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Martian edited this page Nov 9, 2025 · 1 revision

User Guide

Everything you need to know to use LinkUp like a pro!

Table of Contents

Creating a Meeting

Quick Start

  1. Open LinkUp in your web browser
  2. Click the "Create Meeting" button on the home page
  3. You'll instantly get a unique 10-character meeting code
  4. Copy the meeting link or code and share it with participants

Sharing the Meeting

You have three options:

  1. Copy the full link - Click the copy button next to the meeting URL

    • Example: https://linkup.example.com/join?code=abc123xyz9

  2. Share just the code - Give participants the 10-character code

    • Example: abc123xyz9
    • They can enter it on the home page

  3. Use the QR code (if available) - Participants can scan to join instantly

Meeting Settings

When creating a meeting, you can optionally:

  • Set a meeting title (e.g., "Team Standup", "Client Review")
  • Specify maximum participants (default: 10, max: 50)

Joining a Meeting

Method 1: Using a Meeting Link

  1. Click the meeting link shared with you
  2. Enter your name
  3. Grant camera and microphone permissions when prompted
  4. Click "Join Meeting"

Method 2: Using a Meeting Code

  1. Go to LinkUp home page
  2. Enter the 10-character meeting code
  3. Enter your name
  4. Grant camera and microphone permissions
  5. Click "Join Meeting"

Pre-Meeting Setup

Before joining, you'll see:

  • Your video preview - Check your camera is working
  • Audio level indicator - Make sure your mic is detected
  • Device selection - Choose specific camera/microphone if you have multiple

Pro Tip: Test your setup on the join screen before entering the meeting!

During the Meeting

Meeting Interface

Once you're in a meeting, you'll see:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Meeting Code: ABC123XYZ9  [Copy] 👥 3       │ ← Header
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                             │
│          Video Grid (Main Area)             │ ← Participant videos
│                                             │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  [🎤] [📹] [🖥️] [💬] [👥] [❓] [📞]         │ ← Controls
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Video Grid

The video grid automatically adjusts based on participant count:

  • 1-2 participants: Large side-by-side layout
  • 3-4 participants: 2x2 grid
  • 5-6 participants: 3x2 grid
  • 7-9 participants: 3x3 grid
  • 10 participants: 4x3 grid

Your video appears in the bottom-right corner by default and is horizontally mirrored (like looking in a mirror).

Control Bar

Microphone (🎤)

  • Click to mute/unmute
  • Keyboard: Press M
  • Red with slash = Muted
  • Green = Unmuted

Camera (📹)

  • Click to turn video on/off
  • Keyboard: Press V
  • Red with slash = Camera off
  • Green = Camera on

Privacy Tip: Turn off camera when not needed to save bandwidth!

Screen Share (🖥️)

  • Click to start sharing your screen
  • Keyboard: Press S
  • Choose what to share:
    • Entire screen
    • Specific window
    • Browser tab
  • Click again to stop sharing

Best Practice: Close sensitive windows before sharing your entire screen!

Chat (💬)

  • Click to open chat panel
  • Keyboard: Press C
  • Type messages and press Enter to send
  • Red badge shows unread message count

Participants (👥)

  • Click to see who's in the meeting
  • Keyboard: Press P
  • Shows participant count
  • See who's muted/unmuted
  • Pin/unpin participants

Help (❓)

  • Click to see keyboard shortcuts
  • Keyboard: Press ?

Leave (📞)

  • Click to exit the meeting
  • Keyboard: Press Esc (when no panels are open)
  • Confirmation dialog will appear

Advanced Features

Pinning Participants

When someone is presenting or you want to focus on a specific person:

  1. Hover over their video - Pin icon appears
  2. Click the pin icon 📌
  3. Their video fills your entire screen
  4. Click pin again to unpin

Auto-Pin: When someone shares their screen, they're automatically pinned for everyone!

Chat Features

The chat panel includes:

  • Real-time messaging - Instant delivery to all participants
  • Timestamps - See when messages were sent
  • Sender names - Know who said what
  • Auto-scroll - Automatically shows latest messages
  • Unread indicators - Red badge when chat is closed

Participant Management

In the participants list, you can:

  • See everyone's status - Who's muted, camera on/off, screen sharing
  • Pin any participant - Focus on specific speakers
  • See who joined when - Participant order shows join time
  • Identify the host - First person to join has a special indicator

Keyboard Shortcuts

Master these shortcuts to use LinkUp efficiently:

Key Action
M Toggle microphone (mute/unmute)
V Toggle camera (on/off)
C Open/close chat panel
P Open/close participants list
S Start/stop screen sharing
Esc Close open panels OR show leave dialog
? Show keyboard shortcuts help

Pro Tips:

  • Shortcuts work when you're not typing in a text field
  • Press Esc multiple times to close panels and then show leave dialog
  • Shortcuts are case-insensitive

