TokBox Help

Help Categories

• Setting yourself up to use TokBox
• Adding friends to your buddy list
• Video chatting
• Making moderated chats
• Sending video messages
• Managing your TokBox account
• Managing your payments
• 30-day free trial
• Privacy settings
• Technical issues & requirements

• What kind of webcam do I need to use TokBox?
  • TokBox will work with a standard webcam; the higher the resolution on the webcam (not megapixels), the better. A webcam with a price range of $30-$50.00 should provide very good quality, where a $10.00 one probably won't provide you with the quality you want.
• Can I use a camcorder?
  • If your camcorder has DV output it is possible to use it with TokBox. DV output is the connection that allows you to play your videos from the camera onto your computer so you can then edit them. You can plug the DV output into your computer's firewire port (this port comes built into Macs, but most PCS do not include these – it can however be purchased). Once you have done this, your camcorder will become an available option in your TokBox cam/mic settings.
• Why isn't my webcam working?
  • Here are a couple of things you may want to try:
    1. Make sure that you have the latest version of Flash installed. Download here: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/
    2. Go to "My Account" and select Cam and Mic Settings. You should see all the available webcams there and your image should appear in one of them. This is the camera that you need to select.
    3. Quit all the other programs that might be using your camera. e.g iChat, Skype, Yahoo Messenger
• Why isn't my audio working?
  • Here are a couple of things you may want to try:
    1. Check your microphone sensitivity to make sure it is picking up your voice. You can do this directly on your computer and also in TokBox. Simply go to "My Account" and then "Camera and Mic Settings". If you follow this wizard you will be able to test your microphone
    2. Try doing the same following the settings on your actual computer
    3. Check the volume on your computer and also the volume on the individual video chat. There is a volume setting within the video chat window

• How do I find my friends on TokBox?
  • Click "Search for Friends" in the left menu, or "Find your Friends" button in the top menu.
    1. Find people you email:
       1. Find email contacts that are already on TokBox. When you enter your email login information, we will compare your address book to the TokBox directory. We accept Gmail, Yahoo, MSN and AOL email accounts. Please note that we would never email your friends without your permission.
    2. Search the TokBox Directory:
       1. TokBox is really designed for people who already know each other to video chat. As a result, our search is based on searching for people by name and email address.
    3. Invite Friends:
       1. Use this tool to send email invitations. You can send one invite, or multiple by separating the email addresses with commas. If the recipient of the invitation registers with the same email address you sent the invitation to, they will be added to your Contact list.
• How do I add my IM account from TokBox?
  • Click "Edit" on the bottom of your Contact list then "Edit Accounts". Select "Add" enter your ID and Password, then "Sign In". Your IM contacts will now appear in your Contact list.
• How do I remove my IM account from TokBox?
  • Click "Edit" on the bottom of the Contact List then "Edit Accounts". Select "Edit" a red delete icon will appear to the right of each IM account. Once you click this icon, you will be prompted to approve the removal of the account.
• How do I add a single contact?
  • To add a contact, click "Add" then "Add Buddy". You can add anyone with an email or IM to TokBox. Select "Add Contact" to save.
• How do I remove a contact?
  • Click "Edit" on the bottom of the Contact List then "Edit Buddies". Select the red delete icon to the right of your Contact's name. You will be prompted to approve this removal. Select "done editing" to save.
• How do I edit my friend's display name?
  • Click "Edit" on the bottom of the Contact List then "Edit Buddies". Click the pencil icon to the right of the contact to update their displayed name. Select "done editing" to save.

• How do I start a video chat?
  • Click "Create a video" then "Video Chat" in the left menu.
• How do I invite people to my video chat?
  • Create a video chat and click on the Invite button on the top menu of the chat window; you will see several invitation options:
    1. TokBox: Use this feature to invite TokBox friends to your chat. You can also drag and drop TokBox contacts into your chat from the Contact List.
    2. Share URL: Copy and paste the chat URL into an email or IM message
    3. Twitter: 'Tweet' out the chat URL to your followers
    4. Facebook/Myspace: This will allow you to make your chat URL your "status"
• How many people can join a video chat?
  • TokBox video chats support up to 20 participants.
• How do I share content in my video chat?
  • When your video chat is open, click on the TV icon located at the top of the TokBox chat window. Choose the source of the media in the options list (YouTube, SlideShare, Flickr, Picasa, Etherpad). Paste in the URL and watch.

