Do I need to prepare my computer before my session?

It's a good idea to check your device and internet connection before your first online psychology session. Here's what to look out for.

You'll need a desktop computer, laptop, phone or tablet with a working camera and microphone. The camera on your device should be at least 720p resolution (1280x720 pixels) - most built-in cameras meet this requirement.

The browser you use can affect your session quality. Here's what we recommend:

For a good experience with video and audio, you'll need a minimum download and upload speed of 1.5 Mbps. Most internet connections exceed this, but if yours is slower, you may find the video quality is affected. You can turn off the video component and rely on audio only if needed.

Test your internet speed at iinet.

If your connection can be unreliable when multiple people are using it, we recommend making sure no one else is using the same connection during your session, and that no other applications on your device are using bandwidth at the same time.

Before your session begins, close all other apps and browser tabs. This prevents notifications from causing distractions, and stops other apps from overriding your device's camera or audio. For example, if you've recently been on a call or listening to music, close those apps and reopen your browser fresh before joining your session.

Using headphones during your session adds an extra layer of privacy and can also improve your audio quality.