When a guest tries to join a recording, they move through the green room before entering the Recording Page to connect with the host. Occasionally, the host may see the guest as "In Green Room" for an extended period, even if the guest is on the Recording Page. On the guest's side, they may see error messages like "Error encountered while joining call" or a "Waiting for microphone access" status next to their name.
This article explains what causes this issue and how to troubleshoot it.
In this article:
What This Issue Looks Like
Host’s End
On the host's view of the Recording Page, the guest’s track appears in a lighter shade of grey, and next to their name, it says “In Green Room” for an extended period.
Guest’s End
The guest’s experience depends on where they are in the process of connecting to the recording:
Still in the Green Room
While still in the green room, the guest may see error messages like “Error accessing microphone or webcam” or “There was a problem accessing your mic or camera” alongside the option to join the recording.
On the Recording Page (After Clicking “Join” in the Green Room)
When the guest clicks Join, they enter the Recording Page. The experience from here may vary:
They may see an error message saying “Error encountered while joining the call.”
If the error message is dismissed or closed, the guest may see “Waiting for microphone access” displayed next to their name.
Who This Affects
This issue affects guests who attempt to join the Recording Page after moving through the Green Room but fail to connect to the VoIP call with the host.
From the host’s perspective, the guest appears as “In Green Room” indefinitely, even if the guest has clicked Join and is technically on the Recording Page. This status remains because the guest is not fully connected to the call.
What Causes This Issue
The transition from the Green Room to the Recording Page involves connecting the guest to the VoIP call with the host. When the connection fails, the host continues to see the guest as “In Green Room” even if they are technically on the Recording Page.
This most frequently happens when:
The browser has not been granted access permissions to the microphone and/or camera. (See step 1)
The browser has not been granted microphone and/or camera access in the computer’s system settings. (See step 2)
Less frequently, this might happen when:
The guest is using an unsupported browser. (See step 3)
The guest is using a supported browser that has pending updates. (See step 4)
Browser extensions, ad blockers, or a VPN are blocking access to Zencastr. (See step 5)
The guest is recording on a network with strict security settings (e.g. work, school, hotel) or a company-issued device that blocks access to Zencastr. (See step 6)
Who Should Follow Troubleshooting Steps
The troubleshooting steps below should be completed by the guest who is experiencing the issue. The host cannot admit guests from the green room if there is an issue preventing them from connecting to the call.
Troubleshooting Steps
Before starting: The guest should click Join in the green room to enter the Recording Page. There, even if the connection to see and hear them hasn’t been established, the host may still be able to chat with the guest.
Try in this order:
1. Step One: Enable Microphone and Camera(*) Access in the Browser
Zencastr needs permission to use the guest's microphone and camera in the browser to complete the connection to the call.
Note: Microphone access is required for all recording modes. For the Record Audio, No Video mode, camera access is not required. Any step that involves the camera is marked with an asterisk (*) and can be skipped if you are using this mode.
If the guest is in the green room:
Click the site settings icon to the left of the Zencastr URL in the browser’s address bar.
Set Microphone and Camera* to Allow or toggle on.
If you don’t see these options in the dropdown, click Site Settings to open the full settings list in a new browser tab.
In the settings list, find Microphone and Camera* and change both to Allow.
Refresh the page to apply the changes.
If the guest is on the recording page:
Click the site settings icon to the left of the Zencastr URL in the browser’s address bar.
Set Microphone and Camera* to Allow or toggle on.
If you don’t see these options in the dropdown, click Site Settings to open the full settings list in a new browser tab.
In the settings list, find Microphone and Camera* and change both to Allow.
Refresh the page to apply the changes.
If you changed permissions while on the recording page, you’ll be taken back to the green room. Click Join to re-enter the recording page.
2. Step Two: Allow Microphone and Camera(*) Access in System Settings
The guest's computer needs to allow the browser to access the microphone and camera in its privacy settings.
Note: Microphone access is required for all recording modes. For the Record Audio, No Video mode, camera access is not required. Any step that involves the camera is marked with an asterisk (*) and can be skipped if you are using this mode.
Click the Apple menu on your computer.
Select System Settings.
On the left sidebar, click Privacy & Security.
Select Microphone.
Ensure that the browser you are using—Chrome, Edge, or Brave—has microphone access turned on.
Go back and select Camera.*
Ensure that the browser you are using—Chrome, Edge, or Brave—has camera access turned on.*
Restart (close and reopen) your browser for the changes to take effect.
Click the Start menu on your computer.
Select Settings.
Click Privacy.
On the left, locate Microphone.
In the middle, under ‘Allow apps to access your microphone’ toggle this to On.
Under ‘Choose which apps can access your microphone’, locate the browser you are using—Chrome, Edge, or Brave—and toggle it to On.
On the left, locate Camera.*
In the middle, under ‘Allow apps to access your camera’ toggle this to On.*
Under ‘Choose which apps can access your camera’, locate the browser you are using—Chrome, Edge, or Brave—and toggle it to On.*
Restart (close and reopen) your browser for the changes to take effect.
3. Step Three: Use a Supported Browser
The guest must use a browser Zencastr supports:
Supported browsers: Chrome, Edge, or Brave on a computer or laptop.
Not supported browsers: Other browsers or mobile browsers on smartphones or tablets, even if they are in "desktop mode."
For iPhone or iPad: The guest should download and use the Zencastr iOS app instead.
Unsupported browsers typically display a message instructing the guest to switch to a supported one. Some Chromium-based browsers may not show this message, so double-check if issues persist.
4. Step Four: Confirm the Browser is Up-To-Date
If the guest’s browser version is outdated, it can prevent connection to the recording. To update to the latest version:
In your browser, look for a "New version available" or "Update" message in the top-right corner, next to your avatar.
If it is visible, click the message.
Click Relaunch to Update to update and restart the browser.
Additionally, if the guest’s browser has built-in ad blockers they should temporarily disable them as some can interfere with Zencastr.
To turn off ad blockers in Brave:
Click the lion icon on the right side of the browser’s address bar.
Toggle Shields off.
5. Step Five: Temporarily Disable Extensions and VPN
Some browser extensions, ad blockers, and VPNS can block Zencastr. The guest should:
Temporarily disable extensions, especially content blockers or ad blockers.
If connected to a VPN, try turning it off.
To disable extensions in Chrome:
At the top right, next to your avatar, click the 3-dot menu icon.
Hover over Extensions.
Click Manage Extensions.
Toggle the extension off.
6. Step Six: Verify That Zencastr Can Be Accessed from an Organizational Network/Device
If the guest is connecting from a work or school network or using an organization-issued computer, security settings may block Zencastr. The guest should:
Share this article with their IT team
Ask the IT team to verify that Zencastr is not being blocked by network firewalls or security settings.
Still Having Trouble?
If the error persists after trying the steps above:
Try using another supported browser such as Chrome, Edge, or Brave.
Contact Zencastr Support via chat or email.