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Pairing well is all about communication, and there’s so much information sent through someone’s facial expressions. Seeing your pair’s face while working really makes you feel more connected to them.

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Sharing a webcam

To add a webcam video, click the “Start Webcam” icon in the popover UI:Call controls showing the Start Webcam optionYou’ll be shown a preview of your webcam’s feed so you can adjust your lighting or background:Preview window showing your webcam feed before sharing startsNote: this preview won’t be seen by your pair, even if you’re already sharing your desktop with them.Once you click “Start Sharing”, the preview disappears and your video stream will be shown to your pair.When you aren’t sharing your webcam feed, you can bring up the camera preview via an option in the dropdown:Webcam dropdown menu with the preview option and available camera devices

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Conversation mode & coding mode

Tuple has two different ways to see the webcams of other participants on the call: coding mode and conversation mode.Coding mode is the default mode, and is designed to be used in a pairing session where code is the primary focus:
  • In this mode, the webcam window will float above all other windows.
  • This mode allows participant webcams to be laid out either in a horizontal row or vertical column (this can be changed from the triple-dot menu).
  • In this mode, the webcam window resizes proportionally.
  • Buttons and other UI elements are hidden by default and show up when your cursor hovers the window. Coding mode webcam window floating above the screen share
Conversely, you can use conversation mode in sessions where more of the focus is on discussion amongst the participants:
  • In this mode, the webcam window will behave like a normal window (i.e. it will go behind other windows when it loses focus, the window can be resized arbitrarily, etc).
  • This mode lays out participant webcams in a grid, which allows each individual webcam view to be larger. Conversation mode webcam window arranged in a grid layout
To switch between the two modes, click the toggle button in the top-right of the webcam window:Toggle button for switching between coding mode and conversation mode

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Showing your own webcam self-view

While on a call, you can show or hide your own self view. This won’t change whether other participants can see your webcam or not.To show or hide your self view, click on the menu in the top-right corner of the webcam window, and click “Show/Hide Self View”.Webcam window menu with the Show or Hide Self View optionWhen you’re in coding mode, you have the ability to choose between a small or large self view. Small will display your own video feed as a minimized thumbnail placed in the bottom-right corner of the webcam window, which helps save space when you’re pairing with someone. Big sets your self-view to be the same size as the other tiles.Coding mode self-view size options for small and big tiles

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Participant controls

Click another participant’s webcam tile to open its menu. Depending on the participant’s current state, you can:
  • Ask to Share Screen
  • Ask to Share Webcam
  • Ask to Unmute
  • Mute Audio
  • Kick them from the call
These controls are available in coding mode and conversation mode.

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Changing the webcam in use while sharing

You can swap out the webcam in use when you are sharing a webcam by selecting the camera you’d prefer to share by selecting it from the dropdown:Webcam dropdown menu listing the available camera devices while sharing

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Using effects on your webcam

On supported Macs, macOS provides free background blur and other camera effects that work with Tuple. While your webcam is active, open the camera indicator in the menu bar and enable Portrait. Availability depends on your Mac and camera; see Apple’s requirements.Menu bar webcam indicator with video effects controlsOn macOS Ventura, open Control Center, click Video Effects, then enable Portrait.Tuple also supports virtual cameras. You can use third-party software such as Krisp.ai or OBS when you need effects beyond those included with macOS.

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Setting your webcam resolution preference

You can set the webcam resolution in your preferences. Setting the resolution will automatically change the resolution on any current calls.You might need to tweak your resolution depending on your network connection. If you have a high-speed connection and want maximum webcam quality, set your preference to high. If you’re working with a relatively poor connection, set your preference to medium:Preferences screen showing webcam resolution options