Common Questions
"Why can't I unmute?"
There are two common reasons:
Speakers-only mode is active
A moderator has enabled speakers-only mode, which mutes all non-speaker participants. In this mode, you need a moderator to grant you speaker access before you can unmute.
What to do:
- Look for a hand-raise button in the toolbar
- Raise your hand to signal you'd like to speak
- Wait for a moderator to grant you speaker access
Guest permission restrictions
If you're participating as a guest, microphone access may be disabled by default. The Wave owner controls guest capabilities.
What to do:
- Ask the host to enable microphone for guests, or to promote your capability level during the session
"Why is my video not showing?"
Camera is not enabled
You may not have turned on your camera when joining. Look for the camera toggle in the toolbar and click it to enable video.
Camera disabled by a moderator
A moderator can disable individual participants' cameras. If your camera toggle appears locked or unavailable, a moderator may have turned it off.
What to do:
- Ask a moderator to re-enable your camera
- Check if there's a reason (e.g., bandwidth management in a large session)
Camera in use by another application
If another application is using your camera (Zoom, Teams, FaceTime), your browser may not be able to access it.
What to do:
- Close other video applications
- Refresh the Rippily page and try again
See Audio and Video Issues for more detailed troubleshooting.
"Why can't I join?"
The room is locked
The Ripple host has locked the room, preventing new participants from entering. Locked rooms show a lock indicator.
What to do:
- Wait for the host to unlock the room
- Contact the host or a moderator to let you in
Approval required
The Wave uses an approval join policy. You need to submit a join request and wait for it to be approved.
What to do:
- Click "Request to Join"
- Wait for an administrator to approve your request
You've been banned
If you've been banned from a Wave, you cannot access any of its Ripples through any method (direct link, invite, guest pass).
What to do:
- Contact the Wave owner if you believe this was a mistake
"Why can't I see other participants?"
Breakout zone isolation
If you're in a zone (breakout area), you can only see and hear participants in the same zone. Participants in other zones are isolated from you.
What to do:
- Move to a different zone to see other participants
- If you're not sure which zone you're in, look for zone indicators on the scene
- The host can broadcast across zones if they need everyone's attention
Participants are in a different scene
If the host has multiple scenes, some participants may be viewing a different scene. You'll only see participants who are in the same scene as you.
What to do:
- Check if the host has switched scenes — you should be moved automatically, but you can also navigate between scenes if the host allows it