Communities go live with interactive video rooms, audio rooms, and webinars. This article shows how to find a live session (a live stream), join it from your browser or the Mateflow app, and watch the replay. No extra software is needed.
Who can do this: Signed-in members who can see the space the session belongs to. · Where: Web and the Mateflow app for iOS and Android. · Plan: Available when your community's plan includes live rooms and the space has live turned on.
Find live sessions in your community
- Live page: click Live in the community's navigation (in the app, menu (☰) → Live). The tabs are Live now, Upcoming, and Replays.
- Banner: while someone is live, a banner at the top of the web page offers Watch.
- Spaces and events: a space's Live card lists its sessions. An event run as a live room shows Watch live (in the app, Go to the broadcast). See Attend events and RSVP.
- Notifications: "... is live now" arrives when a session starts in your space or in an event you RSVP'd to.
Visitors who aren't signed in see Sign in to watch.
Join a live room
- Open the session. Until the host opens it, you see "This room hasn't started yet" or "The host is getting ready".
- On the web, click Check camera and microphone and let your browser use them. Pick your Microphone, Camera, and Speaker. You join muted unless you turn them on here first.
- Click Join. In the app, tap Join.
What happens next depends on the room type:
- Interactive video room: you can usually turn on your camera and microphone.
- Interactive audio room: voices only. In some, "You'll join as a listener. A host can invite you to speak."
- Webinar: you join the audience with your camera and microphone off. Click Enter.
If your browser blocked your camera or microphone, the button reads Join to listen. Some rooms only admit invited people or people who RSVP'd to the event.
Agree to recording before you join
If the host allows recording, you're asked "This room may be recorded" before you join, because a recording may be published as a replay. Click Agree and join, or click Don't join to stay on the page and use only the chat (in the app, Do not agree, go back).
While a recording runs, a Recording label shows. To withdraw, click Opt out (in the app, Withdraw and leave). You leave the room's audio and video.
Take part in a live room
- Mute / Unmute and Turn camera on / Turn camera off. In the app, tap the mic and camera buttons, Flip to switch cameras, and Audio to pick the speaker, headphones, or Bluetooth.
- React sends an emoji to the room.
- Participants (in the app, People) shows who's in the room.
- Share screen appears on the web if the room allows it.
- Chat: type in Say something…. The host may turn on slow mode. The chat closes when the session ends.
- Leave takes you out. If your microphone or camera is on and you open another page (in the app, go back), Mateflow asks Leave this room? first.
- In the background: on iPhone, audio keeps playing when you switch apps or lock the phone; if you're speaking, your camera turns off but you can still be heard. On Android, switching apps leaves the room, and you can rejoin.
A host or moderator can mute you, remove you, or block you from the session.
Raise your hand in a webinar
- Click Raise hand. To take it back, click Hand raised — cancel (in the app, Lower your hand).
- When a host invites you, you see "The host invited you on stage". Choose Join with my microphone or Join with my camera, then click Go on stage, or click Stay in the audience. In the app, tap Come on stage or Not now.
- To go back to the audience, click Leave the stage (in the app, Step down).
If you don't see Raise hand, the host has turned hand-raising off. They can still invite you up.
Troubleshooting: you can't join a live room
Symptom: "This room is full." Why it happens: The room has reached its number of seats. Fix: Try again when somebody leaves.
Symptom: "You don't have access to this room." (in the app, "You cannot join this room") Why it happens: The room is limited to invited people or people who RSVP'd, or you haven't joined its space. Fix: RSVP to the event or join the space, then try again.
If you're "already in this room in another tab or on another device", leave it there first. After "The host removed you from this room", you can join again; if you were blocked, you can't.
Watch a live replay
When a session ends, you see "This room has ended". If it was recorded, the page shows "Replay is being prepared", then Replay ready, and you're notified. Find replays in the Replays tab on the Live page, or click Watch replay on the event's page.
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