There are a few reasons why you might be receiving an authentication or unexpected error message on our site.
1. Your browser may be out of date.
2. You may have plugins or pop-up blockers that are preventing the page from loading correctly.
3. You may need to improve your reCAPTCHA score.
Example of 'Error Occurred' messages:
If you receive an 'Unexpected Error occurred' message or 'An Error occurred' message, there are a few troubleshooting steps that you can take:
Browser Troubleshooting
1. Update your browser to the latest version - we support the following latest versions of these specific browsers: Chrome, Chrome for Android, Safari on iOS, Edge, Safari, Samsung Browser, Firefox, Opera Mobile, and UC Browser.*
2. Clear the cache on your browser. (On Chrome, the easiest way to do this is to hold down the Shift key and refresh the page).
3. Try using a different web browser such as Google Chrome or Firefox.
4. Enable hardware acceleration in Chrome.
5. If you are running Gaia GPS in another browser, close the extraneous browsers so that you are only working with one Gaia GPS browser instance.
6. Check if any extensions may be blocking the page from loading; certain ad blockers can cause issues with login.
*For current information on the latest supported browser versions, please see this article.
Improve Authentication Across Platforms
Sometimes a low reCAPTCHA score across platforms can result in an error on our site. While we do not run reCAPTCHA checkboxes or challenges on our site directly, we do validate purchases using a reCAPTCHA score that ensures protection from bots or spammers on our site.
To improve your authentication credentials, you can try the following:
1. Update your browser to the latest version (see minimum browser requirements here).
2. Try logging in using a different network.
3. If you have a Google account, log in to that account and then try to access our site once more.
4. Check that JavaScript is enabled in your browser.
5. Try disabling plugins or pop-up blockers that might conflict with reCAPTCHA.
Receiving a WebGL Error Message
If you're receiving this error related to WebGL 2, you will need to upgrade your browser to a modern version of the browser that supports WebGL 2.
Example of the WebGL Error Message:
1. Update your browser to the latest version (see minimum browser requirements here).
2. Check to see if your browser supports WebGL 2, you can visit this site. WebGL 2 is supported in most modern web browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
3. If updating your browser to the latest version does not work, check to see if WebGL is disabled in your browser settings:
- Chrome: Type `http://chrome://settings` in the address bar > scroll down to "Advanced" > Ensure that "Use hardware acceleration when available" is turned on
- Firefox: Type `about:config` in the address bar > Set `webgl.disabled` to "False"
4. You can also try disabling any browser extensions temporarily to see if these are causing the issue. Some browser extensions or add-ons can interfere with WebGL functionality.
5. Clear your browser's cache and cookies.