Hey, we're sorry you're having camera, recording or microphone issues on your Mac! 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
- Other considerations
- My screen & cam 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!
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.
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 side of the window, find Camera and Microphone. Make sure your browsers and BombBomb are allowed access to your camera and microphone. If you are trying to record your screen, select "Screen Recording" and make sure the BombBomb recorder is allowed access.
Step 4: Check your antivirus software
Network security software can prevent your video from working, as many security software now have settings that can block cameras. Software programs, including Kaspersky, Zscaler, McAfee, and 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."
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.
*At this time we do not support using Safari for BombBomb recording. If this is something that is important to you please click here to let us know.
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 "Cookies and other site data" and "Caches Images and Files," and make sure the "Time Range" dropdown box says "All Time." Once all of those are selected click the blue "Clear Data" button.
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.
Other Considerations
If you are on a VPN(Virtual Private Network): 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
Make sure other programs aren't using your camera. Sometimes, other programs that use your camera and microphone, like Zoom, 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.
My screen recording only shows my desktop
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!
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