How to start a huddle call on Slack

beginner 8 min read Updated 2026-03-18

Quick Answer

Start a Slack huddle by clicking the headphones icon at the bottom of any channel or direct message. Huddles are instant audio conversations that allow team members to join and leave freely.

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Prerequisites

Active Slack account
Slack desktop or mobile app installed
Microphone access enabled
Member of a Slack channel or workspace

Step-by-Step Instructions

Open your Slack workspace

Launch the Slack desktop app or open Slack in your web browser. Sign in to your workspace if you haven't already. Make sure you're connected to the internet and your microphone is working properly.

Check your audio settings in Slack preferences before starting your first huddle

Navigate to a channel or direct message

Click on the channel or direct message where you want to start the huddle. You can start huddles in public channels, private channels, or direct messages with one or more people.

Click the huddle icon

Look for the headphones icon at the bottom left of your channel or DM window, next to the message box. Click this icon to start a huddle. The icon may show as "Start a huddle" when you hover over it.

If you don't see the huddle icon, your workspace admin may have disabled huddles

Wait for the huddle to initialize

Slack will start the huddle and you'll see a purple bar at the top of your channel indicating the huddle is active. Your microphone will be automatically unmuted when you join. You'll also see your profile picture in the huddle participants area.

The first person to start a huddle becomes the host by default

Invite others to join

Other members of the channel will see a notification about the active huddle. You can also manually invite specific people by clicking the "+" button in the huddle bar and selecting participants from the list.

People can join and leave huddles freely without disrupting the conversation

Use huddle controls

Use the controls in the purple huddle bar to mute/unmute yourself, share your screen, or turn on video. Click the microphone icon to mute, the screen share icon to share your screen, or the camera icon to enable video.

You can continue typing in the channel while the huddle is active

End the huddle

To leave the huddle, click the "Leave" button in the huddle bar or click the X icon. If you're the last person in the huddle, it will automatically end. You can also click "End huddle for everyone" if you're the host.

Huddles automatically end when the last participant leaves

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

Huddle icon is not visible

Check if huddles are enabled in your workspace settings. Go to Preferences > Audio & video and ensure huddles are turned on. Contact your workspace admin if the feature is disabled.

Cannot hear other participants

Check your computer's audio output settings and ensure Slack has permission to use your speakers. Go to Preferences > Audio & video and test your speaker settings.

Others cannot hear you

Verify your microphone is working and unmuted. Check Preferences > Audio & video to test and select the correct microphone. Ensure Slack has microphone permissions in your system settings.

Huddle keeps disconnecting

Check your internet connection stability. Try refreshing Slack or restarting the app. If using a browser, try switching to the desktop app for better stability.

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