Our video call feature empowers our members to go on virtual dates and get to know each other at a whole new level before meeting in person. This is especially important today as we adjust to a new normal with social distancing, but our video calling feature is here to stay.
Video calls require having your account in premium mode, which means either having an active subscription or Token. Once you are in premium mode, you will notice your Video Calls toggle right next to your account status in the header.
Simply click on that toggle to switch between ON and OFF. On means that your profile will advertise your availability for a video call. When off, your profile does not offer an option to video call with you. Regardless of your video call status (or or off), you can still make calls to other members. The setting described here is only for allowing/disallowing others to initiate a video call with you.
When you view a member’s profile who is both in premium mode and has video calls ON, and is also not currently in a video session with another member, you will see the Initiate Video Call option in their profile. This appears as the very first link in the blue box of options.
Clicking this will open a new tab in your browser that will allow you to initiate the call. Once you click to start the call, the other member will be invited to join the call.
Once connected, there might be 1 or 2 buttons at the bottom of the window, depending on your browser. Everyone will see a red button to End Call. Next to this, some may see a grey button to put your call into Fullscreen mode. If you do not see this button, it’s not supported by your browser. To exit full screen mode, simply click the same button again.
RECEIVING A CALL
When you are the recipient of a video call, you will be prompted to join the call as you use the website. This will appear as a modal pop-up window. You can choose to Accept the call, Mute the call tone, or Ignore the user from requesting video calls again. Upon accepting, you will be taken to a new tab to join the call. If you do not want to accept the call at the time, you can close the request window to ignore this single call, but the member will be able to video call you again in the future. If you choose the Ignore This Member option, it will close the request and you will no longer receive video call requests from them moving forward. This is different from blocking a member, as it is only for preventing video calls. To disable all communication with a member, including video calls, please block them from their profile.
If you get disconnected unintentionally and you remain in the video call tab, you will have the ability to call each other back without leaving the tab. When this occurs, the current video call tab will update you that you are receiving a callback. You can then answer to reconnect with the member.
BEST PRACTICES, NOTES AND TIPS
- Although some members may enjoy spontaneous calls, we recommend exchanging messages with the member first and then scheduling a good time to video chat!
- Once If a user is connected on another video call, their profile will no longer not offer a video call option. Even if you have a tab open to call the user (but are not connected with them) you will not be able to call them.
- Don't see a video call link even when a user is online? Or, not receiving a response to messages? They may not be premium. Consider gifting a Token! Gifting a Token to a member guarantees that, at the minimum, the member you are contacting can use it for 24 hours of premium access (without the need to make a purchase first).
- Choose a quiet, well-lit spot with reliable internet access.
- Video call sessions are limited to 4 hours.
- If you are on your mobile phone and you navigate away from an in-progress video call (change apps, tabs, etc), this will freeze the video feed, preventing the other member from seeing (although they can still hear you). Once you come back, the feed will resume if the other member remains connected.
- If a member is inappropriate and/or you wish to ignore them moving forward, you have two options. First end the call and close the tab. Then the first option is to ignore their video call requests moving forward. If they call you again, simply choose the button to “Ignore This Member” and no further calls will be allowed from that member. The second option is to block them outright. Navigate to their profile and choose to “Block This Member” under the blue box of links. They will no longer be able to contact you in any way. If the member has done something that you feel needs to be reported, please contact Neumate Support immediately and your local law enforcement if you feel it is warranted..
TROUBLESHOOTING
If you are having trouble with seeing or hearing another member, the first thing to check is that you are using a capable browser as detailed in the section below. You can also try these tips:
- Check that your microphone is not muted and your speaker volume is up.
- Check that your camera and microphone are not physically obstructed.
- Ensure that you have no other tab / app / service using your video camera or microphone. The video call will not be able to use them if they are already in use.
- Try to restart your device or computer and try video chat again. If access to your camera or microphone is locked up and you aren’t sure why, a restart should release it.
- Ensure that not only is your browser supported (below), but that it is also a current, up-to-date version.
- Make sure that you keep the Neumate video call tab in focus. If you change tabs, especially as you connect, it may not work and/or you could lose audio/video.
BROWSER AND DEVICE COMPATIBILITY
Please ensure that you are using the correct browser, as not all have the video and audio capabilities (WebRTC) needed to conduct a call. This is a restriction of web browsers, not Neumate.
iPhone or iPad: You need to use Safari for our video call feature to work.
Android: You need to use Chrome or Firefox.
Mac PC: All browsers should work.
Windows PC: You need to use Chrome, Firefox, or Edge
Linux: You need to use Chrome or Firefox.
If you continue to have problems, please contact us using the link at the top of this page.