Creating a Meeting
Select a meeting name, the portion after the “/” and share that link with your friends, e.g.: https://meet.friendsandcommunityBear in mind that the meeting name may conflict with someone else’s, so if you chose something like /mymeeting, someone else may use the same meeting name and the same time and you’ll all end up in the same /mymeeting – so please chose a meeting name specific to you, your friends, or the meeting.
Each meeting ends when everyone has exited the meeting.
Joining a Meeting
On Windows or Mac, Laptop or Desktop
With your link, you’ll need to open, ideally, a Chrome-based browser. You can use Google Chrome, which you can install here if you don’t have it or you can use Chromium, which is the open-source browser the Google version is based on and can be installed from here for windows and here for mac, if you don’t like Google. Firefox also works well. Safari is hit or miss, you know how it is with Apple 🙃
On iOS or Android, Phone or Tablet
With your link, you’ll need to open it in the jitsi app. You can download the app for iOS here and for Android here – visiting the link for the meeting on mobile will also prompt you to download the app as needed.
Open the meeting link you have by selecting it. This will open the meeting in your browser or on mobile, select "open in app".
If this is your first time visiting the page or app you must select the option to allow it access to your camera and microphone.
Now you’ll either be joined to the meeting or if you are the first to arrive or are waiting on the host you will see a message asking if you are the host. If you are the host of the meeting, click the “I am the Host” button and login with the username and password your friend gave you. If you are not the host, wait till the host arrives ⏳ 😊
Interacting during the Meeting
The buttons will fade away if you do not interact with the screen via mouse or touch after a time, to bring the controls back, simply interact by mouse movement or tapping the screen.
We’ll review the user-interface, all the buttons you have to click now
The computer screen icon enables you to share a window or your full screen - you cannot share from the mobile app
The hand icon notifies others you would like to speak
The message icon shows the chat. The first time in a meeting, you must enter your nickname/name so others know who you are. In the “Choose a nickname” box, type your name and hit enter. Then you may message others.
The mic icon will either mute or unmute you
The red phone icon hangs-up / closes you out of the meeting
The camera icon turns your camera off/on
The tile icon toggles between showing all participants and the active-speaker view
The “I” info button shows the link to share to join the meeting. If you are the host you have the option of adding a password to the meeting.
Interacting with other Participants
If you select someone's video, including your own:
On the top left it will show their connection details, such as the bandwidth being used and the delay.
On the top right is a three-dot menu, selecting it will provide a few options including
- If you are the host you can mute and kick folks out.
- Everyone has the option to send a private message to a participant
- Adjust the volume for each participant, this setting is only how you hear them and does not affect anyone else in the meeting.
Additional Options
Selecting the three-dot menu on the bottom right presents:
Manage video quality will lower or raise the quality of the video – if you are having trouble with your connection lower the quality
View Full screen makes the window full screen, to exit, press escape or toggle the option here
Share a Youtube video will let you enter a video and share it with the group. This will mute everyone while the video is playing, or you can talk and have the video muted – both cannot be done at the same time or it is just feedback city.
If you are the host, you’ll see an option to mute everyone.
Speaker stats shows you how long each participant has spoken in the meeting