SessionsBeta

#Finding a session

Open Sessions to see what is happening now. You can search by name or host and filter by focus: Deep work, Building, Studying or Creating.

Sessions are grouped so the next step is obvious: your own session first, then rooms that are open to join, rooms that are full or locked, rooms starting soon and rooms that have ended. Each row has one clear action:

#Starting a session

1. Select Create session, or Start a focus session from a pod's options menu.
2. Name your session and pick a focus.
3. Under How long?, choose 15, 25 or 30 minutes.
4. Under Who can join?, choose Anyone on Hatch, your pod's members (when you start from a pod) or Only people I invite. You can also post an invitation in the pod.
5. Select Start session.

Up to 10 people can be in a room. In the free beta, sessions are planned to last up to 30 minutes, and limits may change. Longer sessions are planned for paid plans, which are not available yet.

#Before you join: mic and camera

You choose whether your microphone and camera start on or off. Your browser asks for permission the first time you turn either on. If you say no, or your device is not working, you can still join with both off and use chat. Device help has tips for common problems.

#Room controls

The room keeps things quiet: a large stage for the people in it, and a small set of controls at the bottom.

Sessions are never recorded. Audio and video go live to the people in the room only.

#Your session, everywhere

You can keep browsing Hatch while you are in a session. A compact session controller stays at the bottom of the screen with:

• the room name, which takes you back to the room,
• a people button that shows who is here and who is hosting,
• your mic and camera, and
• Leave. After leaving you get a few seconds to Rejoin in case it was a mistake.

On larger screens you can move the controller to the bottom left, centre or right by dragging its grip or using the arrow keys. Hatch remembers your choice. On phones it spans the bottom of the screen and hides while the keyboard is open.

#Inviting people

• Share to a Pod posts the session in one of your pods so members can join in one tap.
• Invite to meeting creates a link you can copy, email or share. Choose when it expires: 5 minutes, 1 hour, 24 hours or 7 days.
• From Your circle or a conversation, you can send someone a session invitation directly.

#Hosting a session

When you start a session you are its host. Under People, hosts can:

• ask someone to mute,
• make someone a co-host, or remove co-host,
• remove someone from the room, and
• Lock this room to pause new people joining.

To close the room for everyone, choose End for everyone from More or the controller's Leave menu and confirm. If you simply leave, the session carries on and hosting passes to someone else.

#When a session ends

You will see a heads-up as time runs out. When the session ends, you will see a short summary with Find another session and Back home.