The VanceTel desktop app is a native macOS and Windows softphone built on Electron 39, with calls, SMS, voicemail, contacts, BLF presence, and the Shared inbox at the keyboard. Click-to-call from any other app, system-tray availability controls, and encrypted local token storage. Works on every device a user signs into.
What ships in the box
Native macOS + Windows builds
Code-signed macOS app with microphone, camera, accessibility, and system-events entitlements, in DMG and ZIP builds. Windows installer signed for SmartScreen so the download does not trigger an "unknown publisher" warning. Auto-update via the standard Electron updater so users stay current without manual reinstalls.
Click-to-call from any other app
Highlight a phone number anywhere on the system (CRM, spreadsheet, calendar, PDF) and a keyboard shortcut dials it through the VanceTel desktop app under the business number. The same shortcut summons the dial pad with focus already in the number field for keyboard-only calling workflows.
System tray with availability controls
The app lives in the system tray with one-click availability presets (Available / Busy / Do Not Disturb / On a Call) that mirror to BLF presence for the whole office. Tray menu shortcuts open the dial pad, the Shared inbox, recent calls, and the contact CRM without bringing the main window forward.
Screen-pop on incoming calls
When the phone rings, the app pops a small caller card with the caller name, last conversation timestamp, and contact CRM notes, so you answer or decline from the keyboard without grabbing the mouse. The same card appears on missed calls so the rep can hit "callback" in one click.
Multi-window layout for the Shