Troubleshoot Audio and Video on Windows

This article explores five places to check on your Windows device, to ensure audio has been set up correctly for use with Coviu.

Last Updated: May 2022

Note: the below screen captures are from a device running Windows 10 Home.

Getting your audio and video to work can be configured by checking through how your device running Windows and your chosen web browser are configured.

If you haven't done so already, it may help to do a quick Coviu Pre Call Test to learn more about the current status of your device and connection for call audio and video.


On this page:


Web browser: Site settings

Allowing your browser to access your audio and video sources when asked from within your chosen web browser is needed for a successful Coviu call. Check if Coviu has been granted permission to access your camera, microphone and speaker by checking in your web browser Site settings to ensure that permission is set to Allow for Camera, Microphone and Sound.

Steps for checking these settings in Chrome:

  • Click the padlock next to the website URL to glance at any relevant site-related information. Ensure that permission is set to Allow for Camera, Microphone and Sound.

  • If you are not seeing any of your audio and video sources here, click Site settings to explore all site-related permissions.  Confirm that all required audio and video sources are set to Allow.

Windows: Sound settings

Make sure that your Windows device audio is not set to mute or an inaudible volume for a call. You can quickly access your Windows Sound settings by typing the same in the Windows search bar.Windows Open Sound Settings

Once there, ensure that your device sound is set up to use the correct Output and Input devices.Windows Sound Settings

  • Under the Output section, you can check if your chosen sound source has been set to an audible volume or mute.
  • Under the Input section, you can check if your selected microphone is actually picking up audio and has not been set to mute.

Windows: Select playback device

You can also quickly access and switch between multiple audio devices by heading to the Select playback device options. It is often here where you might find that you previously chose to use your headphones as the output, but in Coviu, you have chosen the built-in speakers as the output. You may think something is not working correctly, but you would possibly have sound coming from your headphones speakers and just not being able to hear it.

To check the playback device:

  1. Click the speaker symbol, Audio Icon, which is usually found at the bottom right in your Windows taskbar.
  2. Click the down-arrow to expand the list to select an audio device to use.
  3. You can also adjust the device volume from here.
Windows Sound Device
  • If you are using an external microphone, speaker, or headphones and not seeing your device appear here, ensure that they are still powered and connected to your device.
  • If the device still will not show, try unplugging and plugging it back again. A reboot can also be useful.
  • If problems persist, check in with your local IT provider or return the device if faulty.

Windows: Microphone privacy settings

Check your Windows settings to confirm that your browser has access to the microphone. Head to your Windows settings, or in the Windows search field on the bottom left corner of your desktop, type Microphone privacy settings and press enter.

Windows Microphone Privacy

Once there, scroll down to make sure that Allow desktop apps to access your microphone has been enabled and that your web browser (Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge) has been granted access.

Windows Micophone Application Toggle


Windows: Camera privacy settings

Check your Windows settings to confirm that your browser has access to the microphone. Head to your Windows settings, or in the Windows search field on the bottom left corner of your desktop, type Camera privacy settings and press enter.Troubleshoot Audio and Video on Windows-1

Once there, scroll down to make sure that:

  • Allow access to the camera on this device has been enabled (click on Change otherwise)
  • Allow apps to access your camera has been enabled and the Camera app is enabled.
  • Allow desktop apps to access your camera has been enabled and that your web browser (Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge) has been granted access.
    Troubleshoot Audio and Video on Windows 1-1
    Troubleshoot Audio and Video on Windows 2

Getting back to your Coviu calls

Now you have looked at all the right places to check on your Windows device and your audio and video should start to work for calls!

You can return to Coviu, then check via the in-call Settings button from the bottom left corner after entering a room or session, to ensure that your camera, microphone and speaker sources have been assigned correctly by your web browser under the sections Select camera, Select microphone and Select speaker.

  • If you are seeing multiple sources listed or note that none have been assigned with a tick by your web browser, please make a selection for at least one source to be made available as the camera, microphone and speaker for a call.

More support options

You have completed another Coviu help article. You now know how to ensure your audio and video has been set up correctly for use with Coviu on Windows.

If this is not what you were looking for, explore our knowledge base and search for another article from here.

If you still require any assistance, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our friendly Customer Success team using any of the contact methods available here.