With 100 classes a week on our schedule, and students joining from all different kinds of devices, sometimes folks experience hiccups with our camera-on policy and getting Zoom to work! If you've come across an issue, we want to help!
If class is already started, and you don't have time to get your camera working, please consider reaching out right away to us in chat on the website (it's the little flag on the bottom right), or sending us an email at info@ompractice.com for us to help you troubleshoot, so we can set you up for success right away with your next class.
Getting Started: Make Sure Your Basics Are Covered
Update Zoom: Running on the latest version of Zoom is important - it keeps things running smoothly. Check for updates regularly.
Update your Device: if you are running an older device, make sure you regularly update it. (If you haven't turned it off in a while, doing a restart is also always a good idea!)
Audio and Video Setup: Before joining, do a quick check. Can you see yourself? Can you hear us? If not, let's dive deeper. Try joining a Zoom Test Meeting Here. You can also preview your video before joining.
Make sure to install the Zoom app (desktop, phone, or tablet) rather than joining Zoom from a Browser. If you are having trouble with video on larger device, you can join with a phone as a secondary device to use as a camera if you need to.
Check Your Internet Connection: A stable internet connection is key. Make sure you're connected and your signal is strong. (If you have multiple wifi speeds, make sure to connect to the fast one!)
Common Zoom Hiccups and How to Fix Them
When in doubt, try turning off and on your device!
"I Can't Hear Anything!"
Check Your Speaker Settings: Make sure your speakers are selected and the volume is turned up. Sometimes, Zoom and your computer like to disagree on who's in charge of the sound. You can access your Zoom audio settings in the file window > preferences, or on the little up arrow next to the microphone around the screen of your zoom window.
Leave and Rejoin: A classic move, just like turning your device on and off – sometimes this is all that the system needs to get your tech working!
"No One Can Hear Me!"
Microphone Check: Make sure your mic isn't on mute, both in Zoom and on your device. (Similarly, check to see that your audio volume isn't turned down!)
Audio Settings in Zoom: Visit the audio settings in Zoom and make sure the correct microphone is selected. Sometimes devices have multiple microphones (or are still connected to a headphone, or other driver.)
"My Video Isn't Working!"
Camera Check: Make your camera is connected and enabled. Sometimes, it just needs to be turned on and off to get it to work again. (The camera doesn't always turn on automatically when joining a Zoom.)
Privacy Settings: Make sure Zoom has permission to use your camera.
"I can't turn off my blurry background"
We generally request that you turn off the blur background for our classes so that you aren't going in and out of frame when you move! To turn off blur: In the bottom-left corner of the video window, click the up arrow button next to the Start Video / Stop Video button. Un-Click Blur My Background.
"My Connection Is Unstable!"
Close Unnecessary Applications: if Zoom is acting glitchy, it might be the RAM on your device.
Switch to the faster WiFI: many people have a "slow" wifi and "fast" wifi connection set up - your computer or device might be connected to the slow one.
Switch to a Wired Connection: Sometimes, connecting with a wired connection provides a more stable video.
"My Teacher Isn't Here - Says "Waiting for Host to Start the Meeting"
If your teacher isn't in class, and class is about to start, please reach out to us in the chat or at info@ompractice.com right away, and we'll troubleshoot. (Sometimes it ends up being a timezone or day of the week mistake - we've all been there!) Other times, it might be a technical issue. We can confirm right away if the class is running as usual and help you troubleshoot.
"Zoom is Spinning and the Class Isn't Starting"
Sometimes the link that you click to join class doesn't connect you to Zoom right away. If this happens, we recommend that you close the link, wait a moment, and try again. (Occasionally, if you have a lot of tabs open, or the browser isn't updated, it will have issues clicking the link to open.)
"I Want to See The Teacher in a Bigger Square!"
There are a few different ways to do this! You can pin your teacher - hover over their picture, and there's usually a little drop-down to "pin" their image. You can also choose how many squares to see as the default.
Zoom Settings, a Brief Overview:
We'll be updating here shortly with screenshots of where the Zoom settings are on common devices tablet!
Some Known Quirks we've heard of:
While we may need to get a little bit more information to help with these, these are somewhat common issues that most frequently can be solved by restarting your device. (We're happy to help diagnose and support you to fix these!)
Switching immediately from a Microsoft Teams Meeting to a Zoom Meeting, and your camera fails to start: the best way to troubleshoot this is to restart your device totally. We suspect this is happening because Teams is not "giving up control" of the camera to Zoom.
"My Camera is Grey With a Line Going Through It" this may be an issue with your camera driver.
Camera Not Found
Advanced Troubleshooting: Zoom Resources
These are a handful of Zoom documentation pages from the official Zoom support center. (If you experience any of these, don't hesitate to reach out to us to let us know and help you troubleshoot!)
Common Audio/Video Issues:
Video Issues:
Advanced Troubleshooting
Reinstall Zoom: When all else fails, sometimes you need to do a hard re-install. Uninstalling and reinstalling Zoom can refresh your settings and solve persistent issues.
Don't hesitate to reach out to us in the chat – we can always hop on a test zoom with you to try to get things working!
Need More Help?
Reach out to us! We're here to assist you with any technical issues, provide guidance, and ensure your Ompractice experience is as seamless as possible. Because every device is a little bit different, we're happy to help you troubleshoot!