Tips and Best Practices

Audio Quality

✅ DO:

  • Use headphones to prevent echo
  • Mute when not speaking in large meetings
  • Position mic 6-12 inches from your mouth
  • Use push-to-talk (unmute only when speaking)

❌ DON'T:

  • Type loudly on keyboard when unmuted
  • Have background music or TV on
  • Use speakerphone in echoey rooms

Video Quality

✅ DO:

  • Ensure good lighting (face the light source)
  • Position camera at eye level
  • Use a clean, professional background
  • Check your video preview before joining

❌ DON'T:

  • Sit with a window/bright light behind you (backlighting)
  • Use low bandwidth for video calls
  • Leave camera on when not needed

Screen Sharing

✅ DO:

  • Close unnecessary windows and tabs
  • Hide sensitive information (emails, passwords)
  • Share specific windows instead of entire screen
  • Test screen share before important meetings
  • Increase zoom/font size for better visibility

❌ DON'T:

  • Share your entire desktop with personal information visible
  • Forget to stop sharing when done
  • Share while getting notifications

Bandwidth Management

For slow internet connections:

  1. Turn off your camera (audio uses much less bandwidth)
  2. Close other tabs and apps using internet
  3. Ask others to turn off their cameras
  4. Stop screen sharing when not needed
  5. Use wired connection instead of WiFi if possible

Meeting Etiquette

✅ DO:

  • Join on time
  • Mute when not speaking
  • Use chat for quick questions
  • Notify when you need to leave early
  • Have your name displayed clearly

❌ DON'T:

  • Multitask obviously (checking phone, emails)
  • Interrupt others
  • Forget to unmute when speaking
  • Leave camera on while eating
  • Join without testing your setup first

Browser Compatibility

LinkUp works best on modern browsers:

Browser Status Notes
Chrome 90+ ✅ Recommended Best performance
Edge 90+ ✅ Recommended Chromium-based
Firefox 88+ ✅ Supported Good performance
Safari 14+ ⚠️ Limited Some WebRTC limitations
Opera 76+ ✅ Supported Chromium-based

Mobile Browsers:

  • Chrome Mobile: ✅ Supported
  • Safari iOS: ⚠️ Limited (iOS restrictions)
  • Firefox Mobile: ✅ Supported

Accessibility

LinkUp includes several accessibility features:

  • Keyboard navigation - All features accessible via keyboard
  • Screen reader support - ARIA labels on interactive elements
  • High contrast support - Works with OS high contrast modes
  • Scalable UI - Responsive to browser zoom
  • Focus indicators - Clear focus states for keyboard navigation

Privacy and Security

What LinkUp Stores

  • Meeting codes and metadata
  • Participant names and join times
  • Audio/video on/off status
  • Chat messages (in memory, cleared when meeting ends)

What LinkUp Doesn't Store

  • Video or audio recordings
  • Screen share content
  • Call duration beyond session
  • Personal information beyond display name

Peer-to-Peer Connection

Video and audio data flows directly between participants (peer-to-peer), not through LinkUp servers. The server only helps:

  • Establish connections (signaling)
  • Relay chat messages
  • Track who's in the meeting

Common Issues

Can't Join Meeting

Problem: Invalid meeting code error

Solution:

  • Double-check the meeting code (10 characters)
  • Ask host for a fresh link
  • Code is case-insensitive, but must be exact

Camera/Microphone Not Working

Problem: Devices not detected or not working

Solution:

  1. Check browser permissions (camera icon in address bar)
  2. Close other apps using camera/mic (Zoom, Teams, etc.)
  3. Try refreshing the page
  4. Check OS privacy settings
  5. Try a different browser

Poor Video/Audio Quality

Problem: Laggy video, choppy audio, freezing

Solution:

  1. Check your internet speed (need 2+ Mbps for video)
  2. Turn off camera to save bandwidth
  3. Close unnecessary browser tabs
  4. Move closer to WiFi router or use wired connection
  5. Ask others to turn off cameras

Echo or Feedback

Problem: Hearing echo or feedback sound

Solution:

  1. Use headphones (most effective fix)
  2. Lower speaker volume
  3. Mute when not speaking
  4. Move microphone away from speakers

Screen Share Not Working

Problem: Can't share screen or others can't see it

Solution:

  1. Grant screen sharing permissions in browser
  2. Try sharing a specific window instead of entire screen
  3. Refresh and try again
  4. Check if other participants can see (may be on their end)

Participant Can't Hear/See Me

Problem: Others report they can't hear or see you

Solution:

  1. Check your camera/mic aren't muted in LinkUp
  2. Check they aren't muted (their volume/video settings)
  3. Refresh your page to re-establish connection
  4. Ask them to refresh if problem persists

Need more help? Check the Troubleshooting page or open an issue on GitHub.

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