Camera, recorder and microphone help

Hey, we're sorry you're having camera, recording or microphone issues! Check out this video to see how to set up your camera and microphone for the best BombBomb experience. Or keep reading below for the step-by-step. 

Jump to: 

• Make sure your camera is working
• Make sure your microphone is working 
• Check your privacy settings
• Check your antivirus software
• Browser recommendations
• Troubleshooting for Chrome
• Troubleshooting for Safari
• Other considerations 
• My screen recording only shows my desktop 

Step 1: Make sure your camera is working.

Mac: Open your Finder window. Next, click on "Applications." Open "Photo Booth." If the camera pulls up, that means it's working! 

PC: Search for "Camera" in the search bar in the bottom left corner of your screen. Open it up. If the camera is working, move on to the next step! 

If your camera does not open or you get an error message, you may have a camera hardware issue. Please contact your computer manufacturer’s support team.

Step 2: Make sure your microphone is working. 

Mac: Click on the Apple icon in the top left of your screen and select "System Preferences." In the System Preferences screen, double click the Sound icon. 

In the "Output" and "Input" tabs, make sure the correct microphone is selected and make sure it is not muted. On the Input tab, make sure that your microphone is picking up sound by speaking — you should see this reflected in the Input level. 

PC: Right click on the speaker icon  in the bottom right corner of your screen. Select “Open Sound Settings.”

Click on the Output and Input dropdown menus, and make sure your desired speaker and microphone hardware is selected. Next, click the “Troubleshoot” button and your computer will run a diagnostic. Occasionally, a microphone might be muted in your sound settings, and this tool will find and fix these issues for you.  

Step 3: Check your privacy settings. 

Mac: Click the Apple icon on the top left corner of your screen. Select "System Preferences." Next, select "Security & Privacy."

Select the “Privacy” tab at the top. On the left hand side of the window, find Camera and Microphone. Make sure your browsers and BombBomb are being allowed access to your camera and microphone. If you are trying to record your screen, select "Screen Recording" and make sure BombBomb recorder is allowed access. 

PC: Search for "Camera Privacy Settings" in the search bar in the bottom left corner of your screen.

Make sure "Allow apps to access your camera" is toggled on. Scroll and make sure "Allow desktop apps to access Your camera" is also toggled on. Do these same steps for "Microphone Privacy Settings."  

Step 4: Check your antivirus software

Network security software can prevent your video from working, as many security softwares now have settings that can block cameras. Software programs including Kaspersky, Zscaler, McAfee, Malwarebytes can block aspects of our product and may need to be disabled.

Toggle off your antivirus program briefly to check if you can access your camera with BombBomb's software. (This often needs to be adjusted by your IT Administrator.)

On a Mac, locate your antivirus software's icon in the menu bar on the top right of your screen, click on the program to open it, and click something similar to "Stop" or "Disable." 

On a PC, locate your antivirus software's icon in the taskbar on the bottom right of your screen. Right click on the icon and look for something similar to "Disable" or "Turn off." 

If your antivirus software is blocking your camera, you may need to connect with your software provider to ask how to allow BombBomb to access your camera. 

Browser Recommendations 

We recommend using Google Chrome as your browser for BombBomb. Google does a great job keeping it up-to-date, so it takes care of a lot of bugs. If you find your webcam is not working the way it should, try downloading and installing Chrome. We recommend staying away from Firefox and Edge, which don't function as well with our recorder. 

Troubleshooting for Google Chrome

Make sure Chrome is up to date. Click the 3 dots in the top right corner of Chrome. Select "Help" and then "About Google Chrome." 

When you open this screen, it will let you know if you Chrome is up to date. If not, it will automatically begin to download and install the updates. When it's finished, relaunch the browser as instructed. 

Quick Tip: If your page says "Google Chrome may not be able to keep itself updated" or "Update Failed," your admin may have disabled updates. In this case, please check with your admin. 

