Slack has transformed team collaboration with its robust communication capabilities. Many are acquainted with its text messaging functionality, but there’s a feature known as “Slack Call” that enables voice and video conversations directly within the application. In this piece, I’ll walk you through how to make a Slack Call, providing personal advice and insights throughout the process.
Getting Started with Slack Call
Before you can start making calls on Slack, there are a few things you need to set up. First, make sure you have a working microphone and speakers or headphones connected to your device. Next, check if your Slack workspace has the calling feature enabled. If not, you may need to contact your workspace administrator to enable it.
To initiate a call, open the Slack app and navigate to the channel or direct message where you want to make the call. Then, click on the phone icon located at the top right corner of the screen. This will open the Slack Call interface.
Making Voice Calls
When the Slack Call interface opens, you will see a list of participants in the conversation. To start a voice call, simply click on the phone icon next to the name of the person you want to call. The recipient will receive a notification and can choose to accept or decline the call. Once the call is accepted, you can start talking.
If you are planning to have a group conversation, you can add multiple participants to the call by clicking on the phone icon next to their names. Slack allows for up to 15 participants in a voice call, making it ideal for team meetings or quick discussions.
Making Video Calls
If you want to take your communication to the next level, Slack also supports video calls. To start a video call, follow the same steps as for a voice call but click on the camera icon instead. The recipient will receive a video call invitation and can choose to accept or decline.
During a video call, you can control your camera and microphone settings by clicking on the camera and microphone icons at the bottom of the screen. You can also switch between different layouts, such as grid view or focus view, to customize your video call experience.
My Personal Tips for Slack Calling
Having used Slack Calls extensively, I’ve picked up a few tips that I’d like to share with you:
- Make sure you have a stable internet connection: A poor internet connection can lead to dropped calls or laggy audio/video. Before starting a Slack Call, close any unnecessary applications or browser tabs that may be consuming bandwidth.
- Use headphones for better audio quality: Using headphones can help reduce background noise and echoes, resulting in clearer audio during calls.
- Test your audio and video settings beforehand: Before joining an important call, it’s always a good idea to test your microphone and camera to ensure they are working properly. Slack provides a handy tool to test your audio and video settings in the call interface.
- Use screen sharing for effective collaboration: Slack also offers a screen sharing feature that allows you to share your screen with other call participants. This can be incredibly useful for giving presentations, discussing documents, or troubleshooting technical issues.
In Conclusion
Slack Call is a fantastic feature that enhances communication and collaboration within teams. Whether you need to have a quick voice chat or conduct a video conference, Slack has got you covered. By following the steps outlined in this article and implementing my personal tips, you’ll be able to make the most out of Slack Call and have seamless and productive conversations with your teammates.
