Use huddles in Slack
Recreate the quick, informal discussions that you usually have in the office right in Slack. You can start a huddle in any channel or direct message (DM) to work in real time alongside your colleagues with video, multi-person screen sharing, a dedicated thread for notes, and emoji reactions.
What to expect
- On the free subscription, huddles can have a maximum of two participants. On paid subscriptions, huddles can have up to 50 participants.
- Huddles are available on the Slack desktop and mobile apps, Google Chrome (Mac/Windows/Linux) and Firefox (Mac/Windows).
Tip: You can always choose to leave your camera off for an audio-only huddle.
Start or join a huddle
Start a new huddle
When you start a huddle, anyone in the conversation will be able to join. You can also invite anyone to participate, whether they’re a part of the channel or DM where the huddle is taking place or not.
Desktop
Mobile
- Open a channel or DM.
- Click the headphones toggle in the bottom-left corner of your sidebar. To see a larger view of the huddle, click on the new window icon.
- If you like, click on the camera icon to turn your video on.
- Open a channel or DM.
- Tap the headphones icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
- If you like, tap the camera icon to turn your video on.
Note: People that you invite to a huddle who are not part of the conversation will not be able to see the content in the channel or DM.
Join a huddle
If you’re invited to a huddle or it starts in a DM, you’ll see a pop-up window. You can easily join the huddle by clicking Join or click Not now if you need a few moments. When a huddle starts in a channel that you're a part of, you'll see a headphones icon next to the conversation in your sidebar. Here's how to join:
Desktop
Mobile
- Open the channel or DM where the huddle is taking place.
- Click the headphones toggle at the bottom of your sidebar. To see a larger view of the huddle, click on the new window icon.
- If you like, click on the camera icon to turn your video on.
- From Home, tap the headphones icon next to a channel or DM.
- Tap Join.
- If you like, tap the camera icon to turn your video on.
Tip: You can join a huddle from a second device by clicking or tapping Use both devices when joining.
Create links for huddles
All huddles have links that people can use to join from anywhere (like a message in Slack or a calendar invitation).
Desktop
Mobile
- From a channel or DM on desktop, click the conversation name in the bottom left corner of your sidebar.
- Click Copy huddle link, then share it wherever you’d like. The huddle will start when someone clicks the link to join.
- From a huddle, tap the three dots icon.
- Tap Copy Huddle Link, then share it wherever you'd like.
Take notes in a huddle thread
When you open a huddle window, you’ll see a dedicated message thread to share notes, links and files during the discussion.
Desktop
Mobile
- Click on the threads icon to show or hide the thread associated with the huddle.
- Click on Add a topic in the top-left corner of the huddles window to update the header that will display with your thread in the conversation.
Tap the threads icon to show the thread associated with the huddle.
Share your screen
Up to two people in a huddle can share their screen from Slack on desktop or mobile.
Desktop
Mobile
Shared screens will appear in the huddles window, and you can click on a colleague’s screen to enlarge it or click on the pencil icon to draw on it.
- Click on the share screen icon.
- Select a screen, window or application to share.
- Tap the three dots icon in the bottom right corner of your screen.
- Tap Share Screen.
Note: Drawing on screens is currently supported for the Slack desktop app for Mac and Windows.
Add reactions
You can add emoji reactions, effects or stickers to send a signal to your colleagues without interrupting the conversation. Reactions and effects will appear to everyone in the huddle temporarily, while stickers will remain until you remove them.
Desktop
Mobile
- Click on the emoji icon.
- Click on the Reactions, Effects or Stickers tab to make a selection.
- Tap the emoji icon.
- Tap the Reactions, Effects or Stickers tab to make a selection.
Take other actions in a huddle
Desktop
Mobile
Once you’re in a huddle, you can click on the three dots icon (from the huddle in your sidebar) or cog icon (from the huddles window) to access more actions and settings:
- Invite people
- Copy the huddle link
- Add a topic
- Choose a huddle theme for all participants*
- Turn on live captions†
- Change your background
- Manage video and microphone settings
- Preview your video
*Only available in the huddles window.
†Captions are currently only available in English and will not be saved once the huddle ends.
Once you’re in a huddle, you can tap the three dots icon to access more actions and settings:
- Choose a huddle theme for all participants
- Invite people
- Manage audio preferences
- Turn on live captions†
- Turn on Push-to-talk
- Hide self view, so you won't see your own video
Tip: You can change your huddles notification sound in your preferences.
Leave a huddle
Anyone can leave a huddle at any time, including the person who started it. Huddles will automatically end when the last person leaves.
Desktop
Mobile
Click on Leave from the huddles window or the headphones toggle in the bottom-left corner of your sidebar.
- From the channel or DM where the huddle is taking place, tap Leave or the headphones icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
- Tap Leave.
