mssgs rebuilds voice chat and places the call on top of the game

Brummen, the Netherlands, 21 August 2026

mssgs, the independent Dutch group chat application, has rebuilt voice chat in its desktop application and added an in-game overlay that shows a call on top of whatever is being played.

The voice work was released on 18 August 2026 with version 14.0.38. The overlay, the connection quality reporting and the per-device audio controls followed on 21 August 2026 with version 14.2.20010. Both are available for macOS, Windows and Linux.

The call, visible without leaving the game

The overlay draws the call over a running game: everyone who is in it, a ring around whoever is speaking, and their names. It can also show the most recent messages from the conversation down one side, each fading out on its own, and a key turns that on and off without leaving the game.

Every aspect is configurable: when the overlay appears, which screen and which corner it uses, how large it is, how opaque it is, and how long names and messages remain on screen.

A call that reports its own condition

A connection quality reading now sits beside the channel name, and opening it shows ping and packet loss over the preceding two minutes. When a call degrades, the application identifies the participant it is degrading for and states plainly when it is reconnecting.

This replaces the usual guesswork in a group call, where the person whose audio is breaking up is often the last to be told.

Voice controls that show their work

Push to talk sends audio only while the key is held and stops the moment it is released. Noise suppression is visible while it operates: the level the microphone hears is drawn against the level that actually leaves the computer, so its effect can be seen rather than assumed. The call controls carry a noise suppression button that is lit while it is active and names the mode in use.

Before joining a voice channel, the application states how the microphone is configured, whether voice activity or push to talk is in use, which key is assigned when push to talk is selected, and which noise suppression setting applies. Input and output devices can be selected individually with a test for each, and call and microphone volume can be set within mssgs alone, including boosting a quiet headset above its normal level.

Screen sharing alongside the call

A shared screen now carries its sound with the picture, can be reacted to in the same way as a watch party, and can be clipped. The selected screen sharing quality is remembered for the next session, and the divider between a call and the conversation beside it can be dragged, with the call bar folding to fit the space that remains.

The member list shows who is currently in a call. Mentions also work in a voice channel’s own chat.

Most voice features are invisible by design, which is exactly the problem. If noise suppression is working you cannot tell, and if a call is breaking up for one person nobody knows which one. Drawing those things on the screen was more useful than adding anything new underneath them.

René van Sweeden, founder of mssgs

Availability

The overlay and the voice controls are included in mssgs at no cost, in the desktop application for macOS, Windows and Linux. The full release notes are published at mss.gs/en/releases.

mssgs is free to use, carries no advertising, and hosts all data in the European Union. Downloads for every platform are available at mss.gs/en/downloads.