Start a call
Calls start from a conversation, not from a separate dialer. Whoever is in the conversation is who gets rung — one person in a direct chat, everyone in a group.
Place a call
- Open the conversation you want to call.
- Look at the top of the conversation, to the right of the name.
- Select the phone button for an audio call, or the camera button for a video call.
- The call screen opens and shows
Ringing…while the other side is being rung.
The person you called sees an incoming call and can answer or decline. Nobody has to be looking at the conversation for the call to reach them.
You can also call back from the Calls list — the phone or camera icon at the end of a row places a fresh audio call to that same conversation.
Audio, video, and group calls
| Conversation | Audio call | Video call |
|---|---|---|
| Direct (one other person) | Yes | Yes |
| Group | Yes | No — group calls are audio only |
The camera button is only shown in a direct conversation. In a group there is no video option at all, and no camera control once the call is running.
Video is not locked in at the start. In a direct call you can turn your camera on or off at any point, so an audio call can become a video call mid-conversation and back again.
Group calls
Selecting the phone button in a group rings every active member of that group at once. People join as they answer, and the call keeps running as long as at least two people are still in it.
- There is a size limit. A group with more than 8 members cannot be called. The attempt stops
immediately and you get the message
Group is too large for calls (max 8). - A second person calling joins the same call. If a group call is already running and you press the phone button, you join the call in progress rather than starting a competing one.
- People already on another call are skipped. They are marked as declined instead of being rung.
Why the call buttons might not be there
The call controls are removed entirely rather than failing when pressed, so a missing button is always deliberate.
| What you see | Why |
|---|---|
| No phone button and no camera button | An administrator has turned Allow audio calls off for the workspace |
| Phone button, but no camera button | Either you are in a group conversation, or an administrator has turned Allow video calls off |
Both switches live on the Workspace Settings screen and apply to everyone in the workspace, not
to one person. If a call type is turned off while you are trying to place a call, the call stops and
you see This call type is disabled for your workspace.
Turning a call type off does not cut off calls that are already running. A call in progress when an administrator flips the switch continues until the people on it hang up.
Before your first call
The first time you call, your device asks for permission to use the microphone, and also the camera if you are placing a video call.
- Microphone permission is required. Without it the call cannot start and you see
Microphone unavailable. - Camera permission is optional. A video call never fails because of a missing or blocked camera — you join with audio only and can turn the camera on later from the call screen.
On the web, the browser asks for microphone and camera access. On iOS and Android, the operating system asks the first time, and you can change your answer afterwards in the device settings for HushChat.
If nobody answers
An unanswered call rings for a limited time — 30 seconds by default — and then stops on its own. The call screen shows No answer, and a note is left in the conversation so the call is not lost. See During a call for what that note says.
Calls also have a maximum length. A call that somehow runs for hours is closed automatically; the default ceiling is four hours.