The Webex Desktop App
- Kimberly Lyons
Our new phone system is running through Webex. But did you know it is possible to take calls, place calls, and manage voicemails through the Webex desktop app? This article will showcase these features and explain how to use them.
The Webex desktop app is available for download and installation through the OTC Software Center.
Table of Contents:
The Interface
Once installed, Webex is typically docked to your system tray:
If you cannot find it docked, you can search Windows for it:
When you first open the Webex desktop app, you will be brought to the following landing screen:
There are many features listed on this page. Of relevance:
Left-hand Menu
Dialpad- The dial pad tab allows you to place calls.
Contacts - The contacts tab allows you to see and manage your contacts.
Voicemail - The voicemail tab allows you to view, listen to, and manage your voicemails.
Top Menu
Profile - Clicking on your initials in the upper-left hand corner will allow you to change your status, edit your profile, change your settings and more.
Set a status - This lets you set a custom status that others will see when viewing your profile on Webex.
The ‘Set a status’ screen.Search, meet, and call - This lets you search for other people in Webex and make calls to their OTC phone number, right from your desktop.
Example of a search result.
Taking Calls
If you have a headset or a speaker and microphone setup, you can take calls through the Webex desktop app on your computer.
When someone calls your OTC phone number, it will ring on your physical office phone (provided you have one) as well as on your computer. The computer notification looks like this:
To answer, simply press the green ‘Answer’ button. To decline the call, press the red ‘Decline’ button instead.
In-Call Controls
When you are in a call on Webex, the following screen will appear:
Mute - Mutes the current call.
The mute drop-down menu allows you to adjust your speaker and microphone settings:
Audio settings can be found on the mute drop-down menu.
Start video - If you have a webcam, you can start a video call with the caller.
Keypad - This brings up a dial pad.
The '…' menu has more options for managing the call:
The '…' menu.Hold - Places the call on hold.
Transfer - Transfer the call to a different number.
Conference - Begin a conference call with other people.
The red 'X' icon will hang up the call.
Placing Calls
You can place calls one of three ways in the Webex desktop app:
Method 1 - The Dialpad Tab
To make a call with the dial pad tab:
Navigate to the dial pad tab on the left-hand menu.
Using the dial pad, type in the desired phone number to call.
Press the phone button/audio button or press enter on your keyboard.
A call will be placed.
Method 2 - The Search Bar
To make a call with the search bar:
Click on the ‘Search, meet, and call’ field on the top of the app.
Type in the desired phone number to call.
Press the phone button or press enter on your keyboard.
A call will be placed.
Method 3 - Microsoft Teams Contact Card
You can also place a call using the Webex desktop app through Microsoft Teams. To make a call from Microsoft Teams:
Use the search bar to look up the person you wish to call and click on them.
Hover over the person’s name so their contact card shows:
The contact card appears when hovering over their name.Click on their phone number underneath contact:
This will begin a call using the Webex client.
If you are not prompted to start the call in Webex, you may need to change your default app for the .clicktocall file type:
Managing Voicemail
You can view, listen to, and manage your voicemails with ease using the Webex desktop app.
Navigate to the Voicemail tab on the left-hand menu.
A number will appear if there is a pending voicemail to review.
The '1' indicates there is a pending voicemail.
Your voicemails will show up here. Click on any to view the details of the voicemail, listen to it, or read the transcription.
The voicemail details will appear when the voicemail is clicked on.
You can use the delete button to remove the voicemail from your voicemail list. This will also remove the voicemail from your physical office phone, if you have one.
Accessing Shared Lines
If you have a departmental or shared line, it can be configured to ring on the Webex desktop app. If you would like to add a shared line to your Webex desktop app, please email helpdesk@otc.edu indicating the name of the line you want to be added.