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How to Customize Jitsi Meet UI/UX Without Breaking Updates

12 min Avkash Kakdiya

Customizing Jitsi Meet helps you build a branded, user-friendly video platform your audience will like. But tweaking the jitsi interface can backfire if updates mess it up. This guide shows safe, practical ways for Jitsi customization to keep your changes intact over time.

Whether you’re just starting with Jitsi, a business owner considering its uses, or an agency building white-label video tools, this will give you solid, real-world tips.

API Overview

Jitsi Meet comes with a clear API meant for customization without touching its core code. This is your safe starting point to keep your tweaks update-proof.

The Jitsi Meet API is mainly JavaScript-based. It lets you embed the conference UI and control it via code. You can add custom buttons or manage who can do what in the meeting through this API.

Key Points about the API:

  • External embedding: You run your own page that loads Jitsi Meet using an iframe or JS library.
  • Config control: Pass config options when starting the API to change UI elements, enable or disable features.
  • Event handling: Respond to events like users joining, muting, or when the meeting ends.
  • No core code changes: Your tweaks stay separate from Jitsi’s source, so upgrades rarely break them.

Real World Insight:

A client wanted a minimal UI for business calls. I used the API to turn off chat, raise-hand, and participant thumbnails with config flags. Those changes held up even after upgrading Jitsi for over six months.

  • “How to use Jitsi Meet API for customization”
  • “Embedding Jitsi video with custom controls”

Starting with the API builds a strong base for jitsi UI customization that’s flexible and low-risk.

UI Elements

Jitsi Meet’s UI has key parts you can tweak with configs and CSS overrides:

  • Toolbar: Buttons for mic, camera, chat, screen share, etc.
  • Thumbnails: Video tiles of participants.
  • Side Panel: Chat and participant lists.
  • Header/Footer: Branding and meeting info.
  • Background: Call backdrops and branding images.

Configurable UI Options

Jitsi’s interfaceConfig.js and config.js hold flags and settings to show, hide, or adjust UI features. For example:

interfaceConfig = {
  TOOLBAR_BUTTONS: [ 'microphone', 'camera', 'chat' ], // trimmed down toolbar
  SHOW_JITSI_WATERMARK: false,
  SHOW_BRAND_WATERMARK: false,
};

Here, you get only mic, camera, and chat buttons, and hide Jitsi’s default watermarks—perfect for jitsi design changes when white-labeling.

CSS Tweaks Without Breaking Updates

Editing Jitsi’s core CSS will break on upgrades. Instead, use:

  • Custom CSS loaded separately.
  • Style overrides through iframe embed tricks.
  • Use style variables and hooks Jitsi provides.

Changing colors, fonts, button styles, or spacing works fine with external stylesheets.

Example: Changing Button Colors

Add this to your stylesheet:

#toolbar_button_mic {
  background-color: #004aad !important;
  border-radius: 6px !important;
}

This changes the mic button color without touching core files.

  • “Customize Jitsi Meet toolbar buttons”
  • “Safe CSS overrides for Jitsi interface tweaks”

When you tweak config and CSS thoughtfully, your Jitsi customization stays solid through updates and fits your brand.

Branding Options

Branding is key for businesses and agencies offering white-label video tools.

Official Branding Options

Jitsi Meet lets you swap branding without code changes:

  • Logos: Replace the default Jitsi logo via config.
  • Watermarks: Remove or change brand watermarks in the interface.
  • Welcome Messages: Change the meeting greeting text.
  • Background Images: Change lobby or call backgrounds.

Set these in config files or when you initialize the API:

config = {
  defaultLogoUrl: 'https://yourdomain.com/logo.png',
  watermarkLink: 'https://yourdomain.com',
  startWithVideoMuted: true,
  // Other branding settings...
};

Case Study: Agency White-Label Use

An agency I worked with rebranded Jitsi for clients by swapping logos, colors, and backgrounds through config and injected CSS. They didn’t touch the core code and used hosted assets for branding to keep maintenance light and upgrades smooth.

Keep in mind logos and trademarks when branding. Jitsi is open source under Apache 2.0, but make sure your branding follows licensing rules and data privacy laws like GDPR if they apply.

  • “How to white label Jitsi Meet”
  • “Jitsi Meet branding guide”
  • “Configuring Jitsi watermarks and logos”

Example Customizations

Let’s get practical with safe jitsi interface tweaks examples:

Example 1: Minimal Toolbar for Business Meetings

Only mute/unmute and hangup buttons:

interfaceConfig = {
  TOOLBAR_BUTTONS: [ 'microphone', 'hangup' ],
  SHOW_JITSI_WATERMARK: false,
  SHOW_BRAND_WATERMARK: false,
};

Load this externally or through iframe options.

Example 2: Custom Welcome Message with Your Company Name

When creating the meeting with the API:

const api = new JitsiMeetExternalAPI(domain, {
  roomName: 'BusinessCall123',
  userInfo: { email: 'user@company.com' },
  configOverwrite: {
    enableWelcomePage: false,
  },
  interfaceConfigOverwrite: {
    TOOLBAR_BUTTONS: [ 'microphone', 'camera', 'chat' ],
    DEFAULT_LOCAL_DISPLAY_NAME: 'Your Company',
  }
});

Example 3: Dark Mode with Brand Colors

External CSS example:

body {
  background-color: #121212 !important;
  color: #e0e0e0 !important;
}
#filmstrip {
  background-color: #1f1f1f !important;
}

Experience Insight:

On a project where we used Jitsi inside a learning platform, these tweaks helped users stay focused. Using the config API and external CSS let us upgrade Jitsi three times without losing design or features.

  • “Jitsi Meet UI customization examples”
  • “Step-by-step Jitsi design changes”

Resources

To dive deeper into Jitsi customization, check these:

Books and Tutorials (Optional)

  • Courses on video platform customization (Udemy, Pluralsight).
  • Community blogs with real-world cases.

Conclusion

You can customize Jitsi Meet’s UI and UX without breaking updates by using the API, config flags, external CSS, and official branding options. Avoid editing core code—that just causes headaches.

With smart jitsi interface tweaks and design changes, you build a video experience that fits your brand and needs.

New to Jitsi? Start with the API and configs. Running a business or agency? Plan your UI and branding around supported methods. Doing so means your customizations stay stable and reliable with each update.

Next step: try embedding Jitsi Meet with a simple toolbar and your logo. Watch how updates behave, then adjust your setup for the best mix of customization and stability.

Need help or a fully white-labeled Jitsi solution? Reach out to experts in open-source video customization. Your users deserve a stable, branded meeting experience—build it right.

Frequently Asked Questions

Jitsi customization means changing the Jitsi Meet platform’s interface, features, or branding to fit your needs better.

Use API hooks, config files, and supported branding options instead of messing with the core code. That way, updates won't break your setup.

You can change buttons, toolbar layouts, colors, logos, backgrounds, and participant info panels by overriding configs and applying CSS.

Yes. If you dig deep and change core code, updates get tricky. It's safer to stick with documented config options and external theming.

Check out the official Jitsi Developer Guide, community forums, GitHub repos, and [white-label solution providers](https://jitsi.support/industry/jitsi-benefits-event-management-companies/).

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