Video calls, without the hassle.
A simple, fast desktop app for video calls. Free and lightweight, for Windows and Linux.
Callifornia is currently available for Windows and Linux desktop. Open this page on a computer to download it.
Features
Everything a call needs. Nothing it doesn't.
Callifornia is built as a native desktop app around one idea. Getting people talking should take seconds, not setup.
Join with a short meeting ID
Every meeting gets a short ID. Share it in any chat, and anyone with the app is in the call seconds later. No links that expire, and nobody left waiting for a host to let them in.
Updates, kept simple
On Windows, new versions arrive in the background and apply with a single restart, so you never reinstall anything. On Linux, the app tells you when one's ready and your package manager takes it from there. Either way, every update is cryptographically signed.
Friends, one click away
Add people once and call them any time, with no digging through chats for the right link. Invites show up right in the app, and starting a call with a friend is a single click.
How it works
On a call in three steps
No admin rights, no account maze, no browser plugins.
Download & run
Grab the installer and run it. It installs for you alone, needs no administrator rights, and finishes in seconds.
Sign in
Create an account with a name and a password. That's the whole form, and you are not filling out a profile.
Start talking
Start a meeting and share its short ID, or call a friend directly. Screen sharing is one click away.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Is Callifornia really free?
Yes. There's no subscription, no trial timer, and no features locked behind a paywall. You download it, sign in, and call people.
Which platforms are supported?
Windows 10 and 11 (64 bit), and Linux (.deb for Debian and Ubuntu, .rpm for Fedora and RHEL). Linux support is new, so it's marked beta while it settles. macOS is planned, and since the app's core is already cross platform it's a matter of packaging rather than a rewrite.
Windows warned me about an unrecognized app. Why?
That's Microsoft SmartScreen being cautious about new publishers. The installer isn't signed with a paid certificate yet, so Windows shows a generic warning for it. Click "More info", then "Run anyway".
Signing is on our roadmap, and once it is in place the warning goes away.
Do I need an account?
Yes, a lightweight one. An account is what lets friends find you by name and call you directly instead of passing meeting IDs around every time.
How do updates work?
On Windows, the app checks for new versions in the background, downloads only the files that changed, and verifies a cryptographic signature on every update before applying it, so you restart once and you're done. On Linux, updates ship through a signed APT and YUM repository instead, so the app tells you one is available and your package manager installs it (one click from inside the app if it can ask for your password, otherwise a regular apt upgrade/dnf upgrade). See what's changed in the changelog.
What data does Callifornia collect?
As little as it can get away with, meaning your account details and whatever is needed to connect calls. Calls are never recorded, and crash reports are strictly voluntary and off by default. The full details are in the privacy policy.
Ready when you are.
Download Callifornia and be on your first call in under a minute.