If you experience issues during a telehealth call, there are several troubleshooting steps you can take, in addition to confirming that your device and connection meet the necessary requirements.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
- Identifying necessary equipment
- Resolving general telehealth issues
- Addressing waiting room discrepancies
- Resolving audio issues
- Troubleshooting screen sharing issues with Google Chrome on macOS
- Additional tips to improve your telehealth call quality
- FAQs
Note: If you’re new to telehealth, see Getting started with telehealth. You can also share the client version of this guide: Getting started with telehealth.
Identifying necessary equipment
To host high-quality telehealth sessions, you’ll need the following:
-
A computer (laptop or desktop)
- Your computer should include:
- An integrated or external microphone
- An integrated or external web camera
- We recommend that your computer:
- Has a 2.5 GHz processor and 4 GB of RAM
- Is a newer device purchased within the last two years
- Your computer should include:
-
A mobile device
- Can be used instead of a computer
- We recommend iOS 13, Android 10, or newer
-
A reliable internet connection
- Your connection should have:
- A minimum bandwidth of 0.35 mbps
- For best results, 10 mbps or higher
- We strongly recommend:
- Using updated versions of Chrome, Firefox, or Safari
- A minimum dedicated 350 kb/s per uploaded and downloaded stream
- If multiple clinicians are hosting telehealth calls simultaneously, we recommend bandwidth over 35 mbps
- Your connection should have:
Note: If your device doesn’t meet these requirements, your telehealth quality may be impacted. See Preparing your operating system and browser for SimplePractice.
Resolving general telehealth issues
If you’re using a laptop or desktop and have confirmed your equipment meets requirements, try the following:
- Move closer to your internet router
- Confirm your computer can play video (for example, by watching a video on YouTube)
- Confirm your browser has permission to use your camera and microphone
- See Enabling your camera and microphone access for telehealth
- Ensure security software isn’t blocking video.simplepractice.com
- Clear your browser cache
- Refresh the page
- Restart the browser
- Try a different supported browser
- Restart your computer
Addressing waiting room discrepancies
If both you and your client see You are waiting for other participants to join…, this is often caused by a software conflict.
VPNs, antivirus software, or browser extensions may block the waiting room connection.
You and your client(s) can try the following:
- Remove any browser extensions that may interfere
- Add the following domains to your VPN or antivirus allowlist:
- secure.simplepractice.com
- video.simplepractice.com
- account.simplepractice.com
- Contact your internet service provider if the issue occurs only on one network
- Confirm your device meets minimum requirements for using SimplePractice
If you use NordVPN’s Threat Protection feature, it may block the waiting room connection.
Note: We can’t provide guidance for third-party service settings. Contact the third party directly for support.
Resolving audio issues
If you’re experiencing audio issues:
- Confirm your volume isn’t muted
- Confirm your speakers work by testing another application
- Check that your computer is using the correct audio source
- Close any open media players
- Clear your browser cache and reopen the site
- Update your web browser
- Update your operating system
- Update sound card drivers if applicable
- Restart your computer
Hearing an echo
If you hear your own audio back as an echo, the issue is on your client’s side. If the situation is reversed, then the issue is coming from your side. If the echo is coming from your side, try the following steps to resolve the issue. If the echo is coming from your client's side, you can suggest they follow the steps be