Frequently Asked Questions

No. There are no download or plug-ins to join or host a SideSpeak session.  

If you are using the Personal edition of SideSpeak, simply navigate to https://meet.sidespeak.com/ and follow the onscreen prompts. If you are using any other SideSpeak edition, select the 'Login' option from the top menu.  

For more details click: https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/d9be97ce-eeb9-403b-905f-7f1e67064074/Quick%20Reference%20-%20Host%20a%20SideSpeak%20Session.pdf

The host/organizer will send you a link to join an existing SideSpeak session. Click the link and follow the onscreen prompts to

1)  'Allow' SideSpeak to use your video and audio 

2)  Enter your name then click 'Join the Meeting'. 

For more details click: https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/d9be97ce-eeb9-403b-905f-7f1e67064074/Quick%20Reference%20-%20Join%20a%20SideSpeak%20Session%20-0002.pdf

To schedule a meeting, copy the following link and change the 'roomname' to a unique meeting name. The room name is after the '/meet/'

https://meet.sidespeak.com/meet/roomname

Then copy the entire URL link and send it to those you want to join your meeting. 

Remember that by default, anyone who uses that link can join your meeting. Make sure your meeting room name is unique. To lock the meeting or require a password to join, check our SideSpeak Premium edition.

Yes. Run the following link to test your connectivity and compatibility with the SideSpeak app:  https://test.8x8.vc/

Yes.  SideSpeak meetings are private by design. All meetings are ephemeral: they only exist while the meeting is actually taking place. They get created when the first participant joins and they are destroyed when the last one leaves. If someone joins the same room again, a brand new meeting is created with the same name and there is no connection to any previous meeting that might have been held with the same name. 

SideSpeak uses the latest security including DTLS-SRTP and End-to-End Encryption.  

In our Premium and higher editions, SideSpeak allows users to either set a meeting password or enable "lobby mode" where participants must be admitted to the meeting. Click here for details on server security. 

For those companies that require IP whitelisting or virtual private servers (VPS), ask us about our Enterprise edition.

All audio and video data transferred through SideSpeak is encrypted via transport layer encryption (HTTPS).  

Click here to read a more detailed description of Jitsi encryption (the open source basis for SideSpeak).

Yes. Click the invite link sent by the host on your mobile device to join a meeting through your mobile web browser. To host a meeting, access this site on your mobile device: https://meet.sidespeak.com/

Yes. A 14-day free trial is available. Click https://meet.sidespeak.com/subscribe for more details.

We use your email for internal reporting along with sending you updates and latest release information on SideSpeak. Per our Privacy Policy, we do not sell or share any personal data. 

SideSpeak models its meetings after in-person gatherings.

In the vast majority of cases, moderation controls in online meetings serve a different purpose: they help address tech related issues, such as people not realizing their microphones are introducing noise, or people forgetting to leave. Moderation controls help you solve those, so that people can continue their conversation. 

For that reason our moderation controls are soft, and for everyone.

 1. Once you and your guest are actively in the main SideSpeak session,  click the 'Share your screen'  icon located on the toolbar at the bottom center of the meeting window.

2. Select the screen or application to share and click the 'Share' button.   

Once you are finished sharing your screen, click the 'Stop Sharing' button.   

This virtual background feature is only available in our Premium and higher editions. 

Prior to joining your meeting, directly under the blue 'Join meeting' button, there will be three icons. Click the icon on the far right, which looks like a picture. Select, then apply the virtual background you want to use for your meeting. 

You can change the virtual background during your meeting by clicking the '...' on the toolbar and selecting the option 'Select background'. 

Depending on your browser's permissions and security settings, you can open a SideSpeak meeting with a single click.

Follow these two  steps and on your next SideSpeak meeting you can single click the SideSpeak link to join without any prompts.

1. When prompted for permission to use your camera and microphone, check the option "Always Allow", or you can use your browser's security settings to "Always Allow" this feature.

2. After entering your name for the meeting, select the settings icon and then the 'More' tab and uncheck 'Enable pre meeting screen'.  The next time you start or join a meeting, you will bypass this pre meeting screen and be taken directly into your meeting.

Premium users can securely transfer data files between participants. SideSpeak uses a secure and encrypted peer-to-peer connection to transfer information about your file (its name and size) and file data itself. This means that this data is never transferred through any intermediate server but directly between the sender and recipient devices. To achieve this high level of security, SideSpeak partners with ShareDrop which uses a technology called WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication), found natively in all modern browsers.