Getting familiar with the interface
Once you've joined a session, you'll find everything you need in four main areas of the interface.
Session controls
The Session controls give you quick access to tools that help you customise your session and manage the way it runs. Whether you want to adjust your audio and video settings, use breakout rooms, change your layout or access additional hosting features, you'll find these controls at the top of the session window.
Control | Description |
Full screen | Expand the session to fill your screen for a more focused, distraction-free experience. |
Settings | Configure your session preferences, including: |
Guides & Support | Access the FLOWN Help Centre and support resources without leaving your session. |
Advanced controls (host) | Access additional session tools, including: |
Custom backgrounds | Blur your background, choose from a selection of virtual backgrounds, or upload your own custom background. This can help protect your privacy, reduce distractions, or create a theme during your sessions. |
Breakout rooms (host) | Split participants into smaller groups for discussions, workshops or collaborative activities. Learn more in Using breakout rooms. |
Mute participants (host) | Mute all participants and prevent them from unmuting themselves. This can be useful during presentations, guided activities or whenever you need to minimise interruptions and background noise. Participants can only unmute again once you allow them to do so |
Spotlight yourself (host) | Keep your camera pinned for all participants, making it easier for everyone to follow you during presentations, workshops or guided sessions. |
Session timeline
The Session timeline helps you keep track of your session agenda and shows where you are in the current activity. Hosts can also use it to make changes to the agenda while the session is running.
By default, you'll hear a notification sound when your session transitions between activities, such as moving from Focus to Recharge, or from Recharge back to Focus. If you'd prefer not to hear these notifications, you can turn them off using the Sounds panel.
Editing your agenda (host control)
Use the Edit button to make changes to your agenda while your session is running. From here, you can:
Add or remove agenda activities.
Reorder activities.
Change the duration of individual activities.
End your session earlier than originally planned.
You will also be prompted at the end your session if you'd like to add additional time to your session.
Sessions can be scheduled for up to 6 hours.
💡 Tip: If you want your session to end before its scheduled finish time, update your timeline using Edit before leaving. FLOWN will automatically end the session at the new finish time.
Call controls
The Call controls let you manage how you participate in a session. From here, you can control your microphone and camera, share your screen, react to other participants and access additional call features.
Control | Description |
Microphone | Mute or unmute your microphone. Select the arrow to choose a different microphone or speaker without opening Settings. |
Camera | Turn your camera on or off. Select the arrow to switch cameras or apply a virtual background. |
Reactions | Share quick, non-verbal reactions such as 👍 or 🎉 to communicate without interrupting the session. |
Raise hand | Raise your hand to signal that you'd like to speak during collaborative activities or discussions. |
Picture in Picture | Keep your FLOWN session visible in a floating window while you work in other applications. This lets you stay connected to your session without constantly switching back to your browser window. |
More | Access additional call features, including Picture in Picture. |
Leave | Select Leave to exit the session. If you're a participant, you'll simply leave the session. If you're the host, you can either: |
Side panels
The Side panels give you quick access to tools that support your session. Use the navigation bar at the bottom of the panel to switch between the Timer, Sounds, Intentions, Chat and People panels.
Timer
The Timer panel lets you create a personal timer that runs independently of the session agenda. Whether you're following the session schedule or working to your own routine, you can customise your timer to suit the way you work.
Use the Timer to:
Set a countdown timer for a single focus session.
Choose from quick presets, including 10, 25 or 50 minutes.
Create your own custom focus and recharge durations.
Build repeating Pomodoro cycles that continue until you stop them.
Play a notification sound when your timer ends.
Track how long you've been focusing during your current session.
If you're following a Pomodoro workflow, you can configure alternating Focus and Recharge periods and choose how many times the cycle repeats. This is ideal if you're working independently of the session agenda or following your own productivity routine.
💡 Tip: Your personal timer doesn't affect the session timeline or other participants. It's only visible to you, so you can tailor it to your own workflow while staying in sync with the rest of the session if you choose.
Music & sounds
The Music & sounds panel helps create a focused working environment. Use the Music tab to broadcast music to everyone in the session, or the Sounds tab to play personal ambient sounds that only you can hear.
Music
The Music tab lets you broadcast music to everyone in the session. Unlike Share computer audio, each participant can choose to mute the music or adjust their own volume without affecting anyone else.
With the Music tab, you can:
Browse curated playlists and radio stations.
Replay recently played tracks.
Play music from a YouTube video or playlist.
Broadcast music to everyone in the room.
Control playback, including play, pause and seeking through a track.
To play music from YouTube:
Paste a YouTube video or playlist URL into the Insert a YouTube URL field.
Select Load.
💡 Tip: For longer sessions, use a YouTube playlist so the music continues playing without interruption.
How to broadcast your music
Select Broadcast to room to start playing the audio for everyone.
Select Stop broadcast when you're ready to stop sharing.
Sounds
The Sounds tab lets you play continuous ambient sounds, such as rain, café ambience or birdsong. These sounds are only heard by you and are never broadcast to the room.
With the Sounds tab, you can:
Play a selection of ambient sounds.
Layer multiple sounds together to create your own soundscape.
Adjust the volume or stop all sounds at any time.
Intentions
The Intentions panel helps you set a clear goal for your session and stay accountable while you work. You can create a simple intention or break it down into smaller steps to track your progress throughout the session.
With the Intentions panel, you can:
Set a clear goal for your session.
Break your intention into up to three actionable steps.
Tick off steps as you complete them.
Set a personal timer linked to your intention.
Create a new intention at any time.
By default, your intention is shared with everyone in the session, making it easy for others to see what you're working towards and helping create accountability.
If you'd prefer to keep your intention private, select the visibility icon and choose Only me. You can also delete your intention from the same menu.
Chat
The Chat panel lets you communicate with other participants without interrupting the session. Use it to ask questions, share updates or send messages during collaborative activities.
The Chat panel includes two tabs:
All – Send messages that everyone in the session can see.
DMs/ Host – Send private direct messages to the host.
You can use chat to:
Share updates or ask questions.
Welcome participants to your session.
Send private messages when needed.
Keep conversations going without disrupting the current activity.
💡 Tip: All chat messages are moderated and should follow the FLOWN Community Guidelines. Keep conversations respectful, relevant to the session, and avoid sharing sensitive personal information.
People
The People panel lets you see who's currently in your session and manage people waiting to join. From here, you can admit or decline participants from the waiting room and control waiting room notifications.
The People panel includes two tabs:
Participants – View everyone currently in the session, including the host and participant profile information.
Waiting room – Review people waiting to join your session. You can Admit or Decline each request individually.
Hosts can also:
Turn waiting room alert notifications on or off.
Admit or decline participants as they arrive.
You're now familiar with the main areas of the FLOWN session interface and the tools available while hosting or participating in a session.
As you become more comfortable using FLOWN, you can explore our other guides to learn more about creating sessions, managing participants, using breakout rooms and making the most of advanced hosting features