Maintaining independent network connections for user devices in conferencing sessions

A first user device comprising:

• a first microphone to receive a first audio input;
• a network interface;
• a local wireless communication interface;
• a processor;
• and
• a non-transitory storage medium storing instructions executable on the processor to:
• establish, using the network interface, a first independent network connection between the first user device and a remote computer system on which a network conferencing session is hosted;
• form a local wireless connection to communicate with a second user device that has a second independent network connection to the remote computer system and that has a second microphone;
• select, from among a group of user devices that includes the first user device and the second user device, the second user device as a leader device for the network conferencing session;
• during the network conferencing session, direct, over the local wireless connection to the second user device, the first audio input received by the first microphone, the second user device as the leader device to combine the first audio input and a second audio input received by the second microphone of the second user device, the combining to produce combined audio, the second user device to forward the combined audio to the remote computer system over the second independent network connection, while the first user device maintains the first independent network connection with the remote computer system, and
• in response to an event in which the leader device leaves the network conferencing session, select the first user device as a new leader device from a remainder of the group of user devices, the new leader device utilizing the first independent network connection maintained by the first user device to the remote computer system to perform functions of the new leader device, the selecting of the first user device as the new leader device based on relative available battery power of the user devices of the remainder of the group of user devices.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a first user device, cause the first user device to:

• establish a first independent network connection between the first user device and a remote computer system on which a network conferencing session is hosted;
• form a local wireless connection to communicate with a second user device that has a second independent network connection to the remote computer system;
• select, from among a group of user devices that includes the first user device and the second user device, the second user device as a leader device for the network conferencing session;
• during the network conferencing session:
• receive, from a first microphone of the first user device, a first audio,
• direct the first audio from the first user device to the second user device over the local wireless connection, the second user device as the leader device to combine the first audio and a second audio received by a second microphone of the second user device to form combined audio, the second user device to forward the combined audio to the remote computer system over the second independent network connection, while the first user device maintains the first independent network connection with the remote computer system;
• and
• in response to an event in which the leader device leaves the network conferencing session, select the first user device as a new leader device from a remainder of the group of user devices, the new leader device utilizing the first independent network connection maintained by the first user device to the remote computer system to perform functions of the new leader device, the selecting of the first user device as the new leader device based on relative available battery power of the user devices of the remainder of the group of user devices.