60-second checks
Nine out of ten webcam problems come down to one of these. Run through them before anything else.
- 1
Close other apps using the camera (Zoom, Meet, FaceTime, OBS, Discord).
- 2
Refresh the Scrywire tab — a stale tab can hold onto a released camera.
- 3
Check your browser hasn't blocked camera or mic permission for scrywire.com.
- 4
Make sure the camera lens cover / privacy shutter is open.
- 5
Try a different USB port if using an external webcam.
- 6
Restart the browser (fully quit, not just close the window) if nothing else works.
Browser permissions
Scrywire needs camera and mic permission for scrywire.com. If you clicked Block by accident, no future prompt will appear — you have to re-enable it manually.
- Click the 🔒 lock icon in the address bar.
- Open Site settings.
- Set Camera and Microphone to Allow.
- Reload the page.
- Safari menu → Settings → Websites.
- Pick Camera and Microphone in the sidebar.
- Set scrywire.com to Allow.
- Also check System Settings → Privacy → Camera and enable Safari.
- Click the 🔒 lock icon in the address bar.
- Under Permissions, remove any Blocked entries for Camera/Microphone.
- Reload and click Allow when prompted.
- macOS: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera / Microphone. Enable your browser.
- Windows: Settings → Privacy & security → Camera / Microphone. Toggle browser access on.
- Restart the browser after changing OS permissions.
Computer & USB webcam
Built-in laptop camera
- Almost always works out of the box — permissions are the usual culprit.
- Best for a face cam. Card play is easier with a second angle (see the phone section).
- If it's stuck on black, check your laptop's F-key camera toggle or physical shutter.
External USB webcam
- Plug into a USB port on the computer directly, not through a low-power hub.
- In Scrywire's setup screen open Settings and pick the USB camera from the Camera dropdown.
- Popular picks for card play: Logitech C920/C922, Logitech Brio, Anker PowerConf C300, Elgato Facecam.
- Mount overhead with a boom arm or clamp so the whole play area is in frame.
Use your phone as a webcam
Your phone's rear camera is almost certainly the best camera in your house. Scrywire has a built-in phone pair option — no app, no cables, no drivers.
Open Host a Table
On your computer, start creating a table. On the "Check your setup" screen you'll see a Pair your phone panel.
Scan the QR code
Point your phone camera at the QR. It opens Scrywire in your phone browser and asks for camera permission — allow it.
Mount it overhead
Prop the phone above your playmat so the rear camera looks straight down. Your phone becomes your table camera; your computer stays as your face cam.
iPhone tips
- Use Safari (best camera access on iOS).
- Turn on Do Not Disturb so notifications don't cover the feed.
- Lock rotation with the phone in landscape for a wider overhead frame.
- Plug the phone into power — camera streaming drains battery fast.
- Settings → Display & Brightness → Auto-Lock → Never (turn back after your session).
Android tips
- Use Chrome for the most reliable camera access.
- Turn on Do Not Disturb and keep the screen from sleeping (Developer Options → Stay awake while charging).
- Older phones: switch to the rear camera manually in Scrywire's device settings if it picks the front by default.
- Keep the phone plugged in.
Cheap overhead mounts that work
- Gooseneck phone holder that clamps to your desk — under $20.
- A tabletop tripod with a phone adapter.
- DIY: stack of books, phone laid flat on top with the camera peeking over the edge, angled down.
Microphone & audio
- The green level meter on the mic button confirms audio is coming through — if bars don't move when you speak, the mic isn't picking you up.
- Pick the mic you want in Settings on the setup screen. Bluetooth headsets often register as two devices — the "Hands-Free" profile has awful quality; pick the plain headset entry.
- Wired earbuds with a mic beat any laptop mic for clarity.
- Keep your speaker volume moderate — loud playback into a laptop mic creates echo for other players.
Lighting & framing
Light the play area, not your face
A single desk lamp or ring light aimed at the playmat is enough to read card text over webcam. Avoid backlighting the camera (windows behind you turn everything into a silhouette).
Framing
Get the entire playmat in the shot with a little room to spare for cards played to the side. If opponents keep asking to zoom, lower the camera closer to the table.
Connection & quality
- Wired ethernet always beats Wi-Fi for video calls. If you're on Wi-Fi, sit close to the router.
- Close bandwidth-hungry apps (cloud sync, streaming video, big downloads) before you sit down.
- VPNs frequently break WebRTC — try disabling yours if calls won't connect.
- Corporate / school / hotel networks may block peer-to-peer video. Use a personal network if you can.
Troubleshooting by symptom
Camera preview is a black rectangle.▾
Another app is holding the camera, or your browser doesn't have permission. Quit Zoom/Meet/OBS/Discord, then reload Scrywire. If it's still black, re-check permissions above.
Scrywire never asks for camera permission.▾
You previously chose Block. Click the 🔒 in the address bar → Site settings → set Camera & Microphone to Allow → reload.
Wrong camera keeps getting picked.▾
Open Settings on the setup screen and choose the camera you want from the dropdown. Scrywire remembers your choice.
Mic level bars never move.▾
Check the mic isn't muted at the OS level. Try a different mic in Settings. On Windows, right-click the speaker icon → Sound settings → confirm the mic is set as default input.
Other players sound echoey.▾
Wear headphones. Speaker output looping back into your mic causes echo for everyone else.
Video freezes or gets pixelated mid-game.▾
Bandwidth issue. Move closer to the router, switch to ethernet, or drop other network usage. Reload the tab to reset the connection.
Paired phone drops out after a few minutes.▾
Phone likely went to sleep or a call came in. Plug it in, enable Do Not Disturb, and disable auto-lock. Re-scan the QR to reconnect.
Still stuck?
If you've worked through the above and something still isn't right, we'd love to hear about it — bug reports during beta genuinely help.