iVisit Desktop: Getting Started

Installing iVisit Desktop

Download for Windows

• Click here to reach our download page and then click the "Download Free" link under iVisit Desktop 4.0. You can save the installer anywhere on your computer.
• When the download is complete, launch the installer.

Install Desktop

• When you launch the installer you will be greeted by the welcome screen. Click "Next" to continue.

• In order to install iVisit Desktop, you must agree to the License Agreement. Select "I accept the agreement" and click "Next" to continue. If you do not accept, you will not be able to install iVisit Desktop.

• Select the folder where you would like to install iVisit Desktop. Click "Next" to continue.

• Choose if you would like to create a desktop icon for iVisit Desktop, then click "Next" to continue.

• Press "Install" to continue.

• When installation is complete, click "Finish" to continue.

Register and Activate Account

• If you do not already have an account, you will need to create one and then active it. If you already have account, skip to the "Logon" step below.

Register Account

• To register an account, launch iVisit Desktop and click the "Register" button. Note: Alternatively, you can access the registration page here.

• Click the "Register" button to continue.

• The iVisit registration page will open in your web browser. Fill out the required fields and click "Register for my Free Lite Account" to continue.

• Activation instructions with your authorization code will be e-mailed to your registered email address. This authorization code is required to complete the steps below. Check your email and open the activation instructions to continue.

Activate Account

• To activate an account, click the "Register" button and then click "Activate iVisit Lite account".

• Fill in all fields shown below. You will be prompted for the authorization code which can be found in the activation email that was sent upon account registration. Click "Activate" to continue.

• Your account is now active.

Logon to iVisit Desktop

• Once you have registered and activated your account, you can logon to begin using iVisit Desktop.

Logon

• Launch iVisit Desktop. At the logon window, enter your Username and Password and click "Log On". Then click "OK".
• If you wish to save your login details, check "Remember" next to each field.

Add Contacts and Call Them

• To start a 1-1 video conferencing session, you must add a contact to your Address Book and call them.

Add Contact to Contact List

• The Contact List window opens by default when you logon to iVisit Desktop. To access the Contact List from any other window, click the Contacts button from the Home screen and then click People.

• Type the username of the contact you wish to add and press the "+" button. Note that some users require you to know their 4-digit security code in order to add them. If such is the case, add them using the format "username.####".

Call Contact

• If you have added a contact to your Contact List and they are online, their username will appear in green. Click their username to continue.

• Once you click their username you will have the option to Call them, Message them, Join their room (premium only), or Delete them from your Address Book. Click "Call" to continue.

• If the contact accepts your call, you will be automatically connected and taken to the call window where you can talk face-to-face.

In-Call Functions

In-Call Functions

• Push to Talk: To send audio during a call, simply press the "Talk" button and speak into the microphone. You can also press the button using the <ctrl> key.

• Send Video: Press the "Video" button to send live video during a call. Note that you must have a webcam connected to your computer.

• Text Message: Pressing the "Text" button while in a live call opens the chat window. Simply type your message and press "Enter" to send.

List of Call Window Functions

• Home: Return to the iVisit Desktop Home screen.
• Hangup: Leave the call or conference.
• Text: Opens the chat window. Type your message and press "Enter" to send.
• Photo: Send a snapshot from your webcam to a connected user.
• Video: Toggles your local video on/off. Green indicates that the button is pressed.
• Talk: Toggles your local audio on/off. Green indicates that the button is pressed.
• Self: Show or hide your local video on your screen (lower right-hand corner).
• Speaker: Show or hide the video being transmitted by the Speaker (connected user).
• All: Show or hide video of all participants in a multiparty meeting.
• Max: Switches to the maximum available size. Note that higher video resolutions may decrease frame rates and impact performance.

Join Room / Multiparty Meeting

• Joining a room allows you to host or attend a multiparty meeting. There are two ways to join a room, and both are described below.
• Note that hosting a multiparty meetings requires a paid multiparty account, but guests can join free. Click here to upgrade your account.

Joining a Room

• To join a room, go to the Contacts list and click the "People" button.
• Click on the contact's name who is hosting the room you would like to join. If they are not already in your contact list, you must add them.

• Select "Join Room" from the list of options.
• Note: If you do not see the "Join Room" option, then this contact does not have a paid multiparty account and cannot host a room.

• After joining a room you will be taken to the Call window where you can video conference with all active participants.

Adding/Joining a Room through Places

• Alternatively, you can add or join a contact's room by going to the Contact list and then clicking the "Places" button.
• Type the person's room you would like to add in the format "home.<username>.####". Note that you might know their 4 digit security code to add their room.

• Their room will appear in your contact list. Click on their room to join it.

• At the next screen, click "Chat Room" and then click "Join this room" to join.

• After joining a room you will be taken to the Call window where you can video conference with all active participants.

Sending Audio/Video or Text Messages

Sending Messages

• If a user is not currently available, you can send them an audio/video or text message that they will receive when they return. Start by going to the Contacts list and pressing the "People" button.
• Then click on the contact's name you wish to message.

• Select "Message" from the list of options.

• This will open up the Call/Message Window.

• To send a text message, click the "Text" button, type your message, and press Enter. When they return, a flashing indicator will tell them that they have an unread text message.
• To send an audio/video message, click the "Video" button. To send audio only, click the "Talk button".

• When you are done recording the message, press the Green Video or Audio button to stop recording.
• From here, you can send the message by pressing the "Video" button or cancel by pressing the "Delete" button.

Change Status and Call-handling Preferences

Change Status

• iVisit lets you share your status to other contacts to let them know if you are online.
• To change your status, go to the Home Screen and press the "Status" button. Alternatively, you can go to the Settings menu and select the "Status" tab.

• To change your status, click the Green box next to "Show online". The two choices are Green for "Show online" (Default) and White for "Do not show online".

Change Call-handling Preferences

• From the "Status" tab in the Settings menu, you can adjust your preferences for incoming call handling and incoming message handling.
•  To adjust your incoming call handling preferences, click the Yellow box next to "Caller ID on incoming calls".  The choices are Yellow for "Caller ID on incoming calls" (Default), Red for "Send busy on incoming calls", and Green for "Accept all Incoming Calls".
• To adjust your incoming message handling preferences, click the Green box next to "Show incoming messages". The choices are Green for "Show incoming messages" (Default), Yellow for "Hold incoming messages", and Red for "Block incoming messages".

Adjust Audio and Video Settings

• To adjust your audio or video settings, go to the Home Screen and press the "Settings" button.

Adjust Audio Settings

• From the settings menu, click the "Audio" tab.
• The "Audio" tab allows you to echo suppression on/off, select input and output devices, and adjust gain/volume levels.

Adjust Video Settings

• From the settings menu, click the "Video" tab.
• The "Audio" tab allows you to adjust encoding quality, enable or disable high resolution video capture/reception, and change your video source device.
• If you are experiencing difficulty with your video that may be caused by hardware or poor network conditions, decreasing encoding quality and disabling high resolution video capture/reception may improve your frame rates.