Hosting via Video on Handshake

Adjust settings prior to joining session 

A preview of your video will be available in the center of the page.

• If your video is off, your profile photo will display instead.
• If you do not have a profile photo, a circle with your initials will appear.

Settings

Below your video preview window, the following settings are available, each represented by an icon.

Video 

This icon controls your camera. Click to turn your video on or off, allowing you to manage your visibility during the session.

Mute 

This icon manages your microphone. Use it to mute or unmute your audio, so you can participate in the meeting without any unwanted background noise.

Effects 

This icon opens options for applying visual or audio effects. It allows you to customize your appearance or audio with filters, backgrounds, and other enhancements during the session.

• Choose an effect from the available options, or click the black button Use custom background to upload and use a custom background.
• Note: to use a background, your camera must be turned on.

After selecting or uploading and applying a background, click the X above the video window to return to the session preview.

Noise Reduction (Reduce) 

This icon helps reduce microphone noise. Activate it to minimize background noise, ensuring your voice is clear and free from interference during the video call. Once enabled, the icon will display the text "Reduced."

Additional settings

To access additional settings, click the three-dot menu located on the far right of the displayed icons, then select Settings.... 

In the Settings window, select the category from the left side of the page for which you want to adjust your settings: 

• Audio & video
  •  Select the correct camera, microphone, and speakers from the corresponding drop-down menus.
  • Click the microphone icon to test your input, and click the word Test your mic to test your sound output. 
  • Click the speakers icon to test your input, and click the word Play test sound to test your sound output. 
• Video quality 
  • Select the video quality that's best for your network.
    • Auto (High quality) 
    • High quality 
    • Low quality 
    • Bandwidth saver 
• User preferences
  • Change the language for this call (select language from dropdown) 
  • Chat notifications (select notification type) 
    • When chat is closed
    • Always 
    • Never 
  • Default emoji skin tone (select one) 
• Background effects 
  • Select and effect, or click to use custom background
  • When a background is selected, the name of the background appears in the upper-right corner. 

Adjust settings after joining session 

By clicking to join the session, you can also access and adjust your settings in the lower-left corner.

• To view or adjust your video settings, click the video icon. 
• To view or adjust your audio settings, click the microphone icon. 

If you encounter any unexpected audio or video issues, check out our troubleshooting steps in Hosts: Audio & Video Issues.

Audio settings

Click the down-right arrow next to the microphone icon, then select the correct microphone and speakers.

• Alternatively, you may select Audio settings from the menu to adjust your settings from the Settings window. 

Video settings

Click the downright arrow next to the video icon (to the left of the microphone icon), and select the correct camera. 

• Alternatively, you may select Video settings..from the menu to adjust your settings from the Settings window. 
• The menu provides the option to Hide self view. When enabled, you will no longer see your own video feed, although other participants in the meeting will still be able to see you.

Auto captions 

To enable captions, click the Captions icon (CC) at the bottom-center of the screen. When active, the button turns red, and 'Captions will appear here' displays in the upper-left corner.

Note: This feature is supported on both mobile and web video platforms.

Auto captions are available in English and can be toggled on or off by each user individually during the call. 

When ready to join your session, click the black button Join above the video preview window. 

Any students who have already joined (up to five minutes prior to the start of the meeting) will be able to participate once you enter the room.

Upon starting the session, several key pieces of information and action buttons will be displayed to enhance your experience. 

Above the video window

• Participant count
   
  • Located on the left side of the screen.
  • Shows the number of people currently in the call.
• View options
   
  • Located on the right side of the screen.
  • Choose how to view participants.
    • Grid View: Displays all participants equally, making it ideal for group discussions.
    • Speaker View: Focuses on the active speaker, perfect for presentations or lectures.
• Start Picture-in-Picture (this feature is only available in Chrome)
  • Located on the right side of the screen.
  • This feature lets you keep track of the current speaker (or the grid) by opening their video tile outside the browser window.

