Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! CrewTalk supports Google Sign-In and Apple Sign-In alongside traditional email/password registration.

Email verification is recommended for account security. A banner will appear prompting you to verify after signup. You can dismiss it temporarily, but certain account recovery features require a verified email.

Absolutely. Go to Settings > Edit Profile to update your display name and avatar photo at any time. Changes propagate to all your hub memberships.

Yes! CrewTalk offers a free tier that includes core PTT, messaging, and basic hub features. Paid plans unlock additional capabilities like more members per hub and advanced features.

You can create multiple hubs. Each hub is a separate workspace with its own channels, members, and settings.

A hub is your team's workspace (like a project or crew). Channels are communication lanes within that hub — think of them as different radio frequencies your team can switch between.

No. CrewTalk uses half-duplex communication — only one person can transmit per channel at a time. This is by design, matching traditional radio behavior to keep communication clear and organized.

Every hub has exactly 10 channels, numbered 1 through 10. All channels are always available — you can rename them but not add or remove them.

You can only transmit on one channel at a time, but you can monitor (listen to) up to 5 additional channels simultaneously using the Channel Monitoring feature.

On Android, yes — the foreground service keeps the audio connection alive. On iOS, background audio modes allow continued operation. See the Background Operation article for details.

No. The chirp plays locally on your device only. It's a personal confirmation that you've pressed or released the PTT button — it's not transmitted over the channel.

Fair means your round-trip latency is between 100ms and 250ms. Audio will work but you may notice slight delays. It's common on congested Wi-Fi or moderate cellular connections.

CrewTalk automatically attempts to reconnect using exponential backoff. Starting at 2 seconds, it retries at increasing intervals (4s, 8s, 15s, 30s) for up to 20 attempts. When your connection returns, audio resumes automatically.

No. Messages are relayed through the server but not stored there. They're saved locally on each device in SQLite. If you uninstall and reinstall, message history is lost.

You can delete your own messages. Hub admins and owners can delete anyone's messages.

DMs are sent directly between you and one other person through the relay server. They're not stored on the server — only on the two devices involved. Hub admins cannot read your DMs.

No. Images are relayed through the server as base64 data but not stored. They're saved locally on each recipient's device. If someone is offline when an image is sent, they won't receive it.

Yes. Messages are stored locally on your device in SQLite. Uninstalling the app removes the database. There is no cloud message backup.

Yes. Typing indicators work in both channel messages and DM conversations.

PTT is half-duplex (one person talks at a time) and goes to everyone on the channel. Whisper is full-duplex (both people talk simultaneously) and is private between two people. Think of PTT as a walkie-talkie and Whisper as a phone call.

No. Whisper calls use WebRTC over your data connection (Wi-Fi or cellular data). They don't use traditional phone minutes.

No. The PTT button is disabled during active Whisper calls to prevent audio conflicts. The button shows "IN WHISPER" while a call is active.

Live-Sight streams at up to 720p (1280x720) at 30fps. It automatically adapts down to 480p or 360p if your network can't sustain higher quality.

Currently, you need to end one call type and start the other. Seamless switching between Whisper and Live-Sight is planned for a future update.

No, each hub has exactly one owner — the person who created it. However, you can promote members to Admin, which gives them most owner-level permissions.

No. Admins cannot demote or remove the hub owner. The owner has the highest permission level.

Only hub owners and admins can generate invite codes. Regular members cannot create or share invite codes.

Yes, if they have a valid invite code. Removing a member removes them from the hub but doesn't block them from using a new invite code to rejoin.

Yes, channel restrictions apply to all roles including admins. However, only owners and other admins can set restrictions on an admin.

Up to 5 additional channels, plus your primary channel. That's 6 channels total that you can hear simultaneously.

Any Bluetooth headset with a media/play-pause button should work. This includes most wireless earbuds, over-ear headsets, and Bluetooth motorcycle intercoms.

A noise gate mutes audio below a certain volume threshold — it lets voice through and blocks quiet ambient noise. Noise cancellation actively removes specific noise patterns from the audio signal. CrewTalk uses a noise gate approach.

No. Waveform styles are purely visual — they don't affect how audio is captured, transmitted, or played back.

CrewTalk uses minimal battery when idle in the background. The foreground service keeps the connection alive but doesn't actively consume power unless you're transmitting or receiving audio. Expect similar battery usage to any music streaming app.

CrewTalk supports Wear OS 3.0+ smartwatches (API 30+). This includes Samsung Galaxy Watch 4/5/6/7 series, Google Pixel Watch, and other Wear OS 3+ devices.

No. The watch communicates with your phone via Google Play Services Data Layer API (Bluetooth/Wi-Fi). Your phone handles the network connection to the CrewTalk relay server.

CrewTalk currently supports Blackmagic Design tally via BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy). This includes the Blackmagic ATEM series switchers with BLE tally capability. Manual tally mode is also available.

Most wired and Bluetooth headsets work with CrewTalk. Wired headsets with inline microphones work immediately. Bluetooth headsets need to support the standard media button protocol for PTT functionality.

No. Use the same account you use in the CrewTalk mobile app. The portal uses the same Firebase Authentication.

No. The web portal is for management only — hub settings, member management, and invite codes. PTT and real-time communication require the mobile app.

Yes, instantly. Changes made in the portal are written to Firestore and sync to all connected mobile apps in real time.

This can happen on some devices (especially Samsung) where the audio routing defaults to the earpiece. Try toggling your volume controls — make sure you're adjusting Media volume, not Call volume. Disconnecting and reconnecting any Bluetooth devices can also help.

Bluetooth PTT automatically disables when your headset disconnects (battery dies, goes out of range). It will automatically re-enable when the headset reconnects, thanks to CrewTalk's dual-state recovery model.

Audio relay uses TCP port 8888, messaging uses WSS on port 443 (standard HTTPS). Most networks allow port 443 by default. Port 8888 may be blocked on restrictive corporate networks.

On the sign-in screen, tap "Forgot Password" and enter your email. You'll receive a password reset link from Firebase. Check your spam folder if it doesn't arrive.

Firebase requires a fresh authentication for sensitive operations like account deletion. Sign out, sign back in, and then immediately try deleting your account.

VOX mode is currently in development. We don't have a specific release date yet, but it's a high-priority feature on our roadmap.

Yes, that's the primary purpose. Emergency broadcasts will override any active transmission on any channel to ensure the safety message is heard immediately.

Yes, PTT will be a core feature of the desktop client. You'll be able to use a keyboard shortcut or mouse button to trigger PTT.