Tella uploads your video while you record it. Two rules cover most upload problems:
- Keep the recorder open. Uploads only make progress while the web tab, Chrome extension, Mac app, or Windows app that recorded the video stays open. If you closed it before the upload finished, reopen the same recorder to let it pick back up — and if it still doesn’t finish, don’t delete the recording; contact us and we can usually recover it.
- Never delete a stuck recording. A recording that looks stuck can almost always be recovered — deleting it is the one thing that makes it unrecoverable.
A few things to know before you escalate a slow or stuck upload:
- The upload percentage is not a reliable progress or recovery signal. Whether it’s stuck at 0%, 31%, or 98%, the number doesn’t tell you whether the upload failed or how much data is at risk. A “stuck” percentage almost always means the upload has stalled, not lost — the recorded data is usually still safe on your device, and the recording can typically be recovered.
- Don’t delete the recording or clear app/browser data while you wait. That’s the one action that can make a recoverable recording unrecoverable.
- Gather this before reaching out, so we can investigate without back-and-forth:
- A link to the stuck video (open it from your library and copy the URL)
- Which recorder you used: web app, Chrome extension, Mac app, or Windows app
- Your connection speed (run a quick test at speedtest.net and note your upload Mbps)
- The video’s rough length
- The percentage it’s stuck at
Slow but moving
If the percentage is climbing, it’s your upload bandwidth:
- Test your connection at speedtest.net — Tella needs roughly 2.5–5 Mbps upload to keep pace with recording.
- Weak or fluctuating Wi-Fi/4G makes uploads stop and start. If you go fully offline, Tella waits and resumes when you’re back online.
- Very long recordings simply take a while to finish after you hit stop.
In this case, leave the recorder open and let it finish — the steps below are for uploads that have genuinely stopped.
Stuck at a fixed percentage
If the number hasn’t moved for a long time — whether it’s 0%, 31%, 50%, 90%, 95%, or 100% — the upload has stalled rather than failed. The specific percentage doesn’t indicate what went wrong, and the recorded data is usually still safe on your device.
Web app & Chrome extension
- Reopen the same browser tab or extension you recorded in, open the recording, and give it a minute to see whether the upload resumes.
- Record a ~1-minute test video. Does the test upload? Does the stuck one move?
- If neither helps, run a speed test, note your upload speed, and contact us (see below).
Mac app
- Quit and restart the Mac app, then leave it open until the upload completes.
- Check your connection is stable — the app resumes uploads automatically after drops.
- Still stuck? Contact us with a link to the recording and a screenshot of your video folder (menu bar → Help → Open Video Folder).
Windows app
- Quit and restart the Windows app, then leave it running until the upload completes.
- Check your connection is stable — the app resumes uploads automatically after drops.
- Still stuck? Contact us with a link to the recording and the approximate time you recorded it.
If a restart and a test recording didn’t get things moving, reach out via the in-app chat or support@tella.com with:
- A link to the stuck video (open it from your library and copy the URL)
- Which recorder you used and your upload speed
- The video’s rough length and the percentage it’s stuck at
Don’t delete the recording, clear browser site data, or uninstall the app before contacting support — stuck recordings can usually be recovered as long as the original data still exists.
