Guides
ClearChat is built on a handful of ideas that are usually left unexplained: what “peer to peer” really means, what a signalling server does and doesn't see, why some calls connect instantly and others never do at all. These guides explain them properly — including the parts that are inconvenient for us.
- The idea · 8 min readWhat peer-to-peer video calling actually meansMost video apps send your camera to a server first. Peer-to-peer sends it straight to the other person. Here's the real difference, and what each one costs you.
- Under the hood · 10 min readHow WebRTC opens a call between two browsersSignalling, ICE candidates, STUN, the DTLS handshake and SRTP — the four steps every browser call goes through, explained without the spec language.
- Trust · 9 min readIs your video call really end-to-end encrypted?Every WebRTC call is encrypted. That is not the same as end-to-end encrypted. The difference is who holds the keys — and here is how to work out which one you have.
- Troubleshooting · 9 min readWhy a video call won't connect, and how to fix itCamera permissions, https, NAT, symmetric NAT on mobile data, firewalls and VPNs — the real reasons browser calls fail, in the order worth checking them.
- How to · 6 min readHow to make a video call without an app or an accountNo download, no sign-up, no meeting ID. What it takes to call someone straight from a browser, what to check first, and where the approach runs out.
- Feature · 7 min readScreen sharing in a browser, explainedWhat the screen, window and tab options each expose, why shared audio is inconsistent, what iOS can't do, and how to share without leaking the rest of your desktop.
- Privacy · 7 min readWhat a video call service can know about youContent, metadata, account data and device data are four different things. A service can protect one and collect the rest — here is how to tell what you are giving away.
- How to · 7 min readHow to share your screen without showing the address barNo browser hides its address bar when you share the whole screen. What decides it is what you share: a tab, a window, full screen or an app window. Here's how.
- Troubleshooting · 8 min readCamera or microphone not working in a browser callSite permissions, OS privacy settings, another app holding the camera, in-app browsers and hardware switches: the checks that fix browser camera and mic issues.
- Privacy · 8 min readDo peer-to-peer calls reveal your IP address?Yes: in a direct call the other person can see your public IP. What that reveals, what browsers hide, how VPNs and relays change it, and when it matters.
- How to · 7 min readHow to video call between a phone and a computerCall from a phone to a laptop, or the other way round, in the browser with no app on either side. The steps, which browser to use, and what trips calls up.