• What can I do with moderation?
  • 1. Choose who can join your chat
    2. Remove people from your chat
    3. Silence the audio of participants
    4. Hand over moderator controls to another participant
    5. Control the media that is shared within the chat
• How much does moderation cost?
  • WWe offer you the first 30 days for free and then charge you $9.99 per month. Your subscriptin will auto-renew each month, but you can cancel at any time by visiting My Account.
• How do I use the controls?
  • Mouse over a call participant's video image, and a control list will appear.
• What does the shield mean?
  • A shield indicates that the user is a moderator.
• Who can access the moderation controls?
  • If you created a moderated chat, only you can access the controls. If you promote another call participant to moderator, they will also have these controls.
• Do I have to approve everyone that wants to join my chat?
  • 1. There is an option to "always allow", which will automatically approve all join requests.
    2. If you chose not to "always allow", only your TokBox contacts can be automatically approved for a moderated call. However, they must be invited through the call Invite tool or by dragging and dropping them into the chat from your Contact List. Any participant entering the chat through a link must be approved.
• If I remove someone from the chat, can they rejoin the chat?
  • When a participant is removed from a chat, and attempts to rejoin the call, they will see a "denied" access screen. The only way that this person can rejoin the chat is if you invite them through the call window's "Invite" tool or by dragging them into the call from your buddy list.
• If I leave a chat that I am moderating, what happens?
  • If you are the only moderator in the chat, the call will become un-moderated. If you do not want this to happen, you must promote someone to moderator before you leave.
• What is the difference between silence and mute?
  • Silence is what you do to someone, and mute is what someone does to themselves.

• How do I record and send a video message?
  • 1. Go to "Create a video message" on the left menu; the recorder screen will open. Press record and then stop when your message is complete.
    2. Choose your options on the right to send the message by email address, address book, or your TokBox friends.
    3. To display this video message on Twitter, Facebook or MySpace click "Share" beneath the video image.
• How do I access my inbox?
  • Go to "Messages" then "Inbox". You can review all of the video messages you have received.
• I want to forward a video message that I received/sent. Is that possible?
  • 1. Go to "Messages" then "Inbox" or "Sent" (depending on the message you would like to forward). Once you have located your video, click forward.
    2. Choose your options on the right to send the message by email address, address book, or your TokBox friends.
• Can I delete a video mail I sent?
  • Not at this time. The reason being is that video mail is fundamentally not much different than email. Deleting a regular email you sent, for example, doesn't mean that the email goes away; the email is still available to the party you forwarded it to & resides on a server somewhere.

• Why can't I login to my account?
  • 1. I see a message that says incorrect email/password combination.
       1. This error message occurs if:
          
          a) you're signing in with an incorrect email b) you're signing in with the wrong password (passwords are case-sensitive) Use the following link to recover your password:
          http://www.tokbox.com/view/forgotpass
          
          You will need to know the email address you created the account with to recover
    2. I forgot my password
       1. Use the following link to recover your password:
          http://www.tokbox.com/view/forgotpass
    3. I am not receiving the email to reset my password
       1. Check your email application's spam or junk folder to verify it hasn't been mislabeled. Also, some emails may be blocked by your ISP (Internet Service Provider)
       2. If you are still having trouble, please use the feedback tab to notify us. Submit your full name and registered email address.
• How do I change my login email address?
  • Click on "My Account" in the left menu bar and select "Account". Underneath your current email, enter the new email address you would like registered to your account. Save settings.
• How do I change my password?
  • Click on "My Account" in the left menu bar and then select "Account". You must enter your current password, as well as the new password. Save settings.
• How do I change the name on my account?
  • You can submit a name change by clicking on "My TokBox" in the left menu bar and selecting "Account". A new window will appear; you can change your name in the "Profile" tab. Save settings. Please note that TokBox users must provide their real names.
• How do I change my TokBox username/URL?
  • Click on "My Account" in the left menu bar and select "Account". A new window will appear. You can update your Username in the "Profile" tab. Save settings.
• I want to sign up for an account, but it says that this email address is already in use. What do I do?
  • An email address can only be registered to one TokBox account.
    
    If you have deactivated an account, the email address registered to that account won't be available for use on a new account.
• How do I update my profile? (image, age, gender, etc.)
  • Click on "My Account" in the left menu bar and select "Account". A new window will appear. You can update your information in the "Profile" tab. Save settings.
• How do I change my email notification settings?
  • Click on "My TokBox" in the left menu bar and select "Account". You will see a list of instances in which you would receive an email notification. If you would like to turn off an email notification for a certain action, make sure the box is unchecked. Save settings.
• How do I deactivate my account?
  • 1. Click on "My Account" in the left menu bar and select "Account". Click "deactivate" and follow the onscreen instructions.
    2. This action is permanent; account reactivation is currently unavailable.
    3. If you are creating a new account and want to use the same email address linked to this account, you must first change the email address on this account before you deactivate it. If you don't, the email address won't be available for use.

• Do I have to pay to use TokBox?
  • We offer a wide range of services, some of which are free and others are paid services.
• If I purchased a premium feature and it isn't appearing in my account, what should I do?
  • Please send an email to payment@tokbox.com with the following information: 1) Email address registered to your account and 2) Premium feature you purchased
• What do I do if I was charged twice for one feature?
  • Please send an email to payment@tokbox.com with the following information: 1) Email address registered to your account and 2) Premium feature you purchased
• What is your cancellation policy?
  • TokBox monthly subscriptions auto-renew. If you want to cancel your renewal you must do so through the My Account section of our web site at least 24 hours before your monthly renewal date. You will be charged through the current billing cycle once you cancel.

• What features do I have access to in the 30-day free trial?
  • You will have access to the full set of moderation features available during your trial period.
• Can I cancel the trial before the 30-days are up?
  • You can cancel the trial. In order to avoid charges for the first month of moderation you must cancel your subscription at least 24 hours before the trial end date.
• What happens after the 30-day period is over?
  • You will be charged $9.99 for one month of moderation controls.

• How do I stop random users from contacting me?
  • Go to "My Account" and "Privacy Settings". You can then set who you want to receive video chat invites, video messages and instant messages from there. You can also hide yourself from search.
• How do I block a user?
  • As long as the user isn't in your contact list, you can go to that person's profile and use the block option. If they sent you a video message, a block option will also appear next to that message.
• How do I remove someone from my block list?
  • Go to "My Account", "Privacy". Locate the user in your Block List, and select unblock. Save settings to complete.
• Can I report a TokBox user for inappropriate behavior?
  • Yes. In the feedback tab, select "privacy concern" and enter the user name
• What should I do if I receive an offensive video message?
  • Use the report option you will find next to the video mail ("Flag"). You can also report this user to us by submitting a note through the Feedback tab, and selecting "privacy concern" from the menu.

• What kind of Internet connection do I need?
  • We recommend at least a standard DSL line. The faster your connection, the better your chat experience will be. Wi-fi is not as stable as a wired connection & we would recommend video chats on a wired connection.
• Do I need to download any software?
  • TokBox is a web-based application that requires no downloads to use. All that is required is a recent version of Adobe Flash on the computer you're using. You can download the latest version of Flash Player at http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/.
    
    We also recommend that you use the most recent version of your internet browser.
• What are the system requirements for using TokBox?
  • 1. Mac Supported Platforms:
       1. 10.4 (Tiger or higher)
    2. Minimum Mac System Requirements: (Less than optimal player experience, especially full screen)
       1. 1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo
       2. 512MB of RAM
       3. 64MB of Video Card RAM
       4. Flash 9.0.0.124
    3. Recommended Mac System Requirements:
       1. 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo or faster
       2. 1024MB of RAM or greater
       3. 64MB of Video Card RAM or greater
       4. Flash 10.x
    4. Windows Supported Platforms:
       1. Windows XP, Windows Vista & Windows 7
    5. Minimum Windows System Requirements:
       1. 2.2 GHz Pentium 4, 1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo or equivalent
       2. 512MB of RAM
       3. 64MB of Video Card RAM
       4. Flash 9.0.0.124
    6. Recommended Windows System Requirements:
    1. 2.8 GHz Pentium 4 or faster processor
    2. 1024MB of RAM or greater
    3. 64MB of Video Card RAM or greater
    4. Flash 10.x
• The video is freezing/there is an audio delay. Why?
  • Internet connection speeds do come into play with audio and video quality. In addition, streaming or downloading items while in a TokBox chat can also affect the quality. A few other things to keep in mind:
    1. Wi-fi is not as stable as a wired connection & we would recommend video chats on a wired connection.
    2. The connection quality of other participants does come into play, and that video chatting with someone really distant can cause some latency issues as well.
    3. More participants=more possibilities for issues and slower speeds.
• Why is there an echo?
  • While TokBox uses echo cancellation software to improve the sound quality, the built-in speakers and microphone on your computer may still cause some echo. We therefore recommend using a headset (headphones with a microphone) for the best audio quality. We would also recommend closing other applications that are utilizing your cam/mic resources. Using a recent version of Flash helps improve performance as well. Download here: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/
• Why does my browser crash when I open a video chat?
  • Some quick tips for reducing the probability of having a browser crash or freeze on Tokbox:
    
    1. Make sure you're working off of the most recent version of Adobe Flash. Link to update your version of Adobe Flash: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/
    
    2. Make sure your storage settings with Adobe Flash are set to unlimited. You can manage your Flash settings here: http://www.macromedia.com/support/documen...
    
    3. Please make sure you're working off of the latest versions of your internet browser.Links to upgrade the most popular web browsers used on Tokbox:
    
    Mozilla Firefox: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firef...
    Microsoft Internet Explorer: http://www.microsoft.com/win...
    
    4. Make sure your operating system is updated with all recent performance and security upgrades.
    
    Microsoft Operating Systems (XP, Vista) : http://update.microso...
    Apple Operating Systems: http://www.apple.com/downlo...
    
    5. Please close applications or web tabs/windows you're not utilizing. Having too many tabs or windows open can lead to performance issues, including browser crashes.