Overview
Technical solutions for common participant issues during Tellet interviews.
Quick Reference
Access Issues
Interview Won't Load
Symptoms:
- Blank screen
- "Page not found" error
- Endless loading spinner
Causes:
- Outdated browser
- JavaScript disabled
- Poor internet connection
- Firewall blocking site
Solutions:
- Refresh page - Press F5 or click refresh button
- Try different browser - Use Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge
- Check internet - Verify other websites load
- Disable extensions - Ad blockers and VPNs can interfere
- Try incognito mode - Ctrl+Shift+N (Chrome) or Cmd+Shift+N (Safari)
- Clear browser cache - Settings > Privacy > Clear browsing data
If on corporate network:
- IT may block tellet.ai domain
- Try mobile hotspot or home network
- Contact IT to whitelist *.tellet.ai
Recording Permission Issues
Camera/Microphone Not Working
Symptoms:
- Black screen when recording
- "Permission denied" message
- No preview shown
Causes:
- Browser permission denied
- Another app using camera/microphone
- System permissions disabled
- Hardware malfunction
Solutions:
Step 1: Close other apps
Common apps that use camera/microphone:
- Zoom, Teams, Skype, Google Meet, FaceTime
- OBS, streaming software
- Other browser tabs with video
Step 2: Check browser permissions
Set Camera and Microphone to "Allow", then refresh the page:
- Chrome / Edge — click the camera icon in the address bar
- Firefox — click the camera/microphone icon in the address bar, remove the "Blocked" status, select "Allow"
- Safari (Mac) — Safari menu > Settings for This Website
- Safari (iOS) — Settings > Safari > Camera/Microphone, then return to the browser
Step 3: Check system permissions
- Windows — Settings > Privacy > Camera/Microphone; turn on "Allow apps to access" and make sure your browser is in the allowed list
- Mac — System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Camera/Microphone; check the box next to your browser, then restart it
Step 4: Test hardware
Open the device's native camera app (Camera on Windows, Photo Booth on Mac, the camera app on mobile). If the camera works there but not in the browser, it's a permission issue.
Step 5: Restart browser completely
- Close all browser windows
- End browser process in Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (Mac)
- Reopen and try again
Alternatives if not resolved:
- Continue with text responses only
- Continue with audio only (no video)
- Try different device
Upload and Recording Issues
Upload Fails or Times Out
Symptoms:
- "Upload failed" error
- Spinning upload indicator never completes
- Recording doesn't appear in chat
Causes:
- Unstable internet connection
- File too large
- Browser memory issues
- Network timeout
Solutions:
Step 1: Check your internet connection
Video responses need a stronger, more stable connection than audio or text. If uploads are slow or failing, your connection is the most likely cause.
Fixes for a slow connection:
- Move closer to your Wi-Fi router
- Switch to a wired connection
- Try mobile data instead of Wi-Fi (or vice versa)
- Close other downloads/streams
Step 2: Record shorter videos
If you're experiencing upload issues, try recording shorter videos. Split long responses into multiple short recordings if needed.
Step 3: Clear cached files only
Clear only cached files (not cookies or site data) so your saved progress is kept:
Chrome:
- Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data
- Select "Last 24 hours"
- Check "Cached images and files" only (leave cookies/site data unchecked)
- Clear data
Firefox:
- Options > Privacy & Security > Clear Data
- Check "Cached Web Content" only
- Clear
Safari: Safari clears cache and saved progress together, so skip this step and continue to Step 4 — removing tellet.ai from Website Data would restart your interview from the beginning.
Step 4: Reload and retry
- Refresh page (Ctrl+R or Cmd+R)
- Wait for "Welcome back!" message
- Try recording again
Interface and Performance Issues
Interview Frozen or Slow
Symptoms:
- Questions stop appearing
- Can't click buttons
- Very slow response times
- Interface unresponsive
Causes:
- Too many open tabs
- Low device memory
- Poor internet connection
- Browser needs restart
Solutions:
Step 1: Check internet connection
If your connection drops, you may see a message that the connection was interrupted:
- Check that your internet is working
- Do not close the browser
- Resend your message once the connection is back
- Continue normally
Step 2: Refresh page
- Press F5 (Windows) or Cmd+R (Mac)
- Wait for page reload
- Should see "Welcome back!" message
- Previous responses preserved
Step 3: Close unnecessary resources
- Close other browser tabs
- Close unused applications
- Check memory usage (Task Manager on Windows, Activity Monitor on Mac)
Step 4: Try incognito/private mode
- Chrome: Ctrl+Shift+N (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+N (Mac)
- Firefox: Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+P (Mac)
- Safari: Cmd+Shift+N (Mac)
Note: Starting in incognito means starting fresh - can't resume existing session.
Step 5: Restart browser
- Close ALL browser windows (not just tab)
- Wait 10 seconds
- Reopen browser
- Navigate to interview link
- Should resume session
Step 6: Restart device
- Close all apps
- Full restart (not sleep)
- Try interview again
Session and Progress Issues
Lost Progress or Can't Resume
Symptoms:
- Interview starts from beginning
- Previous answers not showing
- No "Welcome back" message
Causes:
- Browser cache cleared
- Different device or browser
- Cookies disabled
How Sessions Work:
Sessions are:
- Stored locally in browser
- Tied to specific device + browser
- Preserved through browser restarts
- Saved automatically
Sessions don't:
- Sync across devices
- Work in different browsers
- Survive cache clearing
- Work in incognito after closing
Solutions:
If on same device/browser:
- Use exact same browser as before
- Check correct browser user profile
- Click interview link again
- Check if cookies are enabled
If session is lost:
Unfortunately, must start over. Session cannot be recovered if:
- Cache was cleared
- Using different device
- Using different browser
To prevent loss:
- Complete interview on one device/browser
- Don't clear cache during interview
- Bookmark page for correct link
- Try to finish in one sitting where you can — resuming works on the same device via your link, but interviews left unfinished may eventually be treated as incomplete by the research team
- Avoid incognito mode for interviews requiring breaks
Device Switching:
Cannot switch devices. Your progress marker is stored only in your browser, so the interview can't be resumed on another device.
