Voice Channels Overview Video
Technical limits
Maximum of 256 participants in a single voice channel & a maximum of 16 video feeds in a single channel. Video feeds are not yet available on mobile. You can have an unlimited number of channels!
Where video appears
When you join a voice room, a floating toolbar opens with your call controls. Video doesn't play in the toolbar. Once anyone in the room turns on their camera, a video preview appears at the top of the right-hand column on your Feed and in chat and thread channels.
To see everyone's video:
- Go to your Feed, or open a chat or thread channel.
- Click the video preview at the top of the right-hand column.
- The full video view opens with a tile for everyone in the room. To close it, move your mouse and click the X in the top right.
Pages without a right-hand column, such as Courses, don't show the preview. Your call keeps running while you move around your community, so head back to your Feed whenever you want to see video. The right-hand column also needs a wide enough browser window, so if it's missing, make the window bigger.
When someone shares their screen, click View Screen Share in your toolbar to watch it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I mute or kick a member in a voice call?
Yes. Admins and moderators can mute or kick anyone in a voice room, guests included, and so can any role with the Moderate other Members permission. Use a computer, because the mobile app doesn't have these controls.
- In the left sidebar, find the room. Everyone in the call is listed under its name.
- Hover over the person's name and click the 3-dot menu that appears next to it.
- Choose Mute or Kick.
To mute everyone else at once, hover over the room's name and choose Mute all from its 3-dot menu.
Muting turns off someone's microphone, and they can turn it back on. Kicking takes them out of the call but doesn't stop them from joining again, so if they come back, kick them again.
Why can't I see anyone's video after I join?
Video shows at the top of the right-hand column on your Feed and in chat and thread channels, not in the call toolbar. If you joined from another page, such as Courses, go to your Feed. If the right-hand column is missing, make your browser window bigger. In the mobile app, voice rooms are audio only for now.
How do I change my camera or microphone?
Click the sliders icon in the call toolbar to open Choose Devices. Pick your camera under Video Input and your microphone under Audio Input, then click Apply. Until you choose, Heartbeat uses the first camera and microphone your browser lists, which can be a virtual camera from streaming software.
What does "Your voice connection is unstable" mean?
On a computer, Heartbeat shows Your voice connection is unstable. Heartbeat is trying to keep you connected. when your device stops receiving much of the call's audio. You stay in the call while it tries to recover. If the connection drops completely, you'll see Your voice connection was lost. Please rejoin the room. instead.
If the sound cuts out or either message keeps coming back:
- Refresh the page, or fully quit and reopen the desktop app, then rejoin the room.
- Click the sliders icon in the call toolbar to open Choose Devices. Check that Audio Output is set to the speakers or headphones you're using, then click Apply. Firefox doesn't let you change Audio Output.
- Move closer to your Wi-Fi router or plug in a cable, turn off any VPN, and pause big downloads or video streaming.
- Use Chrome or the Heartbeat desktop app for voice rooms.
Why can't I rejoin a voice room after my connection dropped?
When a connection drops, the room can keep your name in its list. While your name is listed under a room, clicking the room does nothing, and refreshing or restarting won't clear it. Ask an admin or moderator to kick you from the room, then click the room and join as usual. Your name also clears on its own a few minutes after everyone else has left the room.