Enable Video Preview of Intercom Calls for Extensions

When a video intercom system is connected to Cloud Voice, you can turn on video preview for the extension that is registered on the door station. Once it is enabled, whoever answers an intercom call can watch the visitor’s live video in the Cloud Voice App as the call rings and choose whether to release the door.

How it works

A video intercom setup has two parts: a door station at the entrance and an indoor station that receives the call. With Cloud Voice, you register a standard extension on the door station so it can place calls like any other extension, and the Cloud Voice App takes the place of the indoor station.

When a visitor presses the call button, the door station rings the extensions that act as indoor stations. The person being called can view the visitor’s video in the Cloud Voice App while the call is still ringing and decide whether to open the door.

Preview methods

Cloud Voice offers two ways to bring up the visitor’s video:

• Video Preview: The person answering starts the preview manually. When a call arrives from the door station and this option is enabled on the extension, the callee taps the preview control in the Cloud Voice App to see the video while the call rings.
• Auto Preview: No action is needed from the person answering. When a call arrives from the door station and this option is enabled on the extension, the Cloud Voice App shows the visitor’s video automatically as the call rings.

Tip

On clients that support it, Auto Preview is the more convenient choice: the video appears on its own, so the user can see the visitor and respond without hunting for the preview control. Check the support table below before you rely on it, because not every client offers Auto Preview.

Requirements and restrictions

Review these conditions before you set up the feature.

Requirements

• System version 84.10.0.30 or later.
• The Ultimate plan.

Supported door station

Fanvil door stations have been tested with Cloud Voice and are known to work.

Note

If you use a door station from another manufacturer, contact us to confirm compatibility.

Supported indoor station

The Cloud Voice App acts as the indoor station. The preview methods each client supports differ, as shown below.

Cloud Voice App	Video Preview	Auto Preview
Mobile app (iOS)	No	No
Mobile app (Android)	Yes	Yes
Desktop app (Windows)	Yes	Coming soon
Desktop app (Mac)	Yes	Coming soon
Web client	Yes	Yes

Caution

The iOS mobile app does not support either preview method. A user who answers door calls only on an iPhone will not see the visitor’s video. Point those users to the Android app, a desktop app, or the Web client instead.

Note

• To use the Web client through the Google Chrome browser extension, the extension must be version 4.2.1 or later.
• The Cloud Voice App for Android must be version 5.3.12 or later.

Procedure

1. Sign in to the management portal and go to Extension and Trunk > Extension, then open the extension used by the door station for editing.
2. Select the Features tab.
3. Under Door Phone Application, turn on the preview options you want:

   • Video Preview: When enabled, an incoming call from the door station lets the callee tap in the Cloud Voice App to view the video while the call rings.

     

   • Auto Preview: When enabled, an incoming call from the door station makes the callee’s Cloud Voice App display the video automatically while the call rings.

     

4. Click Save, then Apply.

Caution

The change is not live until you click Apply. Save only stores the setting; skipping Apply leaves the extension running its previous configuration.