Seldeo

Seldeo calls are the closest the app gets to the people you love. This article covers the day-to-day mechanics — how to place calls, group-call limits, picture-in-picture, quality troubleshooting, and what happens to the audio/video after the call ends.

For more about call quality, privacy, and continuity, see Video and voice calls.

Placing a call

From a conversation: tap the phone icon (voice) or the video camera icon (video) in the top-right.
From a friend's profile: tap Call and pick voice or video.
From your call history: tap the phone or video icon next to a recent contact.

Calls ring through to any device the recipient has paired to Seldeo with an active push registration. The default ring window is 15 seconds; if no device answers in that window, the caller sees "No answer" and the recipient sees a missed call.

Group calls

You can start a group call in any group conversation, or by inviting multiple friends when composing a new call:

Voice-only group calls scale to about 25 participants comfortably.
Video group calls currently cap at six participants (rising to ten in the next release).

For larger family calls or event calls, voice-only is usually the right choice — the video tiling on a phone screen gets tight above about six participants.

Picture-in-picture

During an active call, tap the minimise button or swipe up to send the call into a picture-in-picture window. You can use other apps and return to the call by tapping the PIP window.

Picture-in-picture requires iOS 15+ or Android 8+ with the PIP permission granted.
On Android, the first PIP request prompts for the permission if it hasn't already been granted.
If PIP is unavailable on your device, the "minimise" button reveals a compact bar at the top of the screen instead, and the call continues from there.

Backgrounding

Incoming calls use the phone's familiar call controls, so they can ring even when Seldeo is backgrounded. Active calls remain available while you move between Seldeo and other apps.

Both platforms drop video (keeping audio) when the screen turns off, and restore video on screen-on. Callers on either side see a "Video paused" tile during the interval, not a frozen frame.

Call quality

Typical quality:

Voice: prioritises clarity and continuity, including when the connection becomes constrained.
Video: up to 720p at 30 fps on Wi-Fi, adaptive down to 240p on slow connections.
Screen share: matches your device's screen aspect ratio, scaled to a bandwidth-appropriate resolution.

Audio and video adapt in real time to network conditions. If the connection cannot sustain the current picture quality, Seldeo lowers the resolution or pauses video to keep audio alive.

Troubleshooting call quality

If quality drops during a call:

Move to a different network. Wi-Fi to cellular, or cellular to Wi-Fi, whichever is stronger where you are.
Move closer to your router. If you're on Wi-Fi, most call quality issues are between the phone and the access point.
Ask the other party to do the same. Poor quality often reflects the weaker side of the connection.
End the call and re-place it. A fresh session resets the path negotiation and often finds a better route.
Check your device's mic and camera permissions. On iOS, Settings → Seldeo → Microphone / Camera. On Android, Settings → Apps → Seldeo → Permissions.
Force-close and reopen Seldeo. This starts a fresh call session.

If quality issues persist across multiple calls with the same person, and other calling apps work fine, please report the issue at support@seldeo.com with the approximate time of the call and the type of network you were on.

Recording calls

Seldeo does not record calls automatically. There is no "cloud recording" feature and no way to enable one. Call audio and video are transmitted end-to-end encrypted between participants; no server (including our transport network) can decrypt the media.

You can record a call locally by tapping the record button during the call. When recording starts, every other participant is notified visually and audibly. The recording is saved to your device and can optionally be uploaded to the conversation.

Recording someone without their consent may be illegal in your jurisdiction — many US states require all-party consent, and most of the EEA has strict rules. Check your local law before recording. Seldeo's role is to make the recording visible to everyone in the call; the legality of the recording itself is on you.

Missed calls

Missed calls appear in the Calls tab and in your notifications. Tap a missed call to:

Return the call.
Send a voice note to the missed caller.
Open the friend's profile.

Seldeo does not currently support voicemail. Missed callers can leave a voice note in the conversation instead — it's the closest analogue.

Tap the screen-share button during a video call.
The OS prompts for a screen-recording permission on first use.
Screen shares transmit through the same end-to-end encrypted media channel as camera video.
The person you're calling sees a "Screen shared" banner over the tile.

Stop sharing from the same button or from the OS's system-wide screen-recording indicator.

Privacy while on a call

Non-call notifications are suppressed during a call.
Presence to friends who aren't in the call can optionally say "On a call" — this is off by default; turn it on at Settings → Privacy → Presence.
Call metadata (start time, end time, participants, duration) is logged to your call history. No audio or video is logged, ever.