Instant secure and private video/audio calls with integrated group/private chat using /e/visio via Jitsi Meet App

Mission:

Install and configure Jitsi Meet app to use /e/visio instance in order to learn as follows:

  • Initiate encrypted HD video/audio calls with your friends, group or team anonymously cross-platforms. [No additional sign up for a service including /e/ account required at all]
  • Password protect a room
  • Integrated private/group chat in room and other basics.

Prerequisites:

  • A phone running /e/OS
  • A Wi-Fi or Mobile data connection with decent speed.

Let’s roll.

1. Install Jitsi Meet from /e/ Apps Store

/e/visio or Visio E is a privacy oriented instance of Jitsi Meet hosted by /e/ foundation. Jitsi Meet is a fully encrypted, 100% open source video conferencing server software solution with integrated chat that you can use all day, every day, for free — with no account needed.

Open /e/ Apps Store

Pro tip: Did you notice the green notification dot on the top-left? It indicates there is an unread notification. Check your notification tray!

Tap on Search from bottom menu to look for ‘Jitsi Meet’.

Install it and Open once complete.

2. Connect Jitsi Meet to use /e/visio instance and start calling!

Once open, toggle the switch from top-right and ‘Allow’ Jitsi access to your camera.

Tap on the top-left icon from homescreen to enter ‘Settings’.

In Settings page, tap on ‘Server URL’ under Conference to edit the text field to https://visio.ecloud.global as seen in the image below.

In order to start an video/audio call you need to create a room. Let us create a random room named manishwannatry for the purpose of this guide and tap on Create/Join to create one.

Room is your own Meeting space that you use to communicate with others. So, pick a long random string.

Allow Jitsi to access microphone on your smartphone to obvious reasons.

You are ready to receive calls from a fellow Jitsi Meet user using the /e/visio instance.

In order to do so, just share your random room name (‘manishwannatry’ in my case) and ask your friends or team members to join provided that they are using Jitsi Meet with /e/visio like you.

Or share room or meeting information over IM / Email / SMS. Tap on bottom-right icon of open room to navigate to ‘More options’ from the Menu. Tap ‘Meeting info’ to share direct link to your room as seen in the images below.

The recipient of Meeting info receives a link that they can open in a web browser on a desktop or using Jitsi Meet app on a smartphone to join your room instantly without an /e/ account.

When you open the link in a /e/OS device or any mobile device, you are promoted to continue with Jitsi Meet app, tap ‘Continue to the app’ to join room/meeting as seen in the image below.

Pro tip: You can quickly share your room link directly over any medium by replacing your room name in this web address: https://visio.ecloud.global/<room_name>
For example, in my case it would be https://visio.ecloud.global/manishwannatry

3. Password protect a room/meeting

Owing to the nature of service any one can join your active room without any hurdles. So, it is recommended to set a password.

Tap on bottom-right icon of open room to navigate to ‘More options’ from the Menu.

Tap ‘Add meeting Password’ therein to enter a password or passphrase of your choice.

Tap OK to set it. You can also ‘Remove meeting password’ by re-doing the above steps.

4. Integrated private/group chat and other basics

a. Group chat

In an active room, tap on the bottom-left ‘Chat’ icon to enter your Nick and chat with other fellow members using integrated group chat as seen in the images below.

b. Fellow User specific options

Tap on the tile of a fellow user to open options Menu.

You have three self-explanatory options therein including a ‘Send private message’ option and a ‘Kick-out’.

‘Send private message’ helps you send a private message to a fellow user that is not visible to the group chat.

Kick-out is a helpful option to remove unwanted users when a secret meeting password exclusive to trusted members have been set during an active meeting.

c. Toggle between cameras and speakers

Tap on bottom-right icon of an open room/meeting to navigate to the options Menu.

You can tap on ‘Select the sound device’ to change it to ‘Phone’ for regular audio calls like experience in case of audio-only meeting.

You can tap on ‘Toggle camera’ therein to switch between front and back camera of your smartphone.

With ‘Enable low bandwidth mode’ option you basically save data as it disables video calling for you.

Thanks for reading!

Regain your privacy! Adopt /e/ the unGoogled mobile OS and online servicesphone

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@manish, many thanks for this detailed HowTo. I like it.


Just for further information:

Jitsi Meet app also available in the F-Droid Store

jitsi

Jitsi Meet video conference via browser or app and a small selection of instances hosted in Germany

Working remotely ? /e/ makes it easier for you

2 Likes

Thanks a ot !!!

If I understant, I need a /e/account (or to signup to an instance). Other users in my rooms don’t need anything more than a browser (on descktop) or JitsiMeet app on smartphone, true ?. Good…

Is viso possible with low bandwidth settings ?

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No /e/ account or any sign up to our /e/visio instance is required even for you.

Just set it as the Server URL is all you need to do.

It is meant to be completely anonymous, secure and private if used over Tor or with a trusted VPN. Even otherwise it is substantially incognito by default.

Thanks anymore.

No risk of overflow ecloud.global with non-signed-up users ?

Have to confirm with system admin but I believe /e/visio or Visio E is hosted on different machine with its own dedicated IP and bandwidth.

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Great ! I’m looking for a good privacy-friendly viso-app since hours ‘n’ days… Will try yet !!!

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It is based on Jitsi Meet server software solution. So, until we brand a dedicated app or integrate it into /e/OS, you would have to use Jitsi Meet app on /e/OS and you can always use website directly on desktops.

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»No risk of overflow ecloud.global with non-signed-up users ?«

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Hi.

Can’t use ecloud.global (too far for us, in south Massif-Central, France ???) but works with mee.jit.si…

Use whatever works for you. The official instance is not bad either.
Are you able to access and use https://visio.ecloud.global from your desktop?
Is it speed related issue?

Are you able to access…

No, I can’t (neufbox -sfr- and RJ45 wire)… It doesn’t matter. Thanks.

Here in Brazil, https://visio.ecloud.global is also not available.
Perhaps, if it is possible, I’ll try to host it myself.

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Try official instance: https://meet.jit.si/

Sure, self-hosting for your community is a good thing to do if you have the skills and ability. Let me know if you seek any further help regarding the same.

3 Likes

Thank you @manish. I’ll let you know.

Hi, I tried HTTPS//visio.ecloud.global, both on Jitsi or on the web, on /e/os or Android, but problems as soon as someone connects. While it works with the Jitsi URL.

Thanks for the help

Did you miss ‘:’ post https?

Hello, Manish,
Clerical error, I did put “:”
I tried again this morning is still the same.

Hi @manish
The https://visio.ecloud.global/ site is accessible now but I managed to host my own instance anyway.
I like Jitsi but I can’t have this first webpage opened to anyone to create rooms. That’s my issue so far.

By default, authentication is set to anonymous in prosody. The simplest is to set the authentication in prosody as internal_plain and create a user in prosody, just dont forget to add jicofo.auth.URL in sip-communicator.properties

See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQRwtUamHQU&t=973s

And say boom Shakala!

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