Clear your cache. Click the 3 dots in the top right corner of Chrome. Select "More Tools" and then "Clear Browsing Data."

In the pop-up box, select only "Caches Images and Files," and make sure the "Time Range" dropdown box says "All Time." 

Clear cookies for BombBomb. When in the BombBomb web application or in Gmail, click the Lock icon in the left side of the url bar, next to the web address. Select "Cookies."

In the scroll window, select anything that is related to BombBomb, such as "bombbomb.com" or "app.bombbomb.com," and click "Remove."

Check site settings for BombBomb. When in the BombBomb web application, click the Lock icon in the left side of the url bar, next to the web address. Make sure the Camera and Microphone are allowed. 

Additional site settings troubleshooting: Click the 3 dots in the top right corner of Chrome. Click "Settings." On this page, scroll down to "Privacy and Security." Click "Site Settings." Under "Permissions," click on "Camera" make sure your camera has permission on any BombBomb or Gmail related sites. Do the same for your microphone. 

To reset this permission if it is still not working, click the Trash icon next to BombBomb or Gmail related pages for both camera and microphone. Then go back to the BombBomb site or Gmail and try using the recorder again. You should see a pop-up asking to allow your camera and microphone. 

Troubleshooting for Safari

Check your Safari settings. With Safari open, click the "Safari" tab in the top left corner of your screen and select "Preferences."

Click the "Websites" icon at the top. On the column on the left, click "Camera" and "Microphone" to make sure that app.bombbomb.com is in the "Ask" or "Allow" option.

Clear your cache. With Safari open, click the "Safari" tab in the top left corner of your screen and select "Preferences."

Click the "Privacy" icon at the top and click "Manage Web Site Data."

Search "BombBomb" at the top and then select "Remove All" at the bottom to clear the cached data. 

Other Considerations 

If you are on a VPN: If you are connected to a VPN, it could be conflicting with BombBomb's software. Disconnect from your VPN and try using the camera again. If it works, send a list of the following URLs to your IT department and ask them to whitelist them for you: 

• https://desktop.bombbomb.io/* — Screen Recorder communication to/from the web app
• wss://scribe2.bombbomb.com/* — Uploads video over a live connection
• https://scribe2.bombbomb.com/* — https portion of the live connection
• https://metro.bombbomb.io/* — Sends BombBomb basic info about the usage for certain features
• https://lumberjack.bombbomb.io/ — Sends BombBomb diagnostic info for errors etc
• https://s3.amazonaws.com/bombbomb-installers/BombBombInstaller.exe

If you are on a Lenovo computer: There is a program called "Vantage" on Lenovo computers that can block camera and microphone settings. Search for "Vantage" in the bottom left corner of your screen. Open Vantage and navigate to "My Device Settings," then "Display & Camera." Here, you can adjust your settings. Read more. 

Make sure other programs aren't using your camera. Sometimes, other programs that use your camera and microphone, like Skype, can interfere with BombBomb. Make sure to quit these programs and check if this fixes your problem.  

Check your internet speed. You could be having issues if your internet speed can't support the encoding process of videos. Here's how to check:

• Go to speedtest.net. 
• Click "Go" in the middle of the page.

In order for a video to properly encode, you will need at least 20 mbps download and 3.5 mbps upload speeds. Anything lower than this can cause encoding failures and should be addressed with your internet provider.

If you're on a PC, update your drivers. If none of these have worked and you're on a PC, it could be that the computer drivers are outdated or not installed. For audio drivers, watch this screencast to check for any audio driver updates: https://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cD6w3MjKnP. If you need an update, check out this article to see how to uninstall and reinstall audio drivers.

My screen recording only shows my desktop  

If you're on a Mac with a Catalina Operating System, you need to change your privacy settings to allow the BombBomb screen recorder. Read here how to change your privacy settings. 

If you are still running into problems, please contact our Customer Care team at support@bombbomb.com. We will be happy to help you!