Best practice: Choose one device with good battery and stable internet for entire interview.
Completion and Redirect Issues
Completion Not Working
Symptoms:
- No completion message
- Redirect doesn't happen
- Stuck on final answer
- Incentive not received
Causes:
- Redirect URL incorrect
- Browser closed too quickly
- Connection dropped at completion
- Pop-up blocked
Solutions:
No completion message:
- Verify all questions answered (progress bar at 100%)
- Wait 10 seconds for processing
- Scroll down to see message
- Refresh page once if needed
Redirect not happening:
- Check for pop-up blocker (icon in address bar)
- Allow pop-ups if blocked
- Wait 5-30 seconds for redirect
- Look for manual link in completion message
- Check if new tab opened in background
Not receiving incentive:
- Verify completion message appeared
- Check panel platform for status
- Allow time for processing (check your panel's typical timeframe)
- Check email for confirmation
- Contact panel support with interview ID and timestamp
Interview shows incomplete:
- Click interview link again
- If complete, shows completion message
- If not complete, may show one more question
- Answer to trigger completion
- Contact support if issue persists
Browser-Specific Issues
Safari
Known issues:
- Stricter privacy settings may block functionality
- Video recording issues on older iOS devices
- Cross-site tracking prevention
Fixes:
- Safari > Settings > Websites > Camera/Microphone > Allow for the interview site (tellet.ai)
- Refresh the page and try again
As a last resort, if problems persist: Safari > Settings > Privacy — uncheck "Prevent cross-site tracking" and "Block all cookies".
iOS:
- Settings > Safari
- Camera/Microphone > Ask or Allow
- Clear History and Website Data if problems persist
Chrome
Known issues:
- Extensions can interfere
- Heavy resource usage with many tabs
Fixes:
- Disable extensions temporarily
- Settings > Extensions > Toggle off
- Clear site data: Settings > Site settings > tellet.ai > Delete
Firefox
Known issues:
- Enhanced tracking protection may block features
- On Android, Firefox has known camera and microphone issues
Fixes:
- Click shield icon in address bar
- Toggle off Enhanced Tracking Protection
- Reload page
- On Android, use Chrome for the best camera and microphone experience
Edge
Known issues:
- Similar to Chrome (uses Chromium)
- Enterprise policies may restrict features
Fixes:
- Settings > Privacy > Tracking prevention > Basic (not Strict)
- Clear browsing data
Mobile-Specific Issues
Keyboard Covers Input
Solution:
- Scroll down to reveal send button
- Tap outside keyboard to minimise
- Rotate to landscape mode
- On iPhone: Tap keyboard hide button (bottom right)
Screen Too Small
Solution:
- Rotate to landscape
- Zoom out if too zoomed in
- Use portrait mode for typical use
Battery Draining Fast
Why: Video recording uses significant power
Solutions:
- Reduce screen brightness
- Close background apps
- Plug into charger
- Use text/audio instead of video
Can't Switch Cameras
Cause: On Android, Firefox has known camera issues that can affect switching between the front and back camera
Solution:
- Use Chrome on Android
- Use Safari on iPhone
- Record with one camera, retake if needed
Quick Diagnostics
Emergency troubleshooting steps:
Verify basics
- Internet connection working
- Correct interview link
- Browser is updated
- JavaScript enabled
Restart the browser (try this first — keeps your progress)
- Close all browser windows (not just the tab)
- Reopen the browser
- Open the interview link again — you should see "Welcome back!" with your answers intact
Full reset (last resort — this restarts the interview from the beginning)
- Only do this if a restart didn't help and you're willing to start over
- Clearing browsing data deletes your saved progress, so any answers so far will be lost
- Close all browser windows, clear browsing data, reopen, and open the link again
Try different setup
- Different browser
- Incognito/private mode
- Different device
- Different network (WiFi vs mobile data)
Simplify approach
- Use text responses only
- Disable browser extensions
- Close all other applications
Contact support
- Document error messages
- Screenshot the issue
- Note browser, OS, device type
- Describe steps already tried
Error Messages
- Permission denied: See Recording Permission Issues
- "Connection interrupted. You can resend your message.": Check internet, then resend the message
- Upload failed: See Upload and Recording Issues
- Interview unavailable (e.g. study completed, maximum responses reached, or not published): The error page explains the reason; contact the research team if unexpected
- Conversation expired: See Session and Progress Issues
- "Something went wrong": A recovery screen appears instead of a blank page if something fails to load. Click "Reload page" to try again, or refresh your browser and check your internet connection.
When to Contact Support
Contact support if:
- Problem persists after all troubleshooting
- Unique error message not covered here
- Lost significant progress due to technical issue
- Multiple people report same problem
- Issue appears to be platform bug
Information to provide:
- Interview link
- Browser and OS version
- Exact error message
- Screenshots if possible
- Steps already tried
- How far into interview when issue occurred
How to Contact Support:
Email: [email protected]
Include all information listed above to help resolve your issue quickly.