How to run an in-person debate on one device with Debagle
Two people can bring a custom debate or open question, share a camera and microphone, take turns and review the exchange. Here is how the one-device web flow works and what it records.
4 min readThe debagle team
Start with the kind of conversation you want
Open Debagle’s in-person page and choose a debate statement or an open question. A debate compares positions and can receive a scored review. An open question is for exploring perspectives and receives reflection without requiring a winner.
Enter names and a prompt both people understand. Keep the scope small enough to answer in short turns. “Our library should trial later Friday hours” is easier to discuss than “How should society work?”
Set up the shared camera and microphone
Use one phone, tablet or computer. Allow camera and microphone access in the browser when requested. Put the device where both people can be heard and the turn indicator is visible. Start only after both people understand the recording flow.
The same microphone hears both voices. A turn indicator assigns whose speech the session expects; it cannot physically mute the other person in the room. The waiting participant should stay quiet during a recorded turn. Headphones, distance and overlapping speech can affect audio quality.
Follow the speaker indicator
Give the active speaker space to finish. Keep one main point in each turn and refer directly to the previous argument when replying. If audio fails or permission is denied, address that before relying on a transcript.
The session assigns recorded turns to speakers. Talking over a turn can put the wrong voice in that turn’s transcript, so the indicator is part of making the review useful, not just decoration.
Know what is sent for review
In the current in-person flow, the camera preview stays on the device; it is not uploaded as session video. Recorded turn audio is sent for transcription. The text is used to review the debate or reflect on the open conversation. Temporary in-person transcripts have a twenty-four-hour retention limit. Check the current product and privacy pages before sharing sensitive information.
A camera preview does not mean you have approved public distribution. Do not make or publish a separate recording without the other participant’s agreement.
Sources: Debagle: one-device in-person sessions · Debagle: privacy and media handling
Read the result together
Check whether the transcript and feedback represent the points each person made. For a debate, inspect the reasons behind the result. For an open question, look for an accurate account of the perspectives and shared ground. In-person practice does not affect ranked ratings.
If the review proposes common ground, read the supporting statements and ask whether both people recognize the wording. A summary can be useful without being a commitment to act.
Use the optional three-minute follow-up
At the end, both people must opt in before the additional three-minute conversation starts. That follow-up is unrecorded. Use it to revisit one unanswered question, correct a summary or explain a concern that did not fit the timed exchange.
If either person wants to finish, stop there. An extension should be mutual, and an open question does not need to end in agreement.
Quick troubleshooting
Swipe across to compare all columns →
| Problem | First check |
|---|---|
| No microphone or camera | Browser permission and the selected device |
| The other voice appears in a turn | Avoid overlap on the shared microphone |
| Transcript misses a key phrase | Check audibility and restate the point in a new turn |
| The score surprises you | Read the explanation and the underlying transcript |
| You want discussion without a winner | Choose an open question before starting |
Questions people ask
Do we need two accounts or devices?
The in-person flow is designed for two people using one shared device.
Can it independently mute the person in the room?
No. One physical microphone can hear both people. Follow the speaking indicator and avoid overlap.
Is the follow-up recorded?
The optional three-minute in-person continuation is unrecorded and requires both participants to opt in.