- All members and guests
- Available on all subscriptions
Recreate the quick, informal discussions that you usually have in the office right in Slack. You can start a huddle in any channel or direct message (DM) to work in real time alongside your colleagues with video, multi-person screen sharing, a dedicated thread for notes, and emoji reactions.
What to expect
- On the free subscription, huddles can have a maximum of two participants. On paid subscriptions, huddles can have up to 50 participants.
- Huddles are available on the Slack desktop and mobile apps, Google Chrome (Mac/Windows/Linux) and Firefox (Mac/Windows).
Tip: You can always choose to leave your camera off for an audio-only huddle.
Start or join a huddle
Start a new huddle
When you start a huddle, anyone in the conversation will be able to join. You can also invite anyone to participate, whether they’re a part of the channel or DM where the huddle is taking place or not.
Desktop
Mobile
- Open a channel or DM.
- Click the headphones icon in the conversation header. You can click the new window icon from the huddle in your sidebar to see a larger view.
- If you like, click on the camera icon to turn your video on.
- Open a channel or DM.
- Tap the headphones icon in the conversation header.
- If you like, tap the camera icon to turn your video on.
Note: People that you invite to a huddle who are not part of the conversation will not be able to see the content in the channel or DM.
Join a huddle
If you’re invited to a huddle or it starts in a DM, you’ll see a pop-up window. You can easily join the huddle by clicking Join or Accept. When a huddle starts in a channel that you're a part of, you'll see a headphones icon next to the conversation in your sidebar. Here's how to join:
Desktop
Mobile
- Open the channel or DM where the huddle is taking place.
- Click the headphones icon in the conversation header. To see a larger view of the huddle, click on the new window icon.
- If you like, click on the camera icon to turn your video on.
- From Home, tap the headphones icon next to a channel or DM.
- Tap Join.
- If you like, tap the camera icon to turn your video on.
Tip: You can join a huddle from a second device by clicking or tapping Use both devices when joining.
Create links for huddles
All huddles have links that people can use to join from anywhere (like a message in Slack or a calendar invitation).
Desktop
Mobile
- From a channel or DM, click the arrow next to the headphones icon in the conversation header.
- Select Copy huddle link, then share it wherever you like. The huddle will start when someone clicks the link to join.
- From a huddle, tap the three dots icon.
- Tap Copy Huddle Link, then share it wherever you'd like.
Tip: You can also create a huddle link by long-pressing on a conversation in the sidebar, then selecting Copy huddle link.
Take notes in a huddle thread
When you're in a huddle window, you’ll see a dedicated message thread to share notes, links and files during the discussion.
Desktop
Mobile
- Click the arrow icon or the threads icon in the huddle window to show or hide the thread associated with the huddle.
- Click the gear icon and select Add topic to update the header that will display with your thread in the conversation.
Tap the threads icon to show the thread associated with the huddle.
Tip: Share a canvas while in a huddle to collaborate on it in real time.
Share your screen
Up to two people in a huddle can share their screen from Slack on desktop or mobile.
Desktop
Mobile
Shared screens will appear in the huddles window, and you can click on a colleague’s screen to enlarge it or click on the pencil icon to draw on it.
- Click on the share screen icon.
- Select a screen, window or application to share.
- Tap the three dots icon.
- Tap Share Screen.
Note: Drawing on screens is currently supported for the Slack desktop app for Mac and Windows.
Add reactions
You can add emoji reactions, effects or stickers to send a signal to your colleagues without interrupting the conversation. Reactions and effects will appear to everyone in the huddle temporarily, while stickers will remain until you remove them.
Desktop
Mobile
- Click on the emoji icon.
- Click on the Reactions, Effects or Stickers tab to make a selection.
- Tap the emoji icon.
- Tap the Reactions, Effects or Stickers tab to make a selection.
Take other actions in a huddle
Desktop
Mobile
Once you’re in a huddle, you can click on the three dots icon (from the huddle in your sidebar) or cog icon (from the huddles window) to access more actions and settings:
- Invite people
- Copy the huddle link
- Add a topic
- Choose a huddle theme for all participants*
- Turn on live captions†
- Change your background
- Manage video and microphone settings
- Preview your video
*Only available in the huddles window.
†Captions are currently only available in English and will not be saved once the huddle ends.
Once you’re in a huddle, you can tap the three dots icon to access more actions and settings:
- Choose a huddle theme for all participants
- Invite people
- Manage audio preferences
- Turn on Push-to-talk
- Turn on live captions†
- Hide self view, so you won't see your own video
Tip: To pin someone to the top of your huddle view, tap their video and select Pin participant.
Note: You can change your huddles notification sound in your preferences.
Leave a huddle
Anyone can leave a huddle at any time, including the person who started it. Huddles will automatically end when the last person leaves.
Desktop
Mobile
From the channel or DM where the huddle is taking place, click Leave.
- From the channel or DM where the huddle is taking place, tap Leave or the headphones icon.
- Tap Leave.
- All members and guests
- Available on all subscriptions