On iPhone and iPad, when the camera or microphone doesn't work in a video appointment, it is almost always down to one of a handful of settings. You can pass this guide on to participants directly.

Why there are two levels of permissions

iPhone and iPad have two separate levels, and both need to allow access:

  1. Device settings: is the browser app allowed to use the camera and microphone at all?
  2. Permission for the individual website: is this particular page in the browser allowed to use the camera and microphone?

The first level is often already allowed and only the second one isn't. That's why participants frequently have the impression they have allowed everything – and the camera or microphone still doesn't work.

Before the appointment

  1. Open the appointment in Safari. Open your join link in Safari, not in the embedded preview of an app such as Mail, Outlook or WhatsApp. Tap "Open in Safari" there if needed. In the embedded view, the camera and microphone prompt often doesn't appear at all.
  2. Close other apps that might be using the camera or microphone – FaceTime, WhatsApp calls or Zoom, for example. As a rule, only one application at a time can use the camera and microphone.
  3. Run the system check. In about a minute it confirms whether your camera, microphone, audio output and connection are ready.

When you join the video appointment

When Safari asks whether the website may access your camera and microphone, tap "Allow".

If the prompt was answered with "Don't Allow" once, Safari will not ask again for that website. You then have to set the permission manually, as described in the next section.

If the camera or microphone still doesn't work

Here's how to set the website permission in Safari:

  1. Tap the "aA" icon on the left of the address bar (depending on your iPadOS version, the page menu icon).
  2. Choose "Website Settings".
  3. Set "Camera" and "Microphone" to "Allow".
  4. Reload the page.

If "Camera" and "Microphone" are missing from the website settings, the page has never requested access: start the video appointment or the system check once, then open the website settings again.

Also check the device level under Settings → Safari → Settings for Websites: "Camera" and "Microphone" should be set to "Ask" or "Allow".

If you use Chrome instead of Safari

For video appointments we recommend Safari on iPhone and iPad. If you do use Chrome, grant access in your device settings:

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Scroll to "Chrome".
  3. Turn on "Microphone" and "Camera".

If you can't hear anything

  • Check the volume using the side buttons on your device, and whether the silent switch is on.
  • If headphones or AirPods are connected via Bluetooth, the audio may be routed there. Check the connection or disconnect it as a test.
  • Check whether your microphone is muted in the video appointment (the Microphone button in the call controls).
  • During the call, open the settings (gear icon) and check that the right speaker and microphone are selected.

Using a Bluetooth headset

Connect a Bluetooth headset (for example headphones with a microphone, or AirPods) before you join the video appointment. That way the headset's microphone is available from the start.

If the other person can't hear you after you've joined – or after you switched the microphone during the appointment – leave the appointment (Leave room button) and join again. This restarts your microphone. For more causes and tips, see AirPods or Bluetooth headset: the other person can't hear you.

Common problems

  • Audio or video cuts out mid-appointment? Don't lock the screen and don't switch to another app – otherwise iOS ends access to the camera and microphone. Also turn off low power mode under Settings → Battery.
  • No prompt appears at all? Almost always the link was opened in another app's preview. Open it in Safari and try again.
  • None of this helps? Contact support. Useful details are: your iPad or iPhone model, the iPadOS or iOS version, the browser you used, and the app you opened the link from.

Related articles: Grant camera and microphone access, Join from your smartphone or tablet, Problems joining from a smartphone or tablet, Microphone or audio not working

Still stuck? Contact us at support@meetone.io.