Jitsi’s generally been pretty good, hasn’t it?
Occassionally we do get issues – the main one being Echoes.
*** Jitsi Echo Etiquette: (Mute yourself) ***
When we have an Echo situation (as we did last week), we need to take turns muting our microphones and then continuing the conversation. This should identify the culprit (usually one person) from whom the Echo originates. Please let’s all agree that if that is you, you agree to mute yourself for that game (and hopefully fix the issue before the next).
What Causes These Echoes?
Echoes in Jitsi are usually caused by an audio feedback loop where a participant’s microphone picks up the sound coming out of their speakers or headphones. While Jitsi uses built-in echo cancellation, specific setups can overwhelm the software.
Common causes and fixes include:
- Unmuted Speakers & Mics: The most frequent cause is a user joining with a laptop’s built-in speakers and microphone instead of headphones. The microphone captures the speaker’s voice, which gets re-transmitted into the call.
- The Fix: Everyone should wear Headset and Microphone Recommendations or mute their microphones when not speaking.
- Multiple Devices in the Same Room: If two people in the same physical room join the same call on different devices, their mics and speakers will create a severe loop.
- The Fix: Only one device should have its audio and mic unmuted in the room. The others should mute their audio entirely or leave the call.
- Bluetooth Headphones: Wireless headsets often experience higher latency and can sometimes use low-quality hands-free profiles, breaking Jitsi’s automated Echo Cancellation Failures.
- The Fix: Switch to wired headphones or check your OS sound settings to ensure the correct output and input devices are selected.
- Too-High Volume: If a user’s speaker volume is turned up too high, the audio will bleed into the microphone even if they are wearing earbuds.
- The Fix: Lower the incoming speaker volume to a moderate level.
- Browser or OS Settings: Using a browser that struggles with Jitsi’s audio APIs (like Firefox) or having multiple tabs open using the same session can cause audio anomalies.
- The Fix: Use Jitsi Supported Browsers like Google Chrome, Brave, or Microsoft Edge for the best compatibility.
If you are trying to identify who is causing the echo on our Jitsi call, look at the active speaker indicator when the echo occurs—the echo usually originates from the person whose microphone is active at that exact moment.
(comments / further discussion welcome!)