A method, comprising: at a portable communications device: establishing a first communication link between a first party and a user in response to a first action by the user; displaying a first image corresponding to the first party at an intensity that is greater than a threshold; characterized by while the first communication link is ongoing, establishing a second communication link between a second party and the user in response to a second action by the user; switching the user from the first communication link to the second communication link; while continuing to display the first image, displaying a second image corresponding to the second party with a visible gap between the first image and the second image; and visually highlighting the second image so as to facilitate visual differentiation of the first and second images (410, 416), wherein visually highlighting comprises displaying the second image at an intensity that is greater than the threshold, and modifying the intensity of the first image to be less than the threshold; in response to a third action by the user: establishing a common communication link between the first party, the second party and the user; displaying the first image and the second image at a same intensity; and making the visible gap between the first image and the second image smaller or making the visible gap between the first image and the second image disappear. at a portable communications device: establishing a first communication link between a first party and a user in response to a first action by the user; displaying a first image corresponding to the first party at an intensity that is greater than a threshold; characterized by while the first communication link is ongoing, establishing a second communication link between a second party and the user in response to a second action by the user; switching the user from the first communication link to the second communication link; while continuing to display the first image, displaying a second image corresponding to the second party with a visible gap between the first image and the second image; and visually highlighting the second image so as to facilitate visual differentiation of the first and second images (410, 416), wherein visually highlighting comprises displaying the second image at an intensity that is greater than the threshold, and modifying the intensity of the first image to be less than the threshold; displaying a first image corresponding to the first party at an intensity that is greater than a threshold; characterized by while the first communication link is ongoing, establishing a second communication link between a second party and the user in response to a second action by the user; switching the user from the first communication link to the second communication link; while continuing to display the first image, displaying a second image corresponding to the second party with a visible gap between the first image and the second image; and visually highlighting the second image so as to facilitate visual differentiation of the first and second images (410, 416), wherein visually highlighting comprises displaying the second image at an intensity that is greater than the threshold, and modifying the intensity of the first image to be less than the threshold; in response to a third action by the user: establishing a common communication link between the first party, the second party and the user; displaying the first image and the second image at a same intensity; and making the visible gap between the first image and the second image smaller or making the visible gap between the first image and the second image disappear. establishing a common communication link between the first party, the second party and the user; displaying the first image and the second image at a same intensity; and making the visible gap between the first image and the second image smaller or making the visible gap between the first image and the second image disappear.