Direct calls
Direct calls are unscheduled audio or video calls started from an existing one-to-one Messages conversation. They are separate from the scheduled appointment workflow described in Telehealth.
Who can call whom
- Practitioners and clinic admins can call another practitioner or admin in their conversation by audio or video.
- A practitioner or admin can call a client only while that client has Allow calls from my practitioners enabled in Profile.
- A client can call a practitioner or admin only when the staff member's Public visibility is on and the matching Allow client audio calls or Allow client video calls preference is enabled.
- Calls must stay inside an existing two-person conversation. The call controls are hidden when the requested direction or media type is not allowed.
The server checks these permissions when the call starts and again when it is answered. A preference changed while a call is ringing can therefore prevent the answer.
Configure your preferences
Open Profile → Personal Information. Under the public-profile settings, choose whether clients may start audio calls, video calls, or both. These client-call toggles are locked while Public visibility is off. Staff-to-staff calling has no separate opt-out in the current settings.
Clients have their own single opt-out for calls from practitioners. Respect a missing call button as a current preference, not as a messaging error.
Place and receive a call
Open Messages, select a conversation, then choose the phone or camera button. Only one ringing or active direct call may involve either participant; if either person is busy, the new attempt is rejected.
An incoming call appears as a full-screen prompt with Answer and Decline. Unanswered calls time out after about 40 seconds. Active appointment telehealth suppresses the direct-call overlay so it does not interrupt the visit. The missed call still appears in Messages afterward.
Answered calls open a dedicated call page with microphone, camera, and hang-up controls. Ending, declining, missing, or cancelling a call writes a non-replyable call entry into the conversation history; completed entries include duration.
Call and message notifications
In the Messages sidebar, select Enable on Get call & message notifications. A supported browser asks for notification permission and registers that browser/device for push. Push can ring or notify you while the tab is hidden or the installed web app is closed. Each device must be enabled separately, and browser/operating-system notification settings can still block delivery. Selecting Not now snoozes the prompt for one day.
Do not use direct calls for emergencies. They are not a guaranteed continuously monitored channel and do not replace local emergency services.