Web Call Overview

The Cloud Voice App Web Client lets you make and take audio and video calls with coworkers and outside contacts straight from your browser, wherever you happen to be working, with nothing to install. Because the calling happens inside the browser tab itself, both the phone system server and your browser have to meet a few requirements before calls will connect. Confirm your setup against the list below, then review the calling features available to you.

Requirements

PBX server

PBX (Private Branch Exchange) is the phone system server that routes your calls. Your system administrator controls the server-side settings that web calls depend on, so ask them to confirm the following before you rely on audio calling:

• Web server protocol: HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure)
• Codec: At least one of u-law, a-law, or G722 is enabled on the server.

Caution

Browsers only allow a web page to use your microphone and camera over a secure (HTTPS) connection. If the server is not reachable over HTTPS, web calls will not connect, so confirm this first.

Note

A codec (short for coder-decoder) is the method used to compress and decompress the audio or video stream during a call. The browser client and the server must share at least one enabled codec, or the call cannot connect.

Video calling builds on the audio requirements above. In addition to those two items, make sure the server is set up as follows:

• Plan: The server is on the Ultimate Plan.
• Codec: Either VP8 or H264 is enabled on the server.

Note

Video calling is only available when the server is on the Ultimate Plan. On lower plans the audio requirements still apply, but the video option will not be available.

Note

VP8 is the preferred video codec. If both VP8 and H264 are enabled, give VP8 the highest priority.

Web browser

Open the web client in a 64-bit desktop browser running one of these minimum versions:

• Google Chrome: version 87 or later
• Microsoft Edge: version 87 or later
• Opera: version 72 or later

Tip

These are the minimum supported versions. Keeping your browser updated to the latest release gives you the best call quality and the latest security fixes.

Supported call features

Once your setup is ready, you can use the following features during and after web calls.

Feature	What it does
Audio Conferencing	Start an instant audio conference in the middle of an active call, with up to 9 members. See Audio Conferencing Overview.
Send to Voicemail	Route an incoming call straight to your voicemail with one click from the incoming-call pop-up. See Forward an Incoming Call to Voicemail.
Call Flip	Move an active call from the Cloud Voice App Desktop Client to another device where your extension is registered, without interrupting the conversation. See Flip an Active Call between Devices.
Call Switch	Pull an active call from the device where it started onto the Cloud Voice App Desktop Client and keep talking without a break. See Continue an Active Call on Cloud Voice App Web Client.
Call Park	Park an active call on a parking number the system assigns automatically or one you choose yourself. See Park a Call.
Call Merge	Combine two or more active calls into a single audio conference, which you then host and manage. See Merge Calls into an Audio Conference Call.
Call Hold/Resume	Put a conversation on hold without hanging up, then pick it back up when you are ready. You can hold up to 6 active calls at the same time.
Call Transfer	Hand an in-progress call off to another number.
Call Recording	Record a call so you can play it back later to review and confirm the details.
Call Note	Attach tags and remarks to a call to capture the details you will want later. See Add Notes to a Call.
Send Call Details via Email	Email the details of a call, such as contact information, call notes, and the AI call summary, to the addresses you specify for follow-up. This works both during an active call and after it ends. See Send Call Details via Email.
Call Transcription	Turn a call into readable text in real time, and generate a summary automatically after the call ends. See Transcribe a Call.