Troubleshoot BlueJeans Audio Not Working

Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team

1. Introduction

If you've joined a conference call with BlueJeans and your audio isn't working properly or at all, it can be difficult to figure out where to begin to get things resolved quickly. Common audio issues with BlueJeans involve not being able to hear others, others not being able to hear you, or hearing things like an echo, static, or just poor overall sound quality on your end. This guide will help you navigate these types of issues with ease. We'll show you how to check the audio settings within BlueJeans, on your computer, and on the audio devices you're using to make sure you're getting the best out of your setup.

What You'll Need:

  • No extra tools or supplies are needed.

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Before You Begin:

Extra instructions.

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BlueJeans Logo.

2. I Can't Hear Others And/Or They Can't Hear Me

If you can't hear others and/or others can't hear you while in a meeting, here's what you can do:

Check the Audio Status in BlueJeans

  1. You can easily check the audio status by looking at the icons at the top middle.
Audio icon highlighted in BlueJeans app.
  1. Even though the audio icon represents a microphone, it controls both your microphone and speakers. It has three different meanings:
  2. Your Microphone is Not Muted
  1. If you see a black microphone on a white background, it means others should be able to hear you and you should be able to hear them as well.
  2. Your Microphone is Muted
  1. If you see a red microphone with a strikethrough on a light grey background, it means others should not be able to hear you but you should be able to hear them.
  2. Your Microphone and Speakers are Disabled
  1. If you see a red microphone, with or without a red x next to it, on a dark grey background, it means others should not be able to hear you and you should not be able to hear them either.
  2. Based on the issue you're having, set your audio to what you need it be:
  3. If you can hear others but they can't hear you, make sure your microphone isn't muted.
  4. If you can't hear others and they can't hear you either, make sure your microphone and speakers are not disabled.

Check the Audio Settings in BlueJeans

  1. Click Settings in the top right.
Settings option highlighted during test call in BlueJeans app.
  1. Check the Microphone and Speaker devices.
Selected microphone and speaker devices highlighted in Settings of BlueJeans app.
  1. If others cannot hear you, make sure you have the correct microphone selected. Speak into your microphone and check if the volume bars change while you speak. If there is no change, you'll need to troubleshoot further.
Volume bars pointed out for selected microphone in settings of BlueJeans app.
  1. If you cannot hear others, make sure you have the correct speaker selected. Hover your pointer over the speaker and click the Test button. If you hear no sound coming from that speaker, you need to troubleshoot further.
Test button highlighted for selected speaker in settings of BlueJeans app.
  1. If you see an exclamation mark in a red circle next to a microphone or a speaker, BlueJeans recommends not using that device as it may not be compatible.
Exclamation mark in red circle with message saying BlueJeans recommends using a different device.
  1. Audio devices that work best with BlueJeans
  2. Recommended headsets and microphones

Check the Audio Settings on the Computer

If you can't hear others then you need to check the speaker settings on your computer.

Windows

Check the Speaker Settings on a Windows PC

Select the speaker near the clock in your System Tray, usually in the bottom-right corner of your screen. You are able to move the slider back and forth to increase and decrease the volume.

Windows System tray with speaker highlighted and volume meter open and slider highlighted.

Apple

Check the Speaker Settings on a Mac

Select the Speaker on the top-right of your Menu bar. You can use the slider to adjust the volume.

Mac Volume adjustment

If others can't hear you then you need to check the microphone settings on your computer.

Windows

Check the Microphone Settings on a Windows PC

  1. Using your right mouse button, Right click on the speaker in your System Tray, and select Open Sound settings.
Windows System Tray with speaker icon highlighted with right mouse button near by, with menu open, and Open Sound settings highlighted.
  1. Under Input, select Device properties.
Sound settings with Input Device Properties highlighted.
  1. Make sure Disable is not checked, and make sure the volume is at a reasonable volume.
Device properties with disable box unchecked and volume meter highlighted.
  1. A volume between 50 and 75 is usually appropriate.

Apple

Check the Microphone Settings on a Mac

  1. Open the Apple Menu, then select System Preferences.
Apple Menu with System Preferences highlighted.
  1. Select Sound.
System Preferences with Sound highlighted.
  1. Select the Input tab at top, and make sure the Input volume is at a reasonable volume.
Sound preferences with Input tab and input volume highlighted.
  1. A volume between 50 and 75 is usually appropriate.

