Recording modes

Different studies want different things on the recording. Concept tests usually want webcam-only; usability tests want screen share; sensitive interviews might want neither.

Steps

1. Open Settings → Interview setup

   Click the gear icon in the top-right, then Interview setup.

2. Pick allowed devices

   Allowed devices controls which devices participants can join from: Desktop and mobile, Desktop only, or Mobile only.

3. Decide on webcam

   Webcam recording:

   • Required to join: the participant must turn on their camera. Use for emotional research, where facial reactions matter.
   • Off: the participant doesn't share video. Use for sensitive studies or when you only need voice.

   With webcam on, you can also turn on Blur participant camera to record the audio and a blurred video, for privacy without losing the conversation.

4. Decide on screen share

   Toggle Screen recording on if the study needs the participant to share their screen (almost always for usability work).

   Sub-options when screen share is on:

   • Allow pausing screen share: participants can hide sensitive screens mid-call.
   • Default screen share option: what the participant sees first in the screen-share picker (their entire screen, a window, or a tab).
   • Screen share verification: verify that participants are sharing the screen you expect, and catch anyone who shares the wrong thing.
   • Blur participant screen share: record a blurred version, for privacy.

   

5. Set captions, timeout, and push-to-talk

   Three independent call controls:

   • Default captions on: show live captions during the call. Most studies leave this on.
   • Session timeout: end the call automatically when the interview goes idle past a threshold. Prevents the AI from waiting forever. On a Task the participant's own voice counts as activity, so thinking out loud while exploring a prototype won't cut the call short.
   • Push to talk: make the participant hold a button to speak (instead of voice-activity detection). Useful in noisy environments.
6. Set anonymization (optional)
   • Name anonymization: replaces participant names with anonymous IDs throughout the study, and hides participant emails and social links everywhere: in Strella, in exports, in AI assistants connected to Strella, and in the developer API. This protection applies no matter what access a teammate or API key has been granted.
   • Voice anonymization: masks voice in recordings (where available).

   Useful for studies where the data may be shared more broadly.

These settings apply to every new interview. Already-recorded interviews keep their original settings.

Tips

• Test screen share with a real screen in Preview. Some operating systems behave differently, so test before publishing.
• Mobile screen share is supported through Strella's iOS and Android apps. Participants on mobile install the app to share their device screen.
• Captions are useful even when you don't need them. Participants with hearing differences benefit, and reviewing the live transcript helps with note-taking.
• Check the defaults before relying on them. Strella ships with screen recording on, but several toggles on this tab are study-level: open the settings on a new study and confirm they match what you want.

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