Below you'll find answers to the most common issues teachers may experience while hosting Live Events, including audio dropping out, video quality problems, browser glitches, or difficulties joining a session. These quick troubleshooting steps can help you resolve most problems right away and ensure your Live Events run smoothly.
1. Audio or Video Quality Is Poor
Issues such as blurry video, lag, frozen screen, or muffled audio are usually caused by device overload, browser issues, or unstable internet. Try the steps below:
Quick Fixes
- Restart your device at least 30–60 minutes before going live (clears memory and resets audio/video drivers)
- Close all unnecessary programs or tabs (Zoom, Google Meet, OBS, downloads, cloud sync tools, etc.)
- Check your internet connection
- Move closer to your router
- Ask others to pause heavy internet use
- For best stability: use an Ethernet cable
- The upload speed must be at least 7 Mbps.
2. My Audio Suddenly Cut Out
This can happen after a browser update, device update, or when another app takes control of your microphone.
Try the following:
Make sure the correct microphone is selected in your browser settings and that your computer permits microphone access:
For Windows:
- Open the Start menu and search for “microphone privacy settings”.
- On the Microphone Privacy Settings page, ensure the following options are switched ON:
- Allow access to the microphone on this device
- Allow apps to access your microphone
- Allow desktop apps to access your microphone
- After making these changes, please relaunch Google Chrome.
For macOS:
- Click the Apple menu () and select System Settings
- Navigate to Privacy & Security > Privacy > Microphone.
- In the list of apps, ensure that Google Chrome is checked.
- After enabling access, please relaunch Google Chrome.
Refresh the page and open the Live Event in a new browser window.
Please remember to:
- Make sure you are using Chrome as a browser.
- If you're using an external microphone, try unplugging/replugging it.
- Make sure your computer's operating system is up to date.
- If available, try using another microphone.
Teachers have reported that simply opening the event in a new browser clears audio issues immediately.
3. Browser Issues (Glitches, Freezing, Camera Not Working)
Many Live Event problems stem from browser caching, extensions, or outdated versions.
Recommended Steps
- Update your Chrome browser to the latest version
- Clear browser cache
For Windows and macOS:
- Open Google Chrome.
- Click the three dots (⋮) in the upper-right corner.
- Select Settings.
- In the sidebar, click Privacy and security.
- Click Delete browsing data.
- Go to the Advanced tab and set Time range to All time.
- Ensure Cached images and files are checked. (You may uncheck Browsing history and Cookies and other site data if you do not wish to remove them.)
- Click Delete data.
- Close and relaunch Google Chrome.
Perform a hard refresh
On Windows: Press Ctrl + Shift + R or Ctrl + F5 while on the webpage.
On macOS: Press Command (⌘) + Shift + R while on the webpage.
Try Incognito/Private Mode
(this disables interfering browser extensions)
For Windows and macOS:
- Open Google Chrome.
- Click the three dots (⋮) in the upper-right corner of the browser window.
- Select New Incognito Window from the dropdown menu.
- A new window will open with a dark theme and an Incognito icon (?️) indicating that you are now browsing privately.
4. I Closed My Live Event Tab and Can’t Re-Enter
If you close your Live Event browser tab, the session ends on the teacher's side, and you cannot rejoin that same event.
To prevent this:
- Keep your Live Event open in only one tab
- Avoid multitasking across multiple browser windows
- Restart your device pre-event to prevent unexpected crashes
5. OBS or Streaming Software Is Causing Conflicts
If OBS (or similar tools) is installed but not in use, it may still interfere with:
- Microphone recognition
- Camera access
- System performance
To fix:
- Fully quit OBS
- If not needed, uninstall it
- Restart your computer before going live
6. Participants Say They Can’t Hear or See Me
This issue can be on either end.
Ask participants to try:
- Refreshing the page
- Restarting their device
- Closing other apps
To confirm everything works on your end, we recommend testing your setup (see below).
7. How to Run a Test Event
Testing before your session is one of the best ways to avoid issues.
How to create a test event
- Create a new event using this link.
- Add “TEST” in the title and description. Share the link with a friend to view from the attendee's perspective
Note: If you are hosting a live event and would like your test session to be recorded, please append ?record_test_event=1 to the end of your event link.
Example: https://teacher-staging.insighttimer.com/live/abc123/host?record_test_event=1
This helps identify audio/video issues before your real event.
8. Best Practices Before Every Live Event
To ensure a flawless session:
- Restart your device
- Update your browser
- Clear cache
- Use Chrome (latest versions)
- Close all other video or audio apps
- Test your microphone and camera
- Use a wired microphone if available
Still Experiencing Issues?
If problems continue, please fill out the form here or contact Insight Timer Support at publishers@insighttimer.com and include as much detail as possible:
- Device type (e.g., MacBook Air 2020)
- Browser name and version
- Screenshots or recordings of the issue
- Date and approximate time of the event
The more information you provide, the faster we can help you.