Check the External Audio Devices

If you're using external devices for your audio, such as a headset, microphone, headphones, speakers, make sure they are properly connected to your computer, are powered on and their audio levels are proper.

  1. Make sure the external audio devices are connected correctly to your computer:
  2. Analog Audio Devices
  3. Your microphone should plugged into the Pink audio port and your headphone or speaker into the Green one.
Analog audio connection showing pink plug going into pink port and lime green plug going into lime green port.
  1. Digital Audio Devices
  2. USB ports may have more or less power, and sometimes some USB ports don't have enough power. Try using a different USB port on your computer.
USB port and connector
Bluetooth Logo
  1. Bluetooth Devices
    Make sure their battery is charged, they're turned on and connected to the computer:
  2. How to Pair Bluetooth Devices to a Windows PC
  3. How to Pair Bluetooth Devices to a Mac
  4. If you're using a headset with inline controls, make sure the audio levels are where you want them to be. If there's a solid or flashing red light, it may mean the microphone is muted.
Red light highlighted on inline controls of headset.

3. I Hear an Echo, Static or Audio Sounds Bad

If your colleagues mention your audio quality is poor, or the audio you hear sounds bad, there are a few things you can check.

  • Use a Headset
    If possible, use a headset. Because your mic will pick up whatever is playing from your speakers, including your colleagues and your voice, it can cause a feedback loop. If possible, switch to using a headset and mic, so your mic won't pick up the sounds playing.
  • Turn Off Other Sources of Audio on Your Computer
    Some audio devices don't 'mix' audio well, and can degrade the quality of everything. Turn off any videos, music, or other audio you may be listening to while on the conference.
  • Replug Devices
  • Analog Devices
Minijack
  • Analog audio devices connect using a minijack. Both the jack and the port on the computer can end up with little bits of dust which can cause audio to crackle, have static, or drop out. The simple fix is to unplug and replug the device, this removes the dust and tends to fix the problem.
  • USB Devices
USB Device
  • USB Devices aren't as susceptible to dust, but because of how modern computers work, there could be not enough power on certain USB ports to power the device. Switch to a different USB port on your computer and try again.
  • Close Other Programs
    If the audio quality is poor, it's possible your computer doesn't have enough power to encode the audio quickly enough because other programs are running in the background. Close the other programs you're not using on your computer.
  • Reboot Your Computer
    If you're unable to find any programs to close, or if there's updates waiting to apply on your computer, it's possible this, too, could cause audio problems. Rebooting your computer can solve these problems.

Dedicated Audio Troubleshooting Guide
We offer a separate, dedicated guide that will help you check a number of other options with the audio on your computer that may help further.

4. I Can't Fix My Sound, How Do I Connect by Phone?

If you can't get your computer's audio working and you need to attend a conference call, you can still join using your phone's audio.

You'll still be able see everything on your screen but the audio will work through your phone's microphone and speaker.

Switch to Phone Audio while in a Meeting

If you're already on a conference call and your computer's audio stops working, you can switch over to your phone's audio to resume the meeting.

  1. Click the down arrow on the audio icon and select Switch to phone audio.
Down arrow on audio icon and Switch to Phone Audio option highlighted during a conference call in BlueJeans app.
  1. Dial the phone number and enter the audio code shown on the screen.
Phone number to dial and audio code to enter to join meeting with phone shown in BlueJeans app.

Join a Meeting with Phone Audio

If you're not on a conference call yet and you want to join with your phone's audio, you can change how you connect from the BlueJeans preferences.

  1. Click the Menu button in the top left and select Preferences.
Menu button and Preferences option highlighted in BlueJeans app.


  1. Under General, select Connect through phone then click the X in the top right to exit the Preferences.
General tab, Connect through phone option and X button highlighted in BlueJeans Preferences window.
  1. On the left side of the app, enter the Meeting ID, enter your Name and click Join Meeting.
Meeting ID and Name fields, and Join Meeting button highlighted on the left side of BlueJeans app.
  1. Dial the phone number and enter the audio code shown on the screen.
Phone number to dial and audio code to enter to join meeting with phone shown in BlueJeans app.