Slack, the team communication app that has more than two million users, is beta testing voice calls on desktop apps and in Chrome.
The Help page of Slack mentions that the "Calls" feature will roll-out slowly to all Slack teams, starting Feb. 29. It also noted that though currently it only has audio calls, the company will extend the support to video, screen sharing and mobile support to Slack in the future.
Slack users can start using the new feature after the Owner or Admin of the team turns on the feature, available in the settings.
The feature is currently available on Slack desktop apps for Mac and Windows, and in Chrome. It promised that the beta version will be coming soon for iOS, Android, and Linux.
Slack users can begin a voice call with "any member" of their Slack team. The call can be one-to-one or can be group calls. Further explaining how to use it, Slack users can open a channel or direct message and click on the phone icon that will be found on top of the screen.
During the Call, the team member or group DMs will get a pop-up notification that will read "incoming slack call" with the picture of the person who is making the call. Users have to note that in the event a team member has set his/her account to "Do Not Disturb mode," then the call won't go through. They must also note that the call will ring for 30 seconds only.
It was also revealed that about 15 members of the team can join a call. Users can also have the option of inviting a specific team member by clicking on the plus icon. There is also the option of joining a channel call, which opens in a call window, where users can see who else is on the call.
Calls will also feature some built-in controls that let users control the microphone or the audio. Users will also be able to send reaction from the call window.
"Voice calls are a valuable form of team communication, and so a natural fit for Slack, and why we're already seeing great usage of third-party apps that offer calling options," said April Underwood, Slack's VP of Product, Tech Crunch reported.
