What if I have a technical issue during my appointment?

What should I do about a technical issue during your appointment?

If a technical issue during your appointment crops up — video freezes, audio fails, or the call drops — close and reopen the app, then rejoin via the Appointments tab. For phone consultations, stay near your phone as your clinician will attempt to call you back. If you cannot reconnect, contact the support team immediately so your appointment is not recorded as a no-show.

The most common technical issues during telehealth appointments

Technical issues during consultations typically fall into a small number of categories:

• Dropped call or frozen video: Usually caused by internet instability or a device resource problem. Resolved by rejoining.
• No audio (cannot hear or be heard): Usually a permissions or audio routing issue. Resolved by checking permissions and restarting the app.
• Camera not showing: Usually a permissions issue or another app blocking camera access. Resolved by checking device settings.
• App not loading or crashing: Usually resolved by closing and reopening the app, or clearing cache and retrying.

For each of these, there is a dedicated guide: video call troubleshooting, audio not working, camera or microphone not working.

What to do in the first 60 seconds of a technical problem

Speed matters when something goes wrong mid-consultation. Here is what to do immediately:

1. Do not close the app unless the screen is fully unresponsive — your clinician may still be able to reach you.
2. If the video has frozen or audio has cut out, attempt to rejoin the call first. Go to Appointments and tap Join Video Call.
3. If the app is unresponsive, force-close it, wait 10 seconds, reopen, and rejoin.
4. If you are on a phone consultation and the call dropped, stay near your phone — your clinician will call back from 0483 957 072.
5. If none of these work within 2–3 minutes, open live chat in the app and let the support team know what is happening.

How to avoid a no-show if a technical issue interrupts your appointment

An appointment interrupted by a genuine technical issue will not be recorded as a no-show, provided you alert the support team. If you cannot reconnect and the appointment time passes:

• Contact the Abby Health support team via live chat as soon as possible after the issue.
• Explain what happened — the time, the nature of the problem, and what steps you tried.
• Our support team can review the appointment record and remove any no-show notation where the circumstances confirm a technical cause.

See what happens if you miss a telehealth appointment for more on the no-show policy, and how to contact the Abby support team for contact details.

What if the technical issue happens repeatedly?

If technical problems affect your consultations consistently, it is worth reviewing your setup before your next appointment:

• Test your internet connection speed and switch to a more stable network if possible.
• Update your device operating system and the Abby Health app to the latest versions.
• Check whether your device meets the minimum requirements for video consultations — see supported devices and browsers for telehealth calls.
• Consider switching to phone consultations if video connectivity is consistently unreliable in your location.

For a step-by-step pre-appointment check, see preparing for your telehealth appointment.

What if the problem is on Abby Health's end?

Occasionally — and rarely — a service disruption affects the Abby Health platform itself rather than your device or connection. In these cases, our team will communicate directly with affected patients as quickly as possible. Contact the support team if you suspect a platform-level issue. They can confirm whether there is a known outage and advise on next steps, including rebooking options.

The Healthdirect Australia service can assist with urgent health queries while any platform issue is being resolved. The RACGP publishes telehealth practice standards covering continuity of care when a session is interrupted.

If your symptoms are severe or worsening at any point during a technical failure, do not wait — call 000 or go to the nearest emergency department.

How Abby can help

Abby Health is an online-first clinic with a support team available 7 days a week. Technical issues are an expected part of any digital health service, and our team is well-practised at resolving them quickly. We will always work to ensure that a technical interruption does not leave you without care. Abby appointments are bulk billed for eligible patients with a valid Medicare card. Book or manage your care at abbyhealth.app.