this time.
• Their phone is on Low Power Mode (iOS) or Battery Saver (Android) which can block media. Have them turn it off.
• They’re on a corporate or hospital network that’s blocking the WebRTC ports. Rare for therapy clients, common for clients tapping the link from a workplace. Switch to mobile data.

Full coverage: Client can’t join.

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Echo (you hear yourself, or they hear themselves)

Echo is one side’s mic picking up the other side’s audio coming out of their own speakers. The fix is always headphones on the echoing side:

• You hear an echo of your own voice → the client’s mic is picking up your voice from their speakers. Ask them to put on headphones.
• They report hearing themselves → your mic is picking up their voice from your speakers. Put on headphones.
• Low-grade echo even with headphones → one side’s speakers are bleeding into the headset mic. Lower speaker volume on the echoing side.

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Choppy or frozen video

WebRTC silently adapts to bandwidth — when the network gets bad, video quality drops first, then frame rate, then connection. If you’re seeing freezes:

• Refresh both browsers. The fastest reset. WebRTC connections are cleanly re-established when both sides reconnect.
• Switch from WiFi to ethernet if you have the option. A USB-C to ethernet adapter ($20) is the single best video-quality investment for a home office.
• Close other tabs and apps using the camera or eating bandwidth.
• Check whether someone else on your network is streaming or downloading. Pause it.

Full coverage: Video issues.

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No audio at all on one side

Common causes in order of frequency:

• The wrong microphone is selected. Browsers default to the system’s default mic, which may not be what you want. Open browser site settings, pick the right input device, refresh.
• A paired iPhone is hijacking the mic (macOS Continuity). If you’re on a Mac with a paired iPhone nearby, the iPhone can become the default mic. Sleep the iPhone, turn off Bluetooth, or disable Continuity Camera in System Settings.
• Camera and mic permission were revoked. Browser settings → site permissions → re-enable.

Rivet shows a small “No mic input detected” warning if your mic has been at literal silence for 8+ seconds. If you see it, the mic isn’t picking anything up. Full coverage: Audio issues.

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Camera not detected

A handful of fixes, in order:

• Close other apps using the camera. Zoom, Teams, FaceTime, Photo Booth — only one app can hold the camera at a time on most operating systems.
• Check browser permissions. Settings → Privacy → Camera → make sure the browser is allowed.
• Restart the browser (a full quit, not just the tab).
• Restart the laptop if the camera is still missing.

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”Couldn’t start”

The pre-join screen shows “Couldn’t start” when the browser can’t get camera or mic access at all. The fix is almost always permissions or another app holding the camera. See the previous section.

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The whiteboard or EMDR isn’t loading

The clinical surfaces depend on the screen-share path being available. A few rare causes for them not loading:

• The browser doesn’t support screen capture. Some older browser versions (very old Safari) don’t expose screen capture. Update the browser.
• A browser extension is blocking it. Some ad-blockers and privacy extensions block screen capture. Try in an incognito window (which usually disables extensions).

Most of the time, refreshing the page and rejoining clears it.

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The summary card shows “0 seconds”

If you see “0 seconds” or “Did not connect” on the post-call summary, the session never fully established. Common causes:

• The other side never tapped Join on their pre-join screen.
• One side’s network blocked the WebRTC handshake. Often a corporate firewall.
• One side closed their browser before the connection completed.

Rejoin via the slug URL — you both land back in the pre-join screen and try again.

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When to refresh vs. when to rejoin

• Refresh the tab if mid-call quality has degraded but you’re still connected.
• Rejoin the slug URL if the call has ended (or you ended it) and you want to start over with a clean session.
• Restart the browser if camera, mic, or screen share are missing from the device picker entirely.

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When to email support

After the basics above, if a session keeps failing the same way for the same client — or a particular feature is broken across sessions — email hello@getrivet.ca. Include:

• What browser you and the client were each on
• What you saw vs. what you expected
• The approximate time of the failed session (in your timezone)

A real human reads every email.

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