(Pocket-lint) Slack features an audio-only function that’s meant to simulate when coworkers drop by to ask a question or offer a solution to a problem. Slack’s Huddles is an attempt to “re-create the spontaneous and informal discussions you miss from the office,” as the company puts it.
Slack Huddles: What the Heck Are They?
Slack’s Huddles are a “lightweight audio-first way to initiate live discussions” designed to facilitate everything from brainstorming to catching up with coworkers to debriefing after a big meeting to striking up a casual conversation with your coworkers. The concept is that a huddle may be started in any channel or direct message in Slack with a single click. Any participant in that channel or DM can choose to join the huddle or leave it at any time.
To avoid the stress of juggling multiple schedules and taking turns appearing on camera, huddles are a welcome relief.
To What End Do Slack Huddles Serve?
There is a maximum capacity of 50 people in a Slack Huddle. After a huddle has formed, anyone in the conversation can join. If a conversation begins in a DM, you will be invited to participate.
Joining a huddle online from your computer allows you to activate English real-time captioning and share your screen (more languages are in the works). Never forget that colleagues from other companies need access to Slack Connect channels and DMs in order to establish or join a Huddle.
- Get Everyone Together and Huddle
- Desktop
- Launch the chat app Slack on your computer.
- Initiate a conversation by starting a channel or direct message.
- To listen to music, use the sidebar’s headphone toggle.
- The moment the huddle has begun, you can do the following:
- To silence your microphone, simply click the icon.
- To broadcast your display, select the screen icon.
- Select individuals to include in the huddle by clicking the “Add People” button.
If You Want to Activate Real-Time Captioning:
- The name of the current speaker can be clicked on in the lower left corner of the screen.
- To expand the menu, select the ellipses ( ).
- Choose the option to enable captions.
- Mobile
- Launch Slack on your portable computer.
- Launch a chat or direct message.
- Simply select the antenna in the upper right corner.
- After the group has begun to huddle, you can do the following:
- To silence your microphone, tap the corresponding symbol.
- Alternatively, you can select “Add People” to personally invite attendees to the meeting.
Disband the Huddle
Desktop
Huddles can be left by toggling the headphones icon in your sidebar.
Mobile
To join the huddle, select the channel or DM you wish to participate in, and then tap the antenna icon in the upper right corner of the screen. To cancel, simply use the Exit button.
Get in a Huddle with us!
There is a sound effect and a visual cue in the sidebar’s bottom right corner when you’ve been invited to a huddle.
Desktop
- A notification will appear on your sidebar; click the Join button to join.
- The following privileges are yours after joining:
- Mute your microphone by tapping the corresponding symbol.
Mobile
- Select the banner alert at the top of the screen.
- Or, you can accept the invitation and then click the Join button.
- After signing up, you’ll gain access to a variety of benefits, including:
- You can silence your microphone by tapping its symbol.
- Come together in a lively Huddle.
If a huddle has been initiated in a channel or DM to which you have access, a blue antenna icon will appear next to the channel name on your sidebar.
Desktop
To listen to a channel or direct message while viewing it, use the headphones toggle.
The Following Privileges Are Yours After Joining:
- Mute your microphone by tapping the corresponding symbol.
- Mobile
- Select a channel or DM from the Home tab and then press the antenna icon.
- Select the Join button.
Which Teams Can Use Slack Huddles?
Beginning on June 30th, 2021, Slack Huddles were available to all paying customers. Huddles should now be available to all users.
