If Bola shows "Bola doesn't have permission to use your microphone," or the microphone is not picking anything up, the microphone is being blocked in one of three places: your EHR website in Chrome, the Bola extension, or Windows. Check all three, in order. A Chrome or Windows update can reset these settings without warning.
1. Allow the microphone for your EHR website
With your EHR (PMS) open in Chrome, click the icon to the left of the web address.
Make sure the Microphone switch is turned on.
Reload the page.
2. Allow the microphone for the Bola extension
Quick way: copy the address below, paste it into Chrome's address bar, and press Enter. (Clicking it will not open it, because Chrome only opens these settings pages from the address bar.)
chrome://settings/content/siteDetails?site=chrome-extension%3A%2F%2Fefcpoommkbigcpbekkjpmfcdbpgggfjg
Find Microphone and set it to Allow.
Or get there from the Chrome menu:
Click the puzzle piece in the top right corner of Chrome and find the Bola extension:
Click the three dots to the right of the Bola extension.
Click Manage Extension:
Scroll down in the middle of the page and click Site Settings:
Find the drop down menu next to Microphone and select Allow:
3. Allow Chrome to use the microphone in Windows
If the first two are already allowed and Bola still cannot use the microphone, Windows may be blocking Chrome itself.
Windows 11:
Open Settings (Win + I) and go to Privacy & security > Microphone.
Turn on Microphone access.
Turn on Let apps access your microphone.
Turn on Let desktop apps access your microphone. This is the switch Chrome uses, and it is easy to miss.
Windows 10:
Open Settings (Win + I) and go to Privacy > Microphone.
Under Allow access to the microphone on this device, click Change and turn it on.
Turn on Allow apps to access your microphone.
Turn on Allow desktop apps to access your microphone.
If these switches are grayed out, your computer is likely managed by your IT team. Ask them to allow microphone access for Chrome.
After changing a setting
Close every Chrome window, open Chrome again, and start a new exam.