Below the video window

• Video and audio controls
   
  • Video: Toggle your camera on or off.
  • Audio: Mute or unmute your microphone.
    • Adjust these settings as needed for optimal participation.
• People
  • Opens a side panel displaying a list of all participants.
  • Within this panel, you can:
    • Change your name.
    • Select or change your background.
    • Pin yourself for others to see prominently.
    • Adjust your video and audio settings.
• Chat
  • Opens a side panel where you can message participants.
  • Note: Messages have a 256-character limit.
• React
  • Allows you to send a reaction to express your feelings during the session.
  • Choose from options like wave, clap, or celebrate.
• Share
   
  • Enables you to share content with participants.
  • You can share a specific tab, window, or your entire screen.
  • In one-on-one interactions, including appointments, virtual fairs, and employer-hosted meetings, students can share their screens immediately, without the feature needing to be enabled by the host.
• Leave session
  • To exit the session, click the red exit icon in the far right corner of the screen.

 Tips:

• For the best browsing experience, use Chrome.
• Utilize Grid View for collaborative environments where seeing all participants is beneficial.
• Switch to Speaker View for sessions where one person speaks at a time, focusing on the current speaker.
• Use Picture-in-Picture for screensharing (works best on Chrome).
   

Once attendees have joined

In a video call, the active speaker is displayed in the largest tile unless the view is set to grid mode.

A carousel on the left side of the screen displays the attendees. To view more participants, hover over the carousel and scroll up or down.

To access the list of attendees, click the person icon located in the lower-center of the screen.

All session attendees are listed with their preferred name and last name, school name, and their audio and video status. A red mic or camera icon with a strikethrough indicates that their audio or video is off. 

View chat or chat with participants 

To view or participate in the chat, click the message bubble (Chat) icon at the lower-center of the screen.

A side panel will open, allowing you to chat with participants as desired.

Messages sent display the sender's name above the message.

React with emojis 

To react to a message, hover over it, then click the smiley emoji to the right. From there, select an emoji to react with.

• To remove a reaction emoji from a message, click on the emoji icon to the left of the message.

To mute all participants, click the human icon in the lower-center of the screen, then click the white button Mute all in the lower-right corner of the the side panel.

In the pop-up modal, click the black button Mute all participants. Click the white button Cancel to exit the modal. 

•  In the same side panel, check the box labeled Mute new participants when they join if desired. This ensures that any new participants joining the session are automatically muted.
• Note: participants can still unmute themselves if needed.

Report a user 

Reports are sent to the Handshake team and not shared with the reported user. Session hosts receive the name of the report person, but the reporter remains anonymous. 

1. Click the ellipsis icon in the upper-right corner of the screen, then select Report user from the dropdown.

2. In the pop-up modal, choose the user you wish to report from the dropdown menu. Then, select one of the following reasons: 

• I think this user is fake or fraudulent 
• This user is harassing me or someone else. 

3. Once the user and reason have been selected, describe the situation in the text box provided.

4. When finished, click the black button Submit report in the lower-right corner. 

Remove participant from call 

1. Click the People icon in the lower-center of the screen, then click the ellipsis icon to the right of the name of the participant you want to remove. From here, select Remove from call.... from the dropdown.

2. In the pop-up modal, confirm that you want to remove the participant from the call by clicking the red button Remove participant. 

To share your screen, click the computer icon (Share) located at the lower-center of your screen.

For additional details, refer to Share Your Screen in a Video Session.

To download the chat, click the bubble icon (Chat) at the bottom-center of the screen. In the side panel, select 'Download chat' in the lower-right corner. 

The file will download automatically, and you can retrieve it from your computer.

When you're ready to end the session, click the exit icon (Leave) in the lower-right corner of the screen.

• If you accidentally end the session early, you'll be able to rejoin until the scheduled end time. 
• If participants leave the session before you end it, they can rejoin at any point as long as the interaction (appointment, virtual fair, 1:1, etc.) is still ongoing. However, once the session is over, the button to join the virtual interaction will no longer be active.