Rocket Chat Conference Call Admin Guide

Conference calls in Rocket.Chat run through a provider app, such as Jitsi or Pexip. This guide shows you how to connect a provider to your workspace and configure how calls work.

Before you begin

Install and configure at least one conference call provider app from the marketplace:

Configure conference call settings

To configure conference calls, go to Manage → Workspace → Settings → Conference Call.

Choose the provider and ringing

Default Provider: Select the provider app to use for new conference calls. If you have more than one provider app installed, this is the one Rocket.Chat uses when someone starts a call. If you haven't installed a provider app, the Default Provider list on the settings page will be empty.
Enable mobile ringing: Turn on to make direct calls ring on mobile devices like a phone call. This feature is experimental and may not be fully supported by the mobile app. When it's on, users receive additional push notifications.

Choose where calls are available

Use these settings to control which kinds of rooms show the call option. All four are on by default.

Setting	When it’s on
Enable in direct messages	Users can start calls in DMs.
Enable in public channels	Users can start calls in public channels.
Enable in private channels	Users can start calls in private channels.
Enable in teams	Users can start calls in teams.

Keep call chat with persistent chat

Enable Persistent Chat: Turn on to save the messages that people send during a call. When it's on, Rocket.Chat creates a new discussion each time a call starts and passes the discussion ID to the provider app. The provider app then sends the call's messages to that discussion.
- Everyone who joins the call is automatically added to the discussion.
- Call discussions don't appear in the room's list of discussions. You can open them from the list of conference calls, or during a call from the button on the call message.

Persistent chat works only when all of the following are true:
Discussions are enabled on the workspace.
End-to-end encryption is not mandatory on the workspace.
The provider app supports persistent chat. Currently, the Pexip app supports it.

Persistent Chat Discussion Name: Enter the name for call discussions. Use the [date] tag to choose where the date goes, for example Team sync [date]. If you leave out the tag, the date is added to the start of the name. The default name is Video Call Chat, so discussions are named [date] Video Call Chat unless you change it.

Set up the call window

Enable call window: Turn on to open calls in a dedicated Rocket.Chat call window, in its own browser window, instead of on the provider's own page. This setting is off by default and works independently of Enable Persistent Chat. When the call window is on:
- Starting or joining a call opens a preflight screen first. There, people choose whether their camera and microphone are on and, for a group call, name the call. The call is created only when they confirm.
- During a call, the call window shows the call beside its chat and a panel that lists the people in the call.
- Incoming calls are listed in the Ongoing calls list, alongside the calls already running, instead of appearing as a pop-up that takes over the screen.

When the call window is off, calls open on the provider's own page and incoming calls appear as a pop-up. For what people see in the call window, see the Conference Call User's Guide.

Chat Mode: Choose where each call's chat is kept in the call window. This setting is inactive until both Enable Persistent Chat and Enable call window are on.

Option	What happens
Thread (default)	The call's chat is a thread started from the call message in the original room. No discussion is created, and anyone who can read the room can take part. People who join the call automatically follow the thread. Works with any provider app.
Main room	The chat panel in the call window shows the room itself. A discussion is still created for each call, as described in Keep call chat with persistent chat.

Option

What happens

Thread

(default)

The call's chat is a thread started from the call message in the original room. No discussion is created, and anyone who can read the room can take part. People who join the call automatically follow the thread. Works with any provider app.

Main room

The chat panel in the call window shows the room itself. A discussion is still created for each call, as described in Keep call chat with persistent chat.

How the chat settings work together

Enable call window, Enable Persistent Chat, and Chat Mode together decide where a call's messages go:

Enable call window	Enable Persistent Chat	Chat Mode	Where the call’s chat goes
Off	Off	Not available	Messages aren't saved in Rocket.Chat.
Off	On	Not available	A new discussion for each call.
On	Off	Not available	The chat panel shows the room where the call started.
On	On	Thread	A thread on the call message. No discussion is created.
On	On	Main room	The chat panel shows the room, and a discussion is created for each call.

If you turn off Enable call window, calls go back to the Enable Persistent Chat behavior, whatever Chat Mode is set to.