Beginner
How to start a huddle call on Slack
Quick Answer
Start a Slack huddle by clicking the headphones icon at the bottom of any channel or direct message. Huddles are instant audio conversations that allow team members to join and leave freely.
Prerequisites
- Active Slack account
- Slack desktop or mobile app installed
- Microphone access enabled
- Member of a Slack channel or workspace
1
Open your Slack workspace
Launch the Slack desktop app or open Slack in your web browser. Sign in to your workspace if you haven't already. Make sure you're connected to the internet and your microphone is working properly.
Tip
Check your audio settings in Slack preferences before starting your first huddle
2
Navigate to a channel or direct message
Click on the channel or direct message where you want to start the huddle. You can start huddles in public channels, private channels, or direct messages with one or more people.
3
Click the huddle icon
Look for the headphones icon at the bottom left of your channel or DM window, next to the message box. Click this icon to start a huddle. The icon may show as "Start a huddle" when you hover over it.
Tip
If you don't see the huddle icon, your workspace admin may have disabled huddles
4
Wait for the huddle to initialize
Slack will start the huddle and you'll see a purple bar at the top of your channel indicating the huddle is active. Your microphone will be automatically unmuted when you join. You'll also see your profile picture in the huddle participants area.
Tip
The first person to start a huddle becomes the host by default
5
Invite others to join
Other members of the channel will see a notification about the active huddle. You can also manually invite specific people by clicking the "+" button in the huddle bar and selecting participants from the list.
Tip
People can join and leave huddles freely without disrupting the conversation
6
Use huddle controls
Use the controls in the purple huddle bar to mute/unmute yourself, share your screen, or turn on video. Click the microphone icon to mute, the screen share icon to share your screen, or the camera icon to enable video.
Tip
You can continue typing in the channel while the huddle is active
7
End the huddle
To leave the huddle, click the "Leave" button in the huddle bar or click the X icon. If you're the last person in the huddle, it will automatically end. You can also click "End huddle for everyone" if you're the host.
Tip
Huddles automatically end when the last participant leaves
Troubleshooting
Huddle icon is not visible
Check if huddles are enabled in your workspace settings. Go to Preferences > Audio & video and ensure huddles are turned on. Contact your workspace admin if the feature is disabled.
Cannot hear other participants
Check your computer's audio output settings and ensure Slack has permission to use your speakers. Go to Preferences > Audio & video and test your speaker settings.
Others cannot hear you
Verify your microphone is working and unmuted. Check Preferences > Audio & video to test and select the correct microphone. Ensure Slack has microphone permissions in your system settings.
Huddle keeps disconnecting
Check your internet connection stability. Try refreshing Slack or restarting the app. If using a browser, try switching to the desktop app for better stability.
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Put this tutorial into practice. Visit Slack and follow the steps above.
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