Supported browsers
The browsers that run flat.social, and what differs between them.
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Which browsers does flat.social support?
flat.social runs in recent versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari, on computers, phones, and tablets. Chrome or Edge on a computer gives you every feature. Links opened inside apps like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or LinkedIn need to be reopened in a real browser.
Browsers at a glance
| Browser | Computer | Phone / tablet | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chrome | Recommended | Supported (Android) | Every feature, including pop-out call and choosing your speaker. |
| Edge | Recommended | Supported | Same engine as Chrome. |
| Firefox | Supported | Supported | Works well; allow mic and camera when asked. |
| Safari | Supported | Supported (iPhone, iPad) | No pop-out call. On iPhone and iPad, no screen sharing, and voices aren't panned or faded by distance. |
For hosting and presenting, use Chrome or Edge on a computer.
Features that depend on your browser
- Pop out call (picture-in-picture): Chrome and Edge on a computer. The button is hidden elsewhere. See Pop out the call.
- Screen sharing: computers only. See Share your screen.
- Choosing your speaker: only in browsers that let websites pick an audio output, such as Chrome and Edge. Elsewhere, use your system sound settings.
- Background blur and Noise cancellation: computers only, and not in every browser.
- Directional voices: on iPhone and iPad, a Safari limitation means everyone in range is heard at the same volume, without left/right panning.
When you tap a link inside Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, TikTok, LinkedIn, Snapchat, X, and similar apps, it opens in a built-in browser that blocks your camera and microphone. flat.social shows "Open in your browser to join" with Open in Safari (or Open in browser) and Copy link. Open the link in Safari or Chrome to join properly. Links from Slack, Discord, or Gmail open in a real browser and work fine.
Most browser problems disappear after an update. If a room feels broken, update your browser and reload before troubleshooting anything else.
What flat.social needs from your browser
- WebRTC carries live audio and video between people.
- Web Audio powers the spatial audio that makes voices fade with distance.
- WebGL draws the 3D Open Spatial rooms; keep hardware acceleration on.
- Camera and microphone permission: allow access when the browser asks.
All of these ship in recent versions of the browsers above. The usual snag isn't a missing feature; it's a blocked permission.