Use huddles in Slack
Recreate the quick, informal discussions you’d have in the office right in Slack with huddles. You can start a huddle in any channel or direct message (DM) to work in real time alongside your coworkers with video, multi-person screen sharing, a dedicated thread for notes, and more.
What to expect
- On the free plan, huddles can have a maximum of two participants. On paid plans, 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).
Start, join, or invite people to a huddle
Start a new huddle
When you start a huddle, anyone in the conversation will be able to join.
Desktop
Mobile
- Open a channel or DM.
- Click the headphones icon in the conversation header. To see a larger view, click the new window icon from the huddle in your sidebar.
- Click the camera icon to turn your video on.
- Open a channel or DM.
- Tap the headphones icon in the conversation header.
- Tap the camera icon to turn your video on.
Join a huddle
If you’re invited to a huddle or it starts in a DM, click Join from the pop-up window. When a huddle starts in a channel you belong to, you'll see a headphones icon next to the channel name. 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 the new window icon.
- Click the camera icon to turn your video on.
- From Home, tap the headphones icon next to a channel or DM.
- Tap Join.
- Tap the camera icon to turn your video on.
Tip: If you click a link to a huddle in a private channel or DM you don’t belong to, click Request Access to join. Anyone in the huddle can approve your request to let you in.
Invite people to a huddle
Once you’re in a huddle, you can easily invite anyone to participate, even if they’re not a part of the channel or DM where the huddle is taking place. People you invite who are not members of the channel or DM won’t be able to see the messages in the conversation or the huddle thread.
Desktop
Mobile
- From a huddle, click the three dots icon (from the huddle in your sidebar) or gear icon (from the huddle window).
- Click Invite people and select those you’d like to invite, or search for their names
- Click Send Invites.
- From a huddle, tap the three dots icon.
- Select Invite and select those you’d like to invite, or search for their names.
- Tap the close icon in the top left when you're done.
Share links for huddles
All huddles have links people can use to join from anywhere (like a calendar invitation or a message in Slack). Here’s how to find and share links for huddles:
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’d like. The huddle will start when someone clicks the link to join.
- From the Home tab, long press a channel or DM in your sidebar.
- Tap Copy, then tap Copy Huddle Link and share it wherever you'd like. The huddle will start when someone clicks the link to join.
Take notes during a huddle
When you’re in a huddle, you’ll see a dedicated message thread to share notes, links, and files during the discussion.
Take notes in a thread
Desktop
Mobile
- Click the arrow icon or the thread icon in the huddle window to show or hide the thread associated with the huddle.
- To update the heading that will display along with your thread in the conversation, click the gear icon and select Add topic.
Tap the thread icon to show the thread associated with the huddle.
Take notes in a canvas
Each huddle includes a canvas for taking meeting notes. Participants can open the canvas to take notes or view those added by others.
- From a huddle on desktop, click the canvas icon in the bottom right corner.
- When the huddle ends, you can access the canvas from its tab at the top of the conversation.
Tip: Use AI to take notes during a huddle so you and your team can focus on the conversation.
Share your screen
Desktop
Mobile
Up to two people in a huddle can share their screen at a time. Shared screens will appear in the huddle window, and anyone in the huddle can click on one to expand it or click the pencil icon to draw on it. Drawing on screens is currently supported on the Slack desktop app for Mac and Windows.
- Click the share screen icon.
- Select a screen, window, or application to share.
Up to two people in a huddle can share their screen at a time. Here's how:
- Tap the three dots icon.
- Tap Share Screen.
Add reactions
You can add emoji reactions, effects, stickers, or GIFs to send a signal to your coworkers without interrupting the conversation. Reactions, effects, and GIFs will appear to everyone in the huddle temporarily, while stickers (like ✋ Raise hand or ☕ Be right back) will remain until you remove them.
Desktop
Mobile
- Click the emoji icon.
- Click the Reactions, Effects, Stickers, or GIFs tab, then make a selection.
- Tap the emoji icon.
- Tap the Reactions, Effects, Stickers or GIFs tab, then make a selection.
Note: GIFs must be allowed in Slack to add them as reactions in huddles.
Take other actions in a huddle
Desktop
Mobile
Once you’re in a huddle, you can click the three dots icon (from the huddle window in your sidebar) or gear icon (from the expanded huddle window) to access more actions and settings:
- Add a topic
- Choose a huddle theme for all participants*
- Play music
- Turn on live captions**
- Change your background
- Manage video and microphone settings
- Preview your video
*Only available in the expanded huddle 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:
- Add a topic
- Choose a huddle theme for all participants
- Select a speaker or enable push-to-talk
- Turn on live captions*
- Hide self view, so you won't see your own video
Note: You can change your huddles notification sound and set other defaults in your huddles references.
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 a huddle, click Leave.
- From a huddle, tap Leave. Or, tap the headphones icon from the channel or DM where the huddle is taking place.
- Tap Leave.
- All members and guests
- Available on all plans