Complete Guide to Jitsi UI Modification: From Logo to Layout

Jitsi is a well-known open-source video conferencing platform that you can customize a lot. Whether you’re a developer new to Jitsi, a business wanting to brand your video calls, or an agency reselling white-label tools, knowing the basics of Jitsi customization helps. This guide covers the API, UI elements, branding options, and practical examples to get you started.

1. API overview

Jitsi customization begins with its API. The External API lets you embed Jitsi Meet into your site or app and control meetings with code—start conferences, mute users, change toolbar buttons, and catch events.

The API is JavaScript-based and pretty straightforward:

const domain = 'meet.jit.si';
const options = {
    roomName: 'MyCustomRoom',
    parentNode: document.querySelector('#jitsi-container'),
    interfaceConfigOverwrite: {
        TOOLBAR_BUTTONS: ['microphone', 'camera', 'chat']
    }
};
const api = new JitsiMeetExternalAPI(domain, options);

If you want full UI customization, you’ll need to edit the source since Jitsi Meet uses React and Redux. This lets you change UI pieces directly.

Using the Jitsi Meet API securely

When you embed Jitsi, secure your setup by enabling JWT Tokens or token-based authentication—especially for private or business cases. This keeps your instance safe from unauthorized users without blocking customization. The Jitsi Documentation advises always validating outside inputs to stop injection attacks.

2. UI elements

Jitsi’s frontend has modular pieces you can tweak or replace. Key parts include:

• Header bar and logo: Shows the conference title and branding,
• Toolbar: Buttons for mic, camera, chat, etc.,
• Participant list: Displays who’s in the meeting,
• Video grid/layout: How user videos are arranged,
• Chat and notifications.

These are React components found under the /react/features folder.

Customizing components

You can override or restyle these using:

• CSS and SCSS files in the /css folders,
• JSX files to change layout or add controls,
• Redux actions/reducers to alter behavior on user actions.

To change toolbar buttons, edit interface_config.js or override via interfaceConfigOverwrite in the API options. To swap the logo, change the Logo.js component or swap the image. Many companies do this for white-labeling.

Layout and video grid

Jitsi offers different layouts: tile view, vertical or horizontal filmstrip. You can set the default in the config or change it dynamically. Power users can replace the grid with a custom React component.

For example, one remote learning platform I worked with customized the video grid to highlight whoever’s speaking and renamed buttons for clarity. Their users got less confused and support calls dropped. Win-win.

3. Branding options

Branding is key for white-label or commercial uses. Jitsi lets you customize:

• Logos and icons: Replace the default ones with your own,
• Colors and themes: Match your company colors with CSS or theme settings,
• Splash screens and loading bars: Make these fit your style,
• Custom domains and URLs: Host Jitsi on your own domain to build trust.

Case study: Agency white-label

An agency I know swapped out the Jitsi logo for clients’ logos, changed button texts into local languages, and tweaked colors to match client brands. That made clients feel ownership and helped seal deals faster by showing the product was truly theirs.

4. Example customizations

Here are some quick ways to change Jitsi’s UI for your needs:

Example 1: Changing the default logo

• Find the logo file, usually in /images or /react/features/base/icons,
• Replace it with your SVG or PNG,
• Update Logo.js if you need to adjust size or links.

Example 2: Modifying toolbar buttons

• Edit interface_config.js to control which buttons appear. You can enable or disable stuff like screen sharing, raise hand, or recording.
• Customize tooltips and labels for better clarity.

Example 3: Customizing the layout dynamically

• Use the API call executeCommand('toggleTileView') to change the layout on the fly.
• Build your own React components wrapping video streams for special cases like telehealth or support systems.

Example 4: Adding a custom welcome page

• Tweak the /react/features/welcome components to brand the entry page,
• Add instructions or links relevant to your users.

Sharing these examples makes it easier for you or your team to adjust Jitsi quickly instead of starting from zero.

5. Resources

For keeping up with Jitsi customization, check these out:

• Official Jitsi GitHub: https://github.com/jitsi/jitsi-meet (source code and issues),
• Jitsi Developer Handbook: https://jitsi.github.io/handbook/docs/dev-guide/dev-guide-overview (full docs),
• Community forums and Matrix chat: Talk with other devs and Jitsi folks for help,
• YouTube tutorials and webinars: Help you visualize UI changes,
• Open source compliance guides: Understand security and compliance when deploying Jitsi.

If you’re starting, try the External API first. Later, dig into source edits. Test your changes locally to avoid breaking things.

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Conclusion

Jitsi customization lets you adjust video calls to fit your brand and needs. This guide covered the basics—API use, UI tweaks, branding, and some real-world examples—to give you a good starting point. Whether you’re a dev, business, or reseller, these tips help you craft better, clearer video tools.

Want to move forward? Clone the Jitsi Meet repo and try small UI tweaks. Join the community to share what you learn. Customizing Jitsi is practical work that gives you more control over open-source video conferencing.

Ready to start your Jitsi customization? Check the official docs, set up a test environment, and make your video solution your own.