Better video calls: features and tips in a call
A Friendstime call can do more than seeing and hearing: in the Android app a features menu opens the whiteboard, captions, watching YouTube videos together and more. This topic shows what a call offers, where the app and the browser differ and what happens when the network wobbles. How to start a call is covered in the topic “Video calls”.
The features menu (Android app)
In a call you open a menu with the ☰ button or by swiping from the right. It contains microphone, audio output, invite, manage participants, whiteboard, watching YouTube together, captions, share screen, small window and hang up. In a video call there are also camera on and off, switch camera, draw on the video and switch layout.
Watching together, drawing, whiteboard
With “Watch together” you paste a YouTube link and you both see the video in sync; the other person decides whether to join. “Draw on the video” puts a drawing layer over the picture, and the others in the call see your strokes. The whiteboard is a separate drawing surface and is also available in the browser with stroke width, eraser and “Clear all”.
Captions
With “Captions on/off” your speech is turned into text. On devices with Android 13 or newer and on-device recognition it runs on the device and the audio does not leave it; the other person is told that you are captioning. Otherwise the audio goes to the speech service of the device maker, the app warns you about this, and the text is then not sent to the other person. In a call between two people the caption can be sent encrypted to the other person; in group calls only you see it.
Sound, screen and small window
The audio button cycles between speaker, earpiece and Bluetooth, if connected. In voice-only calls on the earpiece the proximity sensor turns the screen off at your ear. The small window (picture in picture) needs Android 8 and a function allowed in the system settings; otherwise the notification remains your way back into the call.
When the network wobbles
If the connection drops briefly, the app shows “The network is shaky. Picture and sound will return as soon as the connection is back.” and afterwards “Connection restored.”. The call technology rebuilds the connection itself, you do not have to do anything. The features menu has no setting for picture quality or bitrate; the app sets both itself.
In the browser
In a browser call you find microphone, camera, switch camera, share screen, whiteboard and hang up, plus a chat panel and emoji reactions. Captions, watching YouTube together and drawing on the video are offered by the Android app. If you open the call page without a running call, it shows a camera and microphone test with which you check beforehand whether browser, camera and microphone work together.
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Frequently asked questions
Where do I find the extra functions in a call?
In the Android app you open the features menu with the ☰ button or by swiping from the right. In the browser the buttons are in the bar at the bottom, on a phone partly in the “More” sheet.
Are calls end-to-end encrypted?
Not currently: calls are encrypted in transit only (in the app too). Picture and sound run through Friendstime’s media server and are encrypted only on the way there. End-to-end encryption for picture and sound is in a test phase.
Are captions in a call encrypted?
Only under conditions. In a call between two people the devices first agree on a shared call key; once it is in place each caption line is sent AES-256-GCM-encrypted to the other person, and the server sees only that captions are flowing. Without a key or in group calls the captions stay on your device; picture and sound are unaffected.
Does the small window work on every device?
No. It needs Android 8 and must be allowed for the app in the system settings. If it does not work, the app states the reason and points to the notification.
Can I test my camera beforehand?
In the browser, yes: the call page without a running call offers a camera and microphone test with a few diagnostic lines. The browser asks for permission to use camera and microphone.
Can I set the video quality?
The features menu has no setting for this; the app sets picture quality and bitrate itself. For short network drops the connection rebuilds on its own.