If you're having trouble joining a session or staying connected in Nearo, the steps below can help you identify and resolve common connection issues.
Check your internet connection
Most connection problems are caused by slow or unstable internet access.
Make sure your device is connected to the internet and other websites load normally.
If you are using Wi-Fi, move closer to your router or switch to a wired Ethernet connection if available.
Close other apps or browser tabs that may be using a lot of bandwidth, such as streaming video or large downloads.
If you are on a shared network, temporary congestion may reduce connection quality.
💡 Restarting your router can sometimes improve connection stability.
Run the Nearo connection check
The Nearo connection check shows whether your network can run Nearo calls. It opens in any web browser, including on an iPad, starts on its own, and takes about 10 seconds.
Each step shows a green check mark when it passes, a red X when it fails, or a gray dash when it was not tested.
A green result means calls should work normally.
An amber result is a warning. Most calls should still work, but read the message on the page.
If a step is gray and the page asks you to sign in or open your room link first, do that, then select Run again to test it.
A red result means your network is blocking Nearo. Try a different Wi-Fi network or a phone hotspot, turn off any VPN, and select Run again.
The join page and your Room window also run a setup check on their own. If it says something needs attention, see What should I do if the Nearo setup check says something needs attention?
ℹ️ The connection check only tests whether your network can reach Nearo. It does not test your camera, microphone, or internet speed, so a call can still be choppy after an "All clear" result. See What are the system requirements to use Nearo? for the recommended connection speed.
If your student is stuck on "Connecting to [your name]..."
The student's network may be blocking the call, and this message does not go away on its own.
A student in a browser will see "Still connecting to [your name]…" with Try again and Check my connection buttons. Ask them to select Try again, then Check my connection.
A student using the Nearo desktop app sees "Still connecting…" without buttons. Ask the student or parent to open the Nearo connection check on their device.
If the result is red, have them switch to a different Wi-Fi network or a phone hotspot, or turn off any VPN, and then open the room link again.
If the call says "Reconnecting..." and then ends
This happens when either person's connection stays down for about a minute.
In the Nearo desktop app, "Reconnecting…" shows in a small chip at the top center of the call window, with the line "The connection dropped. Trying to reconnect…". In a browser, it appears over the video area.
"Reconnecting…" can appear within a few seconds of a break, and the call often carries on by itself. Nearo keeps trying for about a minute before it ends the call. The message does not mean the problem is on your side or theirs.
A student who joined from a browser sees "You have left the room" and the line "The call ended because the connection was lost," with a Join again button. Have them select Join again. Then let them in again: in your open room, click Participants, the last button in the left group of the controls bar, the dark gray strip along the bottom of the room window. The panel that opens above it lists each person waiting to join with Admit and Decline. Click Admit. In the small floating window, Participants opens a small menu with Admit instead.
In the Nearo desktop app, the call ends with "Call ended — connection to the other side was lost." Let your student in again with Admit in Participants when they ask to join again.
If this keeps happening, run the connection check on both computers.
If the call ended suddenly and your student is waiting to join again
Nearo ends the call when the student's connection to Nearo stays down for about a minute, even if audio and video were still working. A shorter drop does not end the call.
In the Nearo desktop app, you see "[Name] left the call" when this happens. Nothing in the message says why.
Let the student in again with Admit in Participants.
If the call ended after "Are you still there?"
In the Nearo desktop app, for both the host and a guest, a message box from the computer titled "Are you still there?" appears two hours into a call, and again every two hours after you answer. The guest web app does not show it.
Click OK to keep the call going.
Clicking Cancel, or not answering within 2 minutes, ends the call. After no answer, the message "Call ended after no response to the check-in" appears briefly at the top of the window.
To continue, start the call again. A student rejoins and waits for you to let them in again with Admit in Participants.
If your student sees "Connection lost. Please try again."
Their connection dropped while they were waiting to be let in.
Have them enter their name and join again.
A student using the Nearo desktop app sees "Can't reach the room" with Try again and Back to Login buttons. Have them select Try again, or select Back to Login and join again.
If "Reconnecting…" appears in the main window of the Nearo app
An amber "Reconnecting…" box in the main window, the window you see before a call starts, means the app's connection to Nearo dropped. The app reconnects on its own, and a call in progress carries on. This is different from the "Reconnecting…" message at the top of the call window.
Wait for the box to disappear. Teammates show as Offline until the app has reconnected.
If the call ended when your computer went to sleep
Going to sleep during a call ends the call. Nearo keeps your computer awake while you are in a call, so this normally happens only when you close the lid or choose Sleep.
If you see "Call ended — this computer went to sleep," open Nearo and let your student in again with Admit in Participants.
A student joining from a browser is not protected in the same way. If their iPad locks or their laptop sleeps, the call ends, and they can select Join again.
If Nearo says your session has expired
Nearo signs you out when it can no longer accept your saved sign-in, for example after a password reset, Sign out everywhere, or 90 days without opening Nearo.
In the Nearo desktop app, you see "Your session has expired. Please sign in again." Any call in progress ends. Sign in again from the sign-in screen.
On the Nearo Dashboard, you see "Your session has ended. Please sign in again." Sign in, and Nearo takes you back to the page you were on.
Nothing is lost when you sign in again, and students joining from a Room link are not affected.
Check for network restrictions
Some networks block the connections needed for real-time audio and video.
School, workplace, or public networks may have firewall restrictions.
Try switching to a different network, such as home Wi-Fi or a mobile hotspot, and turn off any VPN.
If Nearo works on another network, your original network may be blocking real-time communication.
🔔 Repeated disconnects are often caused by restricted networks.
Reduce device and network load
High device or network usage can affect session quality.
Close other applications that use the camera, microphone, or internet.
Disconnect other devices from your network if possible.
If video is unstable, turning off video can help keep the session connected. Click Stop Video, the Camera button next to Mic in the controls bar.
Restart the Nearo app
The Nearo app may lose its connection if it has been running for a long time or encountered a temporary error.
In the Nearo desktop app, fully quit the app. On a Mac, right-click the Nearo icon in the menu bar or the Dock and choose Quit. On Windows, right-click the Nearo icon in the system tray and choose Quit.
Reopen the app and try joining or starting the session again.
Restart your device
Restarting your device can clear temporary system or network issues.
Save your work.
Restart your computer.
Open Nearo and try joining the session again.