Welcome to Early Access! 🎉
Nova Chatter is now available to everyone as we move from NS+ exclusive to Early Access. This is a huge milestone for us, and we're excited to have you here as we continue building and refining the app.
A quick note: We're using A/B testing during this phase, which means some features may not be available to everyone right away. We're actively iterating on Nova Chatter and working out the kinks, so thank you for your patience as we improve the experience!
What's New
📞 Audio-First Calling
We've implemented a flexible audio-first calling system that gives you more control over how you connect. Calls now start with a phone-style screen focused on audio, complete with waveform visualization and a call timer. Want to switch to video? Just tap the toggle and seamlessly jump into video mode.
The audio mode now feels like a real phone call, centered layout with a large avatar-style waveform, clear status and timer displays, plus a "Switch to video" button. We've removed the self-preview in audio mode so you can focus on the conversation. The preview only appears when you're in video mode (and it's still draggable and resizable).
Under the hood: The room now respects the incoming call type and starts audio-only when requested. You can add or remove your camera on the fly with WebRTC renegotiation and an inline camera loading indicator. The incoming call modal now previews audio-only calls properly and lets you enable your camera before joining.
⚡ Faster Renegotiation & Richer Controls
Camera upgrades and device changes now happen significantly faster thanks to our improved WebRTC implementation. We've added queued negotiations with immediate retries, so switching your camera or mic is nearly instant without dropping your call.
New Device Controls
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Mic and speaker selectors: Choose your audio devices directly from a settings dialog (with browser support warnings where applicable)
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Audio sender tracking: Mic changes now swap the underlying track smoothly
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Device changes applied live: Audio output routing updates in real-time
Enhanced Call Interface
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Draggable mini preview: Aspect-aware video preview with mobile-friendly sizing
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Mobile-optimized layouts: Audio and video layouts are specifically tuned for mobile devices
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Wrapped controls: All your call controls in one convenient place
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Settings and view-toggle buttons: Quick access to adjust your call experience
🔄 Clearer Connection Feedback
You'll never wonder what's happening during a call again. We've added connection state tracking throughout the entire call flow:
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Status chip at the top: Shows real-time connection states (connecting/reconnecting/failed/connected)
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Visual feedback during upgrades: See exactly when you're switching from audio to video or reconnecting
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Loading indicators: Spinner and status messages replace the old "Waiting for peer" block
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Connection chips: Persistent feedback so you always know what's happening
💬 Text Messaging is Here
You can now chat with your friends directly in Nova Chatter! Just look up their Chattercode the same way you would start a call, and you're good to go. We've added messaging alongside our video and audio calling features to make Nova Chatter your all-in-one communication hub.
✨ Rich Messaging Features
We've packed in both the basics and some advanced features to make your conversations more expressive:
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GIFs: Because sometimes words aren't enough
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Link previews: See what you're sharing before you send
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Message reactions: React to messages with a tap
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Gestures: Intuitive interactions that feel natural
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Sleek, intuitive UI: Designed to make messaging effortless
What's Next?
This is just the beginning. We're continuously working on new features and improvements, so stay tuned for more updates. Your feedback helps us build a better Nova Chatter, so don't hesitate to let us know what you think!
Thanks for being part of the journey. 🚀