Same vision, new look

Today we’re releasing our biggest update since entering beta last December.

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The Altar team is pioneering how we do the work of the church online by creating virtual spaces for deep and meaningful connection, where people can be heard, known and understood. It’s taken months of explorations, testing, and iterations to bring to life.

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When we started our redesign process, we had three main goals:

• Radically improve navigation around the platform
• Create a seamless viewing and interactive experience
• Simplify the process of joining an event and allowing permissions

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We’re confident this update will make your experience of Altar Live delightful and marked by hospitable, virtual conversations.

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Intuitive new design for both watch parties and lobby

Joining online events should be easy and seamless, especially for those of us who are less tech-confident. That's why Altar events are a one-click link with no plugins or software required.

In our latest release, we have worked to make sure the platform is incredibly intuitive. We've increased visibility of other people on the event, updated buttons, and smoothed out the navigation flow.

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In the Event state, you will now notice that the pew view is always visible on screen so you can see who else is seated and easily jump to a row to sit with someone.

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In the Lobby state, the tables are centered and when you take a seat, your video now appears on the right hand side of the screen to maximize visibility.

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We've moved the video and mic control buttons to be more intuitively placed underneath your video for easy access.

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And you will also notice sleek new Leave Event and Help button designs.

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Seamless and continuous live streaming

One of our biggest goals: create a seamless viewing experience. Now, no matter what button you click on, if you are in the Event state the video live stream will never be paused. Whether you leave or take a seat, you don't have to worry about your live stream stopping.

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Helpful camera and permissions flow

We have all done it - clicked too fast on a permissions pop up and then realized later that we need to dig into our browser settings to undo it. We don't blame you!

Good news - we've eliminated this headache. Now when you join an event, you won't be asked for your camera or microphone permissions until you take a seat. And when you do, you'll see a helpful popup with instructions.

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What happens if you still accidentally click Don't Allow? Don't worry, we've thought of everything. The platform will show you instructions to re-allow permissions even if you clicked the wrong button.

And the best part? You'll see instructions based on what browser you are using - Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Microsoft Edge. We've got you covered!

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Final thoughts:
‍What is the future of online church?

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Prior to Covid, there was really only one prevailing model -- the church building in a community (small, medium and large). It was somewhat effective in reaching people, though there were plenty of groups of people who were being disfranchised by that model.

Today, we’ve begun to see different types of churches sprout up to reach different types of people, those not attracted by the church building.

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Our churches tell us that Altar Live is the preferred choice of video conference platform over Hopin, Airmeet and Zoom for faith communities – because every feature has been designed for the dynamics of religious events, ministries, and communities.

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We released our platform in December, and just exited beta this past week. We're excited to play a role in helping reimagine the church online:

• 700+ faith communities
• 10,000+ users
• 1,200+ events

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Here's to reimagining church together!

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Cheers,
Stephanie Leathe | CEO, Altar Live

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