Forem Meet

System Requirements

To use Forem Meet effectively, ensure your device meets these minimum requirements:

• Operating System: Windows 10+, macOS 10.13+, Chrome OS, or Linux
• Mobile: iOS 12+ or Android 8.0+
• RAM: Minimum 4GB (8GB recommended for optimal performance)
• Internet: Minimum 2 Mbps download/upload speed

Supported Browsers

• Google Chrome: Version 80 or later (recommended)
• Mozilla Firefox: Version 75 or later
• Microsoft Edge: Version 80 or later
• Safari: Version 13 or later (macOS/iOS)

Hardware Requirements

• Camera: Built-in or external webcam (720p minimum recommended)
• Microphone: Built-in or external microphone
• Speakers/Headphones: For audio output (headphones recommended to avoid echo)

Join via Meeting Link

1. Click the meeting link shared with you (via email, chat, or calendar)
2. Your browser will open the Forem Meet preview screen
3. Check your camera and microphone preview
4. Click "Join Now" to enter the meeting

Join via Meeting Code

1. Go to meet.foremsoft.com
2. Enter the meeting code in the "Enter a code" field
3. Click "Join"
4. Preview your audio/video settings
5. Click "Join Now" to enter

Before You Join

• Test your microphone and camera in the preview
• Choose whether to join with video on or off
• Select your preferred audio device if you have multiple
• Check your background (use blur or virtual background if needed)

Available View Layouts

• Auto: Forem Meet automatically selects the best layout based on content and participants
• Tiled/Grid: Shows all participants in equally-sized tiles (best for group discussions)
• Spotlight: Focuses on the active speaker or shared content
• Sidebar: Main content with participant thumbnails on the side

How to Change Layout

1. Click the three-dot menu (More options) in the bottom toolbar
2. Select "Change layout"
3. Choose your preferred view option
4. The layout changes immediately

Pin a Participant

To keep a specific person visible regardless of who's speaking:

1. Hover over the participant's video tile
2. Click the pin icon
3. Their video will stay pinned to your main view
4. Click the pin icon again to unpin

Start Screen Sharing

1. Click the "Present now" button in the bottom toolbar
2. Choose what to share:
   • Your entire screen: Share everything on your display
   • A window: Share a specific application window
   • A tab: Share a single browser tab (with audio)
3. Select the content you want to share
4. Click "Share"

Sharing Tips

• Close unnecessary apps: Reduce distractions and protect privacy
• Disable notifications: Prevent pop-ups during your presentation
• Share tab audio: Check "Share tab audio" when sharing browser tabs with video/audio
• Use window sharing: Better than full screen for privacy

Stop Sharing

1. Click the "Stop presenting" button at the bottom of the screen
2. Or click "Stop sharing" in the sharing notification

Start an Instant Meeting

1. Go to meet.foremsoft.com
2. Click "New meeting"
3. Select "Start an instant meeting"
4. Your meeting starts immediately with a unique meeting link

Schedule a Meeting for Later

1. Click "New meeting"
2. Select "Schedule in Calendar"
3. Fill in meeting details (title, date, time, participants)
4. Save the calendar event - invitations are sent automatically

Invite Participants

• Share the link: Copy the meeting link and send via email, chat, or message
• Add people: Click "Add people" in the meeting and enter email addresses
• Share the code: Give participants the meeting code to enter manually

Host Controls

As the meeting host, you have access to these controls:

• Mute participants: Mute individual or all participants
• Remove participants: Remove disruptive attendees
• Lock meeting: Prevent new participants from joining
• Control screen sharing: Allow or restrict who can present
• Record meeting: Record the session (with participant consent)

Starting a Recording

1. Join or start a meeting as the host
2. Click the three-dot menu at the bottom
3. Select "Record meeting"
4. Click "Start" to begin recording
5. A red "REC" indicator will appear for all participants

Stopping the Recording

1. Click the three-dot menu again
2. Select "Stop recording"
3. Recording stops immediately

Accessing Recordings

• Recordings are saved to your cloud storage automatically
• You'll receive an email with the recording link
• Access recordings from Meet History in your dashboard
• Share the recording link with participants or download the file

Opening the Chat Panel

1. During a meeting, click the chat icon in the bottom toolbar
2. The chat panel opens on the right side
3. Type your message and press Enter to send

Chat Features

• Send to Everyone: Messages visible to all participants
• Private Messages: Click a participant's name to message them directly
• Share Links: Paste URLs and they become clickable
• File Sharing: Share documents through the chat

Chat History

Chat messages are available throughout the meeting but are not saved after the meeting ends unless you enable chat transcripts in settings.

Enabling Background Effects

1. Before joining, click the effects icon (sparkle) in the preview
2. Or during a meeting, click three-dot menu > Apply visual effects
3. Choose your preferred option

Available Options

• No Effect: Show your real background
• Slight Blur: Softly blur your background
• Full Blur: Completely obscure your background
• Virtual Backgrounds: Replace with pre-set or custom images

Custom Backgrounds

1. Click "Upload a background image"
2. Select an image from your device (JPG, PNG)
3. The image will be added to your background options

Others Can't Hear Me

• Check if you're muted (microphone icon should not have a line through it)
• Ensure the correct microphone is selected in settings
• Check browser permissions for microphone access
• Test microphone in system settings
• Try unplugging and replugging your headset

I Can't Hear Others

• Check your speaker/headphone connection
• Ensure correct audio output is selected
• Check if your device is on mute
• Try refreshing the browser page

Camera Not Working

• Check if camera is enabled (camera icon should not have a line)
• Grant camera permission in browser settings
• Close other apps that might be using the camera
• Try a different browser
• Restart your device

Poor Video Quality

• Check your internet connection speed
• Close bandwidth-heavy applications
• Use a wired connection instead of WiFi
• Reduce video quality in settings if bandwidth is limited

Enabling Captions

1. During a meeting, click the "CC" button in the bottom toolbar
2. Or click three-dot menu > Turn on captions
3. Captions appear at the bottom of your screen

Caption Features

• Real-time speech-to-text transcription
• Speaker identification
• Captions are only visible to you (each participant enables individually)
• Support for multiple languages

Changing Caption Language

1. Click three-dot menu > Settings > Captions
2. Select your preferred language

Creating Breakout Rooms

1. As the host, click the Activities icon in the bottom toolbar
2. Select "Breakout rooms"
3. Choose the number of rooms to create
4. Assign participants manually or let Forem Meet assign randomly
5. Click "Open rooms"

Managing Breakout Rooms

• Join a room: Click on a room and select "Join"
• Broadcast message: Send a message to all rooms simultaneously
• Close rooms: End breakout sessions and bring everyone back
• Set a timer: Automatically close rooms after a set time

Participant Experience

Participants receive a notification to join their assigned room. They can request help from the host, and the host can visit any room at any time.

Enable Waiting Room

1. Click Host controls (shield icon)
2. Toggle on "Waiting room"
3. Participants must be admitted by the host

Admitting Participants

• When someone is waiting, you'll see a notification
• Click "View" to see who's waiting
• Click "Admit" next to their name, or "Admit all"
• Click "Deny" to reject entry

Other Security Features

• Lock meeting: Prevent new participants from joining
• Remove participants: Remove disruptive attendees
• Disable screen sharing: Only host can share
• Disable chat: Turn off the chat feature
• Mute all: Mute all participants at once

Essential Shortcuts

• Ctrl/Cmd + D: Toggle microphone on/off
• Ctrl/Cmd + E: Toggle camera on/off
• Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + C: Open/close chat
• Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + P: Open/close people panel
• Space (hold): Temporarily unmute while holding

Navigation Shortcuts

• Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + A: Show all keyboard shortcuts
• Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + K: Announce current speakers
• Escape: Close current panel

View All Shortcuts

During a meeting, press Ctrl/Cmd + / or click the three-dot menu and select "Keyboard shortcuts" to see the complete list.

Creating a Recurring Meeting

1. Go to your calendar application
2. Create a new event
3. Click "Add conferencing" > "Forem Meet"
4. Set the event to repeat (daily, weekly, monthly, custom)
5. Add participants and save

Recurring Meeting Benefits

• Same meeting link for all occurrences
• Participants can save the link once
• Automatic calendar reminders
• Easy to update all occurrences at once

Editing Recurring Meetings

When editing a recurring event, you can choose to update:

• Only this occurrence
• This and following occurrences
• All occurrences

Raising Your Hand

1. Click the reactions icon (emoji) in the bottom toolbar
2. Click the hand icon
3. A hand appears next to your name for everyone to see
4. Click again to lower your hand

Using Emoji Reactions

• Click the reactions icon
• Choose from available reactions (thumbs up, clap, heart, etc.)
• Reaction appears on your video tile briefly
• Great for showing agreement without speaking

For Hosts

Hosts can see all raised hands in the participants panel and lower all hands at once if needed.

Enabling Noise Cancellation

1. Click the three-dot menu during a meeting
2. Select "Settings"
3. Go to "Audio"
4. Toggle on "Noise cancellation"

What Noise Cancellation Filters

• Keyboard typing sounds
• Background conversations
• Pet noises
• Construction sounds
• Fan or air conditioning noise

When to Disable

Disable noise cancellation when you need to share audio from your environment, such as playing music or demonstrating sounds.

Download the App

• iOS: Download from the App Store
• Android: Download from Google Play Store
• Sign in with your Forem account

Joining from Mobile

1. Tap the meeting link in your email or calendar
2. The Forem Meet app opens automatically
3. Preview your video and tap "Join"

Mobile Features

• Switch between front and rear cameras
• Use background blur
• Share your screen (iOS 12+ / Android 8+)
• Access chat and participants list
• Raise hand and use reactions

Tips for Mobile Meetings

• Use headphones for better audio
• Connect to WiFi for stable video
• Enable Do Not Disturb to avoid interruptions
• Keep your phone charged or plugged in

Opening the Whiteboard

1. Click the Activities icon in the bottom toolbar
2. Select "Whiteboard"
3. A new whiteboard opens and is shared with all participants

Whiteboard Tools

• Pen: Draw freehand in various colors
• Shapes: Add rectangles, circles, arrows
• Text: Type text anywhere on the board
• Sticky Notes: Add colorful notes for ideas
• Eraser: Remove unwanted elements
• Select: Move and resize objects

Collaboration Features

• All participants can draw simultaneously
• See cursors showing who's drawing what
• Export whiteboard as an image
• Save whiteboard for future reference