Upwork has launched a built-in video meeting feature powered by Uma, its AI assistant, offering video, audio, background blur, and AI-driven recording and recaps. Meetings can be started or scheduled in Messages, and AI-generated highlights, summaries, and transcripts are stored for six months. Zoom integration remains available.
Upwork has introduced a new video meeting feature powered by Uma, Upwork’s Mindful AI, directly within the Upwork Messages platform. This feature is being gradually rolled out and is not available to everyone yet. (Our Zoom meeting integration is still available in Upwork Messages.)
How to use Upwork video meetings
Start an instant video meeting
- Open Upwork Messages, find the camera icon in the top-right corner of your conversation, and select Upwork video meeting. This sends a meeting link in messages to all participants
- In messages, select Join Upwork video meeting. (First-time users see a pop-up with links to Upwork’s Terms and Privacy Policy. Review and choose Continue to accept.)
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Prepare for the meeting:
- Adjust video, audio, and noise filter settings before joining. The noise filter is on by default but can be turned off.
- On desktop, blur your background or use a preloaded image. Your choice saves automatically and can be changed anytime.
- If you start the call, you can enable AI recording and gesture detection. AI features only work if recording is on.
- Select Join to enter the meeting
Schedule a meeting in advance
If Upwork video meetings are available, you’ll see that as a drop-down option when you choose the calendar icon in a conversation. Learn more about scheduling meetings on Upwork.
Join an ongoing or scheduled meeting
- In messages, open Join Upwork video meeting. Only people in the conversation room can see and access the meeting. (First-time users see a pop-up with links to Upwork’s Terms and Privacy Policy. Review and choose Continue to accept.)
- Select Join to enter the meeting
Sharing during the meeting
- Anyone in the meeting can share their screen to present content
- To get a better view, you can zoom in or out with the in/out button at the bottom center of your screen
- In a 1:1 meeting, you can move your selfie tile around for a better view of the screen
What's included in the meeting recap and how to access it
Enabling AI during a meeting lets you focus on your conversation instead of having to take notes. Only people in your message room will have access to the recap page.
For meetings you own, you can adjust your settings to automatically enable AI or require manual activation for each meeting. You can also turn it on and off during meetings.
If AI is enabled, your AI-generated recap of the meeting will include the following:
- Video highlights, a text summary, action items, and a full transcript
You’ll get a notification when the recap is ready. Find it under “Meeting recap” in the sidebar or the info icon on mobile. Only people in the conversation room can view it. Recaps are saved for six months.
Note:
Individual data rates from your internet or phone provider may apply when using video and voice meeting services.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use your own meeting tools after a contract has started. Sharing a meeting link (or any other form of contact outside Upwork) before a contract starts is circumvention, which is against our Terms of Service.
No, there's no extra cost on Upwork for using Upwork video meetings.
If you’re the participant who sent the first meeting link in your conversation, you’re the meeting host and can turn off the AI features.
If you didn’t create the meeting, you can’t turn off AI features—but you can ask the host. If AI is off, you won’t get the recap. If it’s on for part of the meeting, only that part will be saved.
Meeting recaps will not be provided if the meeting host turned off the AI features or if less than 500 words were spoken with the AI features turned on.
At this time, you are not able to record without the AI features turned on.
At this time, meeting participants can choose their video and audio settings but are not able to turn off the AI features. You can, however, request that the meeting host turn them off.
All meeting data is stored securely. Only people in the conversation can view transcripts and summaries. Upwork doesn’t collect sensitive info like biometrics, and uses meeting data only to support performance — in line with our Privacy Policy.
The meeting recap is not editable.
Upwork video meetings are available for select users prior to a contract start.
The video will be deleted automatically six months after the recording. You may contact Upwork Support to request earlier deletion.
This feature is in testing and not yet available to everyone—like agencies or Project Catalog. If a client with access starts a video meeting in a conversation room, all participants can view the recap via the message room or email link.
We aim for accuracy, but factors like internet, audio quality, and background noise can affect results. Since this tech is still evolving, always double-check outputs and report anything that seems off.
At this time, Zoom will not be removed from our platform.
Unlike Zoom, Upwork video meetings provide in-meeting chat functionality as well as a recording with AI-generated video highlight reels, meeting summaries, and action items. In addition, the recording is available for six months whereas Zoom’s recording is only available for seven days.
You can’t edit the transcription, summary, or action items. However, you're not required to follow them. They're for your convenience and are not tied to the contract.