Fixing Screeching or Feedback During Phone Calls

A loud squeal can happen when a microphone picks up sound from a speaker and sends it back into the call. This is audio feedback. Headphones can reduce it, but they do not fix every cause of noise. Silence, crackling, and audio that cuts out need different checks.

If loud noise starts during a call

Lower your listening volume or remove your headset, then select Mute. If the noise continues or returns when you unmute, end the call. Do not wait through loud noise or resume the call with the same settings.

Mute stops sound from your microphone. It does not turn off sound coming from the other end of the call.

Check which problem you have

• A squeal, echo, or repeated voice: start with the headset and speaker checks below.
• Crackling, distorted speech, or a robotic voice: check your headset, then run the connection test below.
• Ringing followed by silence, sound that cuts out on answer, or only one person hearing the other: follow the missing-audio steps below. These symptoms alone do not show that you have feedback.
• A microphone error message: follow the message in Vottiv. See the troubleshooting section in Setting Up and Using the Power Dialer for permission and microphone startup errors.

Check your headset and audio settings

Finish or end the current call before you reconnect equipment, run tests, or reload the page. If you use the Predictive Dialer, leave the calling session while you troubleshoot so another call does not arrive.

1. Connect your headphones or headset. Keep nearby speakers quiet. If you do not have headphones, lower the speaker volume and move the microphone away from the speakers. This may reduce feedback; it may not remove it.
2. Open Audio Settings in Vottiv. On a computer, look for the gear button labeled Settings near the call controls. On a phone or narrow screen, open Info, then Audio Settings under Call Audio. You can also select devices during the setup before calling.
3. Check both device lists. Under Microphone, choose the microphone you intend to use. Under Speaker, choose your headphones. Plugging in headphones does not confirm that call sound goes to them. If your browser does not offer speaker selection, choose the output device in your computer's sound settings.
4. Select Test Mic and speak. The level bar should move. If it does not, check the headset's physical mute switch and select the correct microphone. Select Stop Test when finished. A moving bar confirms microphone input; it does not confirm that the other person can hear you.
5. If noise continues with headphones, try another device. After ending the call, reconnect the headset. If you use Bluetooth, try wired headphones or a USB headset if one is available. Change one thing at a time so you can tell what helped.

If sound cuts out or is missing

First check the selected speaker, your listening volume, and whether the browser tab is muted. If the other person cannot hear you, check Vottiv's Mute control and run Test Mic.

After the call ends, close other calling or recording apps and extra Vottiv calling tabs. Reopen the calling page. If the issue remains, try an up-to-date Chrome browser. A browser change is a troubleshooting check, not proof of the cause.

For distorted speech or repeated cutouts, open Audio Settings and select Run Test under Connection Quality when the phone system is ready and you are not on a call. Save the result or exact error message. Try a wired internet connection or move closer to your Wi-Fi router if the connection is poor.

A good connection-test result does not rule out an intermittent problem or a problem at the other end. If audio still disappears when someone answers, contact support instead of repeating the headset steps.

When to contact support

Contact Vottiv support through the help widget if the problem continues after these checks, affects several callers, or prevents you from completing calls. You do not need to wait for the noise to last a certain number of seconds.

Include these details in your private support request:

• The phone bank name or join code, and whether you use the Power Dialer or Predictive Dialer.
• The date, approximate time, and time zone of an affected call. Include the number you called if available.
• What you heard, when it started, and whether you, the other person, or both people heard it.
• Whether it happens on every call or only some calls, and whether other callers in your team have the same problem.
• Your device, browser, headset type, test results, and the steps you already tried. Include the exact text of any error.

If you already tried a step, say what happened. This helps support investigate the affected calls without asking you to start again.