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Troubleshooting Calls

Call not working? Audio sounding weird? Can’t be seen on camera? Let’s fix it.

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Quick Checklist

Before diving into specifics, run through this list:
1

Check your browser permissions

Your browser must have permission to access your microphone and camera. Click the 🔒 lock icon in the address bar and confirm both are allowed.
2

Check if another app is using your mic or camera

Zoom, Teams, Skype, or other apps can “lock” your audio/video hardware. Close those apps first.
3

Refresh the page

Sounds basic, but it solves a lot. If you just granted browser permissions, you definitely need to refresh.
4

Try a different browser

Chrome and Edge tend to have the best WebRTC support. Firefox works too. Safari is more limited.
5

Check your internet connection

Voice calls need a stable internet connection. Test your connection at fast.com or similar.

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Common Problems & Solutions

Most likely cause: Microphone not permitted, wrong input device selected, or you’re muted.Try:
  1. Check that you’re not muted (the mute button in the call bar)
  2. Check browser permissions, microphone must be set to Allow
  3. Open your OS sound settings and verify the correct microphone is selected as default
  4. Try speaking louder, some mics have a volume threshold below which they don’t pick up
  5. Check physical mute switches on headsets or external mics
Most likely cause: You’re deafened, the call audio is muted at the OS level, or your audio output device isn’t set correctly.Try:
  1. Check if you’re deafened (different from muted, look for the deafen indicator)
  2. Check your system volume and make sure the browser isn’t muted
  3. Verify the correct audio output device is set (headphones vs. speakers) in your OS settings
  4. Right-click the browser volume in your OS’s sound mixer and ensure it’s not muted
Most likely cause: Camera not permitted, hardware conflict, or driver issue.Try:
  1. Check browser camera permissions (allow, not block)
  2. Close other apps that might be using the camera (Zoom, Teams, etc.)
  3. Refresh the page
  4. Try a different browser
  5. For the black screen issue specifically: if you’re gaming, try sharing a window instead of full screen, some games conflict with screen capture APIs
  6. Disable hardware acceleration in your browser if the camera feed appears black
Most likely cause: Noise suppression being too aggressive, packet loss on your network, or low microphone quality.Try:
  1. Switch from WiFi to a wired connection
  2. Close bandwidth-heavy apps (streaming, large downloads)
  3. Speak at a normal volume rather than very softly
  4. Try moving closer to your router
Most likely cause: Using speakers instead of headphones, which causes your mic to pick up the audio output.Fix: Use headphones! Even basic earbuds will eliminate echo. If you must use speakers, reduce their volume or move your microphone away from them.
Most likely cause: Unstable internet connection.Try:
  1. Switch to wired internet if possible
  2. Restart your router
  3. Close bandwidth-heavy apps
  4. Check if other people in the call are also experiencing drops (might be a server-side issue)
  5. Check Tavrn’s status page for any known outages
Most likely cause: Hardware acceleration or GPU-based rendering conflicts.Try:
  1. Use window sharing instead of full screen sharing
  2. In your game, switch to windowed or borderless window mode instead of exclusive fullscreen
  3. Disable hardware acceleration in your browser (Settings → Advanced → Hardware Acceleration)
  4. Try sharing a different window to isolate the issue
This could be a stale notification. Try refreshing the page. If it persists, check your notification settings.

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Browser Compatibility

For the best call experience, use one of these browsers:
BrowserVoiceVideoScreen ShareSystem Audio
Chrome / Chromium✅✅✅✅
Edge✅✅✅✅
Firefox✅✅✅⚠️ Limited
Safari✅✅⚠️ Limited❌
Mobile Chrome (Android)✅✅⚠️ Limited❌
Mobile Safari (iOS)✅✅❌❌
For the full feature set including system audio in screen shares, Chrome or Edge on desktop gives you the most complete experience.

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Still Not Working?

If you’ve tried everything above and calls still aren’t working, here are a few more things to try:
  1. Clear your browser cache and cookies, Settings → Privacy & Safety → Clear Browsing Data
  2. Try an incognito/private window, Rules out extensions interfering
  3. Try a different device, Isolates whether it’s a device-specific issue
  4. Check your firewall or VPN, Some VPNs or corporate firewalls block WebRTC connections needed for calls
If none of the above helps, reach out to the Tavrn community or support and describe what you’re experiencing, include your browser, OS, and what exactly is happening.