Device requirements for video calls

Smartphones

Our system is optimised for performing video consultations on an Android phone or an iPhone.

Almost all mobile devices have built in feedback (echo) cancellation to stop the sound coming out the speaker from being fed back into the microphone. 

iPhone

On an iPhone the link to the consultation that you receive will open up Safari. You'll be asked to allow your microphone and camera each time you start a video consultation.

Our video consultation tool is compatible with all iPhone models from the iPhone 6 (released in September 2014) onwards. The minimum iOS version required is 11.0.2. It is recommended that you update to the latest version available for your Apple device.

Android

On an Android phone you'll need a version of Chrome that was released after October 2013 (version 30.0.1599 or later to be exact - Available on Android OS 4.1 'Jellybean' and above). It is recommended that you update to the latest version available for your Android device.

When you tap the link in the text message we send you, most Android devices will be configured to open the link in Chrome. You can also use Firefox if you prefer. 

If you can't get a video call working on your phone, the most likely cause is your internet connection.

Desktop and laptop computers

If you have a webcam (a lot of laptops have these built in) then you can also perform video consultations on your computer. On the Consultation Progress screen that comes up after you initiate a video call, you'll see a link towards the bottom of the screen to allow you to join the video call on your computer.

You'll need to be using a web browser that supports streaming video (WebRTC to be precise). This includes...

• Chrome
• Microsoft Edge
• Safari
• Firefox

Unfortunately Internet Explorer does not support the streaming video protocol.

Hearing an echo? 

Whilst almost all mobile devices have built in feedback cancellation, not all laptops and desktops do. This means the patient might hear an echo on their voice unless you are using headphones. See I'm getting echo or feedback on the video call if this happens.

Browser compatibility table