News & Updates
Voice & Video Calling on Siilo
Sometimes exchanging critical information with a colleague or even just checking in on a patient’s progress is most easily done with a phone or video call. With Siilo Messenger and Siilo Web, users can now make their calls securely to other Siilo contacts without ever having to leave the app.
In light of the COVID-19 crisis, we’ve had plenty of feedback from users about how they use Siilo to communicate with colleagues, and one key thing we’ve noticed is the amount of calls taking place through the app. Instant messaging is an incredibly useful tool in a clinical setting, but sometimes it’s necessary to get on the phone with someone to discuss the details of a case or to show real-time video of a patient’s scans.
In our latest update, Team Siilo has focused on voice and video calling so that every medical professional has access to their colleagues in the format that best fits their needs. We’ve made improvements to the mobile version of Voice & Video calling and are excited to introduce it to Siilo Web! Find some basic functionalities below.
Making a call
Make a voice or video call from within an open chat screen or through a specific user’s profile. Simply tap the phone or camera icon to get started.
Switching between voice and video
Switch between voice and video mode to immediately show your colleague what you’re discussing together. Siilo will prompt the call receiver to accept your request in order to change the call mode. If they decline, then the call remains in voice mode. When both users turn off their cameras, the call mode will switch from video to voice.
Syncing mobile and web calling
Receive voice and video calls on both mobile devices and Siilo Web. Answering on one device will end the call alerts on the other. No calls can be made on the unused device while a Siilo call is active.
In addition to these major changes, we have also made smaller, but no less important, adjustments to the Voice & Video calling interface to simplify the user experience:
- The mute button will pulse red when mute is activated.
- A ringback tone will play when waiting for a call to connect.
- Icons will disappear if the screen is tapped or if the phone is raised during a call.
- Video-calling on iOS can now switch to the front-facing camera.
- Call history will be preserved within the chat shared between users involved in the call.
We know that it is important for Siilo users to connect in groups, and our development team is looking into making group voice and video calls possible in the near future. We will keep you posted on our progress!
In addition to these new Voice & Video calling functionalities, we have made it possible for Siilo QR codes to be scanned with regular camera scanners, simplifying how users can accept group invitations, make new contacts, and join organisations.
As always, we love to hear your feedback for Siilo and how we can help provide secure communication and collaboration tools to medical professionals. If you have any suggestions, please contact Team Siilo via chat on the Siilo app.