Remote and hybrid teams have become the norm, with nearly 70% of full time employees working remotely at least some of the time according to 2022 Gallup data. As distributed teams collaborate, versatile digital tools that facilitate rapid conversation have seen explosive growth, Slack chief among them. Over a staggering 65% of Fortune 100 companies now use Slack to connect their disparate workforce.
But typing messages alone can‘t replicate the spontaneity and speed of in-person communication. Enter Slack Huddles – embedded video chat sessions inside Slack for up to 15 participants. Huddles lower the barrier to hopping on a quick video call, allowing for rapid collaboration without the need to schedule formal meetings. Since launching in late 2021, Huddles have fast become a popular way to bridge the gap of remote work.
So in this comprehensive guide, we‘ll get you fully versed in Slack Huddles, from what they are to step-by-step instructions for leaving an active session across desktop or mobile. We‘ll also cover temporarily muting yourself, restricting team access, and how Huddles differ from standard voice calls and scheduled meetings. Let‘s get started!
What Exactly Are Slack Huddles?
Slack Huddles introduce informal video conferences directly within the Slack interface for faster-paced collaboration. Up to 15 participants can join a Huddle initiated in any channel or DM, enabling features like:
- Live Video Feeds – Speak face-to-face and pick up visual cues
- Screensharing – Review projects in real-time together
- Live Captions – Follow along conversations with AI transcriptions
Power users can think of it like a persistent Zoom call embedded within Slack, perfect for quick syncs. The brilliance of Huddles lies in removing the need to align schedules or send calendar invites to chat via video, crucial for agile team communication.
Common situations where Slack Huddles shine:
- Rapid Problem Solving – Getting unblocked quickly by screensharing an issue
- Brainstorming Sessions – Spinning up an impromptu whiteboarding session
- Standups & Status Checks – Replicating in-office drive-bys digitally
- Training Updates – Providing 1:1 guidance to new hires live
While great for spur-of-the-moment video needs, Huddles differ fundamentally from scheduled Zoom meetings. We‘ll explore those differences later.
Initiating and Joining a Slack Huddle
Huddles can be initiated either with:
- A specific channel – All channel members notified
- 1:1 DMs – Only DM recipient notified
Once started, any workspace members can join if added by the Huddle creator.
Here‘s how to start or join one on both desktop and mobile step-by-step:
Desktop
- Navigate to the desired channel or 1:1 DM
- Click on the headphone icon
in the left sidebar - The icon will switch to green with a red 1, indicating a Huddle has started
- A "Join Huddle" popup will appear for those in the associated channel
- Click on the prompt and select Join Huddle to enter the video session
Mobile / Tablet
- Tap on the desired channel or DM conversation
- Tap on the headphone icon in the top right
- Confirm starting a Huddle when prompted
- The headphone icon will show as green by the channel/DM
- Members of that channel can tap on the green headphone icon
- Then tap Join Huddle in popup to enter the video conversation
Remember, Huddle creators can continue inviting additional participants by @mentioning them in the associated channel/DM during an active session.
Leaving a Slack Huddle
When you‘re ready to exit a Huddle, the process differs slightly depending on device:
Desktop
- Mouse over the green headphone icon in lower left sidebar
- Toggle the Slide icon that appears to red to Leave Huddle
Mobile
- Tap the thick red Leave button at top right corner
- Leaving prompt will appear – Tap Leave to confirm
Upon exiting, you‘ll no longer show for other participants. To return, tap the headphones icon again and rejoin.
Here‘s what the process looks like visually:
💡 Pro Tip: If you need to step away briefly during a active Huddle, muting yourself is better than fully leaving. We‘ll cover how to mute and typical reasons why next.
Muting Yourself in a Huddle
Rather than leaving a Slack Huddle entirely, you can alternatively mute your microphone and/or disable your video feed:
Desktop
- Microphone and Video toggle buttons are located bottom left
- Click on icon to enable/disable as desired
Mobile
- Tap microphone icon to mute/unmute audio
- Tap camera icon to disable/enable video feed
Helpful scenarios where muting shines over leaving a Huddle:
- Quickly silencing background noise in your environment
- Stepping away for a minute without hanging up on team
- Pausing camera if internet bandwidth fluctuates
Toggling off video removes your live feed but you remain present in the participant list. This signals you‘re still actively listening, just without video temporarily.
Disabling Slack Huddles
While Huddles facilitate speedy communication for distributed teams, they may not suit all workstyles. Luckily, Slack administrators can restrict access to Huddles at the channel level if needed.
To disable Huddles channel-wide:
- Navigate to desired channel
- Click channel name to open channel menu
- Select Settings > Edit next to channel name
- Under "Huddles" section, toggle to Off
- Click Save changes to disable
This prevents channel members from initiating or joining Huddles completely. They will see the headphones icon grayed out when disabled by admins.
Key Differences from Calls and Meetings
Slack also enables regular voice calls and scheduled video meetings. So how do Huddles differ?
| Voice Calls | Meetings | Huddles | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Participants | 15 | 50 | 15 |
| Video Support? | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Screensharing | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Live Captions | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Impromptu Sessions | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
Huddles introduce the video chat and screensharing aspects central to meetings while retaining the quick impromptu nature of calls.
Think Calls for quick audio-only syncs, Meetings for structured video conferences, and Huddles as the sweet spot in between both worlds while embedded natively in your Slack workspace.
FAQs about Slack Huddles
What‘s the maximum number allowed in a single Huddle?
Similar to calls, up to 15 participants can join a Huddle currently. Slack has hinted at raising this limit up to 50 people in the future.
Can you save or record Huddle sessions?
No, Slack does not allow Huddle video, audio, or screens to be natively saved or recorded. However, participants can take local screenshots or recordings from their end during a live Huddle if permitted by company policy.
What analytics do admins receive on Huddles?
While they can‘t actively monitor Huddle conversations, Slack admins can access usage metrics like number of daily Huddles initiated, unique participants, average duration and more to inform policy decisions.
Ready to Master Slack Huddles?
Collaborating via quick video conversations across distributed teams can be game changing. With this comprehensive guide, you now have the confidence to properly leverage Huddles for your workflow while respecting team policies around usage and security.
If you found this helpful, please check out more of our popular Slack tips and tricks below:
Until next time – happy Huddling!
