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Joining and Controls

This page covers everything you need to know about joining a meeting channel and using the in-call controls. From selecting your camera and microphone before you join, to managing your audio, video, and collaboration tools during the meeting, every control is explained below.

How to join a meeting channel​

There are several ways to enter a meeting channel:

From the sidebar​

The most common way to join is to click on the meeting channel in the left sidebar. Meeting channels display a video camera icon and, when a session is active, show the number of participants currently in the call. Click the channel name to enter.

From the command palette​

Press Ctrl+K (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+K (Mac) to open the command palette. Type the name of the meeting channel or use the "join meeting" prefix. Select the channel from the results to join directly.

From an invitation​

When a team member invites you to an active meeting, you receive a notification with an option to join immediately. Click Accept to enter the call or Decline to dismiss the invitation.

Pre-join screen​

Before entering a meeting, you see a pre-join screen where you can configure your devices:

  • Camera preview -- see yourself on screen so you can check framing, lighting, and background before others see you.
  • Microphone selection -- choose which microphone to use if you have multiple audio input devices connected.
  • Speaker selection -- choose your audio output device.
  • Camera selection -- switch between cameras if you have more than one (for example, a built-in webcam and an external camera).
  • Mute toggles -- decide whether to join with your microphone and camera on or off.

Once you are satisfied with your setup, click Join to enter the meeting.

In-meeting controls​

Once you are in the call, a control bar appears at the bottom of the screen. Here is a detailed breakdown of every control:

Microphone (mute/unmute)​

Toggle your microphone on or off. When muted, a line appears through the microphone icon and other participants cannot hear you. Click the microphone icon again to unmute.

Deafen (mute speakers)​

The deafen control mutes all incoming audio. When deafened, you will not hear other participants and your microphone is also automatically muted. This is useful when you need to step away briefly without background noise leaking in. Click the deafen icon again to restore audio.

Camera (on/off)​

Toggle your camera feed. When the camera is off, other participants see your avatar instead of your video. You can turn your camera on and off at any time during the meeting without affecting the rest of the call.

Screen sharing​

Share your screen, a specific application window, or a browser tab with other participants. A quality selection menu lets you choose between different resolution and frame rate presets. See Screen Sharing for full details.

Raise hand​

Click the raised hand icon to signal that you want to speak. A visual indicator appears on your participant tile so the speaker and other participants can see your request. Click again to lower your hand.

View mode (grid/focus/fullscreen)​

Switch between layout modes:

  • Grid view -- all participant video tiles are displayed in a uniform grid. Best when everyone is speaking or when you want to see all faces.
  • Focus view -- the active speaker or shared content takes up most of the screen, with other participants shown as smaller thumbnails. Best for presentations or when one person is doing most of the talking.
  • Fullscreen mode -- expand the meeting to fill your entire screen for a distraction-free experience. Press Esc to exit fullscreen.

In one-on-one (P2P) calls, you can also resize the video tiles by dragging the divider between your video and the other participant's video.

Settings menu​

The three-dot settings menu provides access to additional controls:

  • Open whiteboard -- start a collaborative whiteboard session visible to all participants. Anyone in the call can draw, add shapes, or type text. Close the whiteboard from the same menu.
  • Open document -- create a new collaborative document or reopen one from a previous session. All participants can edit the document simultaneously during the call.
  • Whiteboard session list -- browse whiteboards created during the current session to reopen a previous one.
  • Document session list -- browse documents created during the current session to reopen a previous one.
  • Invite users -- send meeting invitations to workspace members who are not yet in the call.
  • Open chat -- open the in-meeting chat panel to send text messages, links, or notes to other participants.
  • Device settings -- change your microphone, speaker, or camera without leaving the call.
  • Lock channel -- prevent additional participants from joining the meeting. Only the person who locked the channel (or an admin) can unlock it.
  • Unlock channel -- remove the lock so others can join again.

Transcription controls​

On desktop, a dedicated transcription button appears in the collaboration section of the control bar. You can start an audio-only transcription or a video recording with transcription. When transcription is active, the conversation is captured with automatic speaker identification. The person who started the transcription can stop it at any time. See Transcription for full details.

Disconnect​

Click the disconnect button (red phone icon) to leave the meeting. This only disconnects you -- other participants remain in the call. If you are a channel admin, you also have access to the End for all option, which disconnects every participant and ends the session.

Participant list​

The in-meeting view shows all participants as video tiles arranged according to your selected view mode. Each tile displays:

  • The participant's name
  • A microphone status indicator (muted or active)
  • A raised hand indicator (if applicable)
  • A screen sharing indicator (if the participant is sharing)

You can click on a participant tile to focus on that person's video feed in focus view mode.

Guest access​

Meeting channels support guest access, allowing people outside your workspace to join a call via a shared link. Guests have access to core meeting controls (microphone, deafen, camera, screen sharing, raise hand, and view mode) but cannot access workspace-specific features like whiteboards, documents, or transcription controls. Guests can open the participant list and the in-meeting chat.

Meeting sounds​

Meeting channels play audible cues for events such as participants joining or leaving. Each user can configure their sound preferences through the meeting settings to enable, disable, or adjust meeting sounds to their liking.

Double-click to connect​

If you find yourself accidentally joining meeting channels with a single click, you can enable the double-click to connect option. When enabled, you must double-click the meeting channel in the sidebar to join, preventing unintended connections. This setting is available per user.

Tips for a smooth meeting experience​

tip
  • Test your devices on the pre-join screen before entering to avoid audio or video issues.
  • Use focus view when someone is presenting to give the shared content maximum screen space.
  • Use fullscreen mode for important presentations to eliminate distractions.
  • Raise your hand instead of unmuting to interrupt -- it keeps the conversation orderly, especially in larger meetings.
  • Lock the channel when you need privacy to prevent unexpected participants from joining.
  • Enable double-click to connect if you frequently join meetings by accident.