TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Trouble signing in
• General VoiceThread Troubleshooting
  • General Browser Settings
  • Browser Microphone and Webcam Settings
  • Settings for Your Computer
  • Restart Your Computer
  • Check Your Network Settings
  • Try Another Internet Connection and Computer
• File Upload Issues
  • File Types
  • File Size
  • File does not render correctly
• Audio/Video Issues
• Commenting Issues
  • Comment Could Not Be Processed
  • Missing Comments
• Creating Groups
• VoiceThread Mobile 
• Additional VoiceThread Support

Trouble signing in

First, confirm that you are signing into the Lesley VoiceThread portal at https://lesley.voicethread.com.

Click the Sign In button at the top of the page.

Confirm that the institution selected is Lesley University and click Sign In.

Enter your Lesley credentials and click Next.

You will then be prompted to enter your password and authenticate. 

• If you forgot your password go to https://password.lesley.edu to reset it.
• If you are having trouble with multifactor authentication, see Office 365 multi-factor authentication set up.
• Logging in on a mobile device? See VoiceThread Mobile for more information.

General VoiceThread Troubleshooting

General Browser Settings

• Make sure that you are using Chrome or Firefox, as these are the most compatible with VoiceThread.
• Check that your browser is fully up-to-date. 
• Make sure your browser allows third-party cookies.
• Clear your browser’s cache and restart your computer.

Browser Microphone and Webcam Settings

Check the browser’s microphone and webcam settings to make sure the correct input is selected and that VoiceThread has not been blocked.

Chrome

• Click on the menu button in the top-right corner of your Chrome window.
• Select Settings from that menu.
• Click on the Privacy and Security tab on the left.
• Click on Site Settings.
• Click on the Microphone option.
• Make sure the correct microphone is selected from the top of the page.
• Make sure no variation of “voicethread.com” appears in the blocked list. If it does, click on the trash can icon next to it to remove it.
• Go back to step 5 and repeat this process for the Camera option.

Firefox

• Click on the menu icon in the top-right corner of your Firefox window.
• Select Preferences from that menu.
• Click on Privacy & Security on the left.
• Scroll down to the Permissions section.
• Click Settings next to the Microphone option.
• Find voicethread.com in the list and click on it so that it’s selected.
• Click Remove Website at the bottom of the list.
• Save Changes.

Once you’ve removed VoiceThread from your existing list of permissions, you should be able to go back to your VoiceThread window and try recording again.  This time you should be prompted to allow those permissions.

Settings for Your Computer

Make sure that the correct audio/video input/output is selected on your computer. The easiest way to test is to try using different programs. Are you able to play sound on your computer? Can you use the microphone/webcam in a different program (such as Teams or Zoom)? If so, you may skip this step.

If you are using Mac OS X Mojave or later, you might need to change your system-level security settings:

• Click on the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen.
• Select System Preferences.
• Click on Security and Privacy.
• Click on Microphone on the left.
• Make sure the boxes for any web browsers you see in that list are checked.
• Repeat for the Camera option on the left.

Restart Your Computer

Restarting your computer can often solve a host of technological issues. When in doubt, try restarting.

Check Your Network Settings

If you are working on a local area network, check the Network Requirements to ensure that the appropriate URLs are open and the firewall allows access to VoiceThread.

Try Another Internet Connection and Computer

Trying another internet connection and/or computer will help to narrow down the issue. Are you able to access VoiceThread on a different computer or a different network?

File Upload Issues

File Types

While VoiceThread does accept most file types for images, audio, video, documents, and presentations, you may want to confirm that your file is an acceptable file type. Go to File Types Accepted for detailed information.

File Size

Please note that VoiceThread does have a file size limit. No single file can be larger than 3 GB. If you have a larger file you may need to break it up into smaller files or, in the case of video, compress the file.

File does not render correctly

If your document, presentation, or image uploads but the pages do not look quite right (formatting, font, style, etc.), save your file as a PDF and then upload the PDF to VoiceThread.

Audio/Video Issues

Any microphone or camera should work in VoiceThread. If you are having difficulty recording with your camera or webcam, check your browser settings as well as your computer settings.

Another good practice is to clear your browser’s cache and restart your computer. This will often solve a host of technological issues.

Commenting Issues

Comment Could Not Be Processed

Microphone or Webcam Recording

Failure to process an audio or video comment recorded directly into VoiceThread is most likely caused by a drop in the connection between your computer and our servers as you were recording.  Try recording your comment again and reach out to elis@lesley.edu if you continue to have difficulty.

File Upload

If you are having trouble uploading a file comment, try saving your file in a different format and trying again.

• Best formats for audio: .mp3 and .wav
• Best formats for video: .mp4 and .mov

Missing Comments

If people have recorded comments on the VoiceThread and you cannot see them, this is most likely because Comment Moderation has been turned on for the VoiceThread. The VoiceThread owner may enable or disable comment moderation at any time. For more information, see Comment Moderation. 

If you received a notification that someone has commented on your VoiceThread but are unable to see the comment, the most likely explanation is that the user has deleted the comment.

Creating Groups

Only faculty (Pro Account) users have the ability to create VoiceThread groups. If you are a faculty member and are unable to create a VoiceThread group or are receiving a message that you need an upgraded account, please email elis@lesley.edu for assistance.

VoiceThread Mobile 

Experiencing issues using the VoiceThread Mobile app for iOS or Android? See Mobile App Troubleshooting.

Additional VoiceThread Support

Still experiencing issues? See VoiceThread Support and Documentation or email eLIS at elis@lesley.edu for assistance.