Video, audio, or screen share does not begin
Troubleshooting for macOS
Apple has additional security features for applications that record your screen. Make sure your browser has permission to record your screen and access your webcam and microphone.
In System Settings, select Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording, and make sure permissions are toggled on for your browser.
While you're here, double-check that your browser also has access to your camera and microphone.
macOS Sequoia (macOS 15) and later
If you share your screen from Chrome, Edge, or another app that uses its own screen picker, macOS asks you to re-approve screen recording about once a month. When you start sharing, you may see a pop-up saying your browser "is requesting to bypass the system private window picker." Click Allow For One Month to continue.
If you closed the pop-up or screen sharing suddenly stops working, stop sharing and start again so the prompt reappears. If you clicked "Open System Settings" instead, make sure your browser is turned on under Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording, then fully quit your browser (Command + Q) and reopen it.
Troubleshooting for Windows
If you're using Windows, make sure your browser can access your camera and microphone in the Settings app.
On Windows 11:
Open Settings and select Privacy & security.
Under "App permissions," select Microphone.
Turn on Microphone access, Let apps access your microphone, and Let desktop apps access your microphone. Your browser counts as a desktop app, so this last setting matters most for Wistia.
Go back to Privacy & security, select Camera, and turn on the same three settings.
See Microsoft's documentation for more information and steps for Windows 10:
My browser didn't ask for microphone or camera access
If you blocked or dismissed the permission prompt before, your browser won't show it again, and Wistia can't make it reappear. To reset it in Chrome, click the icon to the left of the address bar, then set both Camera and Microphone to "Allow." Reload the page, or leave and rejoin your webinar. If it still doesn't work, try a private or incognito window.
macOS keeps asking for screen recording permission
macOS applies new permissions only after the app restarts. After turning on permissions in System Settings > Privacy & Security, fully quit your browser (Command + Q) and reopen it. If you're recording with the Wistia desktop app, make sure Wistia itself is turned on under Screen & System Audio Recording, Camera, and Microphone, not just your browser.
No audio from built-in microphone
If you’re using your laptop's internal microphone, make sure the lid is open and try again. Some laptops, including most MacBook Pros, disable microphone input when closed. If your laptop is open, or you're using an external microphone, and you are still encountering issues, check your browser settings and confirm that camera and microphone access are enabled for wistia.com.
Wistia is unable to access your camera or microphone
If you’ve received an error message indicating that we’re unable to access your camera or microphone, it’s possible that another application, like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or another browser, is using them. Some applications can retain control of your camera and microphone even when they are not actively in use (for example, if you have Microsoft Teams running in the background but aren’t in a meeting). To fix this, close any open applications that use your camera or microphone and try again.
If you still see this error after closing other applications, check your system settings and make sure your camera, microphone, and speakers are enabled.
Tip
If Wistia can't access your camera or microphone, try using the same device on another website, like Google Meet. If it doesn't work there either, the issue is likely with your computer, browser, or device settings. If it works elsewhere but not in Wistia, double-check that your browser has permission to use your camera and microphone on wistia.com.
Troubleshooting for macOS
On a Mac, check your microphone input volume in the "Sound" menu in System Settings. If the volume slider is set to 0 in the "Input" tab, increase it by dragging it to the right.
Troubleshooting for Windows
On a Windows computer, open the Settings app, click on "System", and select "Sound" from the left-hand navigation menu. Click "Device properties" for the microphone and speakers you want to use, then make sure the Disable box is unchecked.
To check your camera settings, open the Settings app, click on "Devices", and select "Cameras" from the left-hand navigation menu. If the camera you want to use is disabled, you will see an "Enable" button below the camera name. Click "Enable" to enable your camera.
Can't connect to a webinar on a company network
If your camera and mic permissions are set correctly but you still can't join the event room, your company's firewall may be blocking the connection Wistia Webinars needs. Ask your IT team to allowlist the domains and ports listed in our Webinar Hosting & Troubleshooting Guide.
Device is not connected to power
To save power, some laptops will throttle CPU or GPU performance when not connected to a charger. This can result in lag or other unexpected behavior. For best results, plug in your device.
If you can't connect to power, you can disable power-saving settings on your device to improve performance. Keep in mind that this will likely reduce your battery life.
Troubleshooting for macOS
On a Mac, click the Apple Menu, select "System Settings," and then click "Battery" in the sidebar. In the "Low Power Mode" dropdown menu, select "Never".
This turns off Low Power Mode so your Mac runs at full performance while you record or host a webinar.
Troubleshooting for Windows
On Windows, click the battery icon on the right side of the Taskbar, then select Battery settings. In the pop-up window, scroll down to the "Battery saver" section and uncheck the box labeled “Turn battery saver on automatically if my battery falls below.”
Some companies restrict access to these settings on employee devices. If you can't change your battery settings, keep your laptop plugged in while recording.
Audio and screen sharing troubleshooting for webinars
These steps cover problems presenters run into on stage in the webinar event room. If your camera or mic doesn't turn on at all, start with the permission steps in Video, audio, or screen sharing does not begin above.
External microphone works in the preflight check but not on stage
In the event room, click "Settings" and open the "Audio" tab.
Check that your external mic is selected in the microphone dropdown. If it's already selected, choose a different mic and then switch back.
Close any other apps that might be using the mic, like Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
If you still have no sound, fully quit your browser, reconnect the mic, and rejoin the event.
Screen sharing fails on a Mac
If the window you want flickers in the share picker, won't load, or the share never starts, your browser is likely blocking the capture.
Check that your browser has screen recording permission (see "Video, audio, or screen sharing does not begin" above), then fully quit and reopen your browser
Take PowerPoint or Keynote out of fullscreen or slideshow mode before you select its window
Share "Entire Screen" or a single Chrome tab (like Google Slides) instead of an app window
Tip
Skip screen sharing for slides altogether with Present Media. Upload your deck and present it straight from the stage.
Choppy audio or video while presenting
Choppy audio or video usually comes from the network path or load on the presenter's computer.
Network and VPN
Use a wired connection where you can
If you present over a VPN, ask your IT team to exclude webinar traffic from the VPN (split tunneling) and allow its domains, IPs, and ports, including UDP. Turning the VPN off doesn't help if a proxy or firewall is still in the way.
Computer performance
Close apps and browser tabs you don't need, especially other video apps
Plug your laptop in (see "Device is not connected to power" above)
Turn off background blur and virtual backgrounds
On lower-powered laptops, avoid running your camera and screen share at the same time. Uploading slides takes much less processing power than screen sharing.
Note
A presenter can't see issues with their own upload during the event, so choppiness may show up only in the recording or for attendees. Do a practice run and have someone join as an attendee on a separate device.
Share audio from your computer during a webinar
To play music, a video, or other sound from your computer for attendees, share it from a Chrome tab:
Open the audio (for example, Spotify's web player, YouTube, or an audio file) in its own Google Chrome tab.
Click the screen share button at the bottom of the event room.
In the Chrome pop-up, choose "Chrome Tab" and select that tab.
Make sure "Also share tab audio" is switched on, then click "Share".
Press play in that tab.
Mute your mic or wear headphones while the audio plays so your mic doesn't pick it up again. Attendees will also see the tab you're sharing, so close anything in it you don't want shown.
On Windows: to share audio from a desktop app, choose "Entire Screen" and switch on "Also share system audio." Mute notifications first, because those sounds will be shared too.
On a Mac: Chrome can only share audio from a browser tab, not from a window or your entire screen.
Tip
If you don't see "Also share tab audio," make sure you chose "Chrome Tab" (not "Window" or "Entire Screen") and that you're using Chrome or Microsoft Edge.
Note
The event room filters out non-speech sounds, like typing or background noise, with a "Reduce Background Noise" setting that's on by default. If music or another sound played into your mic comes through muffled, click "Settings," open the "Audio" tab, and turn it off. Wear headphones when it's off, since it also turns off echo cancellation. The setting is saved per browser.
Let multiple presenters advance the same slides
Only the person who started a screen share can control it. To let every presenter drive their own section, upload your slides instead:
Upload your deck as a PDF from the "Present" panel in the event room
Put the slides on stage. Any host or panelist can then advance them.
Note
Animations and embedded videos don't carry over in a PDF. To mimic a build, export each step as its own slide.
Contact Wistia support
When contacting Wistia support, please provide as many details about your environment as possible. Helpful details for troubleshooting include, but are not limited to:
A link to your recording or webinar
For webinars, confirm whether you're live now, going live soon, or troubleshooting a past event
Web browser version
Operating system version
General computer specs (i.e., CPU cores/speed, amount of RAM, etc.)
If applicable, external cameras, microphones, and drivers
Any troubleshooting steps you've already tried