How to Use Group Call Features on Stitch

Starting a group call

A group call is started from inside an existing group chat — open the group and use the call option to start a voice or video call with everyone in it. Members of the group receive an incoming call notification, the same way a one-to-one call rings, and can join or decline individually rather than the whole group being pulled in automatically.

Joining, and joining late

If you miss the initial ring or were not available when the call started, you can still join an ongoing group call directly from the group chat — it does not require someone to call you again. This makes group calls more forgiving than a one-to-one call, where missing it usually means waiting for a second attempt.

Managing your mic and camera

Inside the call, you control your own microphone and camera independently — muting yourself stops your audio from being heard without leaving the call, and turning your camera off switches you to audio-only while everyone else can keep their video on. This is the right move in a noisy environment, or simply when you want to listen without being on camera.

Seeing who is in the call

The call screen shows the participants currently connected, so you can see at a glance who has joined and who is still just a group member who has not answered. This is especially useful in a larger group where not everyone joins at once.

Minimizing the call to keep using the app

A group call does not have to occupy your full attention the whole time it is active — you can minimize it to a small floating indicator and continue using other parts of Stitch, like checking a different chat, while staying connected to the call in the background. Tapping the minimized indicator brings the full call screen back.

Leaving and ending

Leaving a group call only removes you — the call continues for everyone else still in it. There is no need to "end the call for everyone" the way you might expect from a one-to-one call; a group call naturally winds down once the last participant leaves.

If the call drops or has connection issues

• A weak connection typically shows up first as choppy video or audio before dropping entirely — switching off your camera to audio-only often keeps the call usable on a poor connection.
• If you get disconnected, rejoin from the group chat the same way you would join a call in progress — you do not need to wait for someone to call again.
• Persistent connection problems are usually about local network conditions (Wi-Fi strength, cellular signal) rather than the group call feature itself; switching networks is often the fastest fix.

Group calls versus one-to-one calls

A few behaviors are specific to group calls and worth knowing before you rely on them for something important. Unlike a one-to-one call, where either person hanging up ends the whole thing, a group call has no single owner who controls it — anyone can join while it is active, anyone can leave without affecting anyone else, and it simply continues until nobody is left. This makes group calls better suited to loosely-organized conversations (a family catch-up, a study group) where people naturally drift in and out, compared to a one-to-one call which is inherently a single, continuous commitment from both sides.

Calling from within a busy group

In a group that is already having an active text conversation, starting a call does not erase or interrupt the text history — the chat and the call exist alongside each other, and anyone not on the call can keep reading and sending messages normally. This is worth knowing if you are ever hesitant to start a call in the middle of an ongoing discussion: it does not force everyone to stop typing, and members who would rather stick to text are free to keep doing exactly that while others join the call.

Getting the most out of a larger group call

• Mute yourself when you are not actively speaking, especially in a larger call — background noise from one unmuted participant is disruptive for everyone else.
• Use audio-only (camera off) if your connection is limited, rather than dropping out of the call entirely; a stable audio-only presence is usually better than a laggy video one.
• Check who has actually joined before assuming everyone is present — the participant list is the reliable source, not just who was invited.
• If the group is large and the conversation splits into side discussions, consider whether a smaller call or a text follow-up in the chat would actually serve the group better than everyone staying on one call.