Which browser or app to use
Piano Gather works in any up-to-date browser, but the Mac and Windows apps give the best sound. Here’s what to use on each device.
The short answer
| You're on | Use |
|---|---|
| A Mac (macOS 13 Ventura or later) | The Piano Gather Mac app, or Google Chrome |
| A Windows PC (Windows 10 or later) | The Piano Gather Windows app, or Google Chrome |
| An iPad or iPhone | The Piano Gather iPad/iPhone app if you'll be playing. Safari is fine for listening and talking. |
| An Android phone or tablet | Google Chrome, for listening and talking. For playing, a computer is better. An Android app is coming. |
The Mac and Windows apps
The apps handle sound better than a browser does and are the best choice for lessons and performances. Everything else works the same, and you sign in with the same account.
To get one, open Piano Gather on your computer and click Get the Mac app or Get the Windows app in the menu. The button only appears on the computer it's for.
- Mac: open the downloaded file and drag Piano Gather into Applications. It runs on both Intel and Apple-silicon Macs.
- Windows: run the downloaded setup file.
Tip: Once the app is installed, links in Piano Gather emails can open straight in it. The first time, the page asks Open in the Piano Gather app? Click Open Piano Gather. If your browser asks for permission, allow it. Prefer the browser? Click Continue in the browser.
Browsers
Any recent version of Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari works. Google Chrome is the most reliable, and it's what we suggest if you're having trouble.
A few things depend on the browser:
- Sharing your screen with sound only works in Chrome or Edge, and only when you share a browser tab. In Safari and Firefox your screen is shared without sound.
- Firefox asks permission separately for each camera, so switching cameras can bring up another permission prompt.
iPad and iPhone
On an iPad or iPhone, the browser (Safari or any other) treats your sound as a phone call: it filters out anything that isn't speech. Your voice comes through clearly, but a piano sounds faint or keeps cutting out. Nothing on our side can switch that off in a browser. See My piano sounds faint or cuts out.
If you'll be playing, use the Piano Gather app for iPad and iPhone instead. It isn't in the App Store yet; email us and we'll help you install it.
Android phones can do something similar to a piano, especially on speakerphone, so a computer is the better choice for playing there too.
One window at a time
Use Piano Gather in one tab or window at a time. If you open a session somewhere else (another tab, the app or another device), the first one is disconnected and offers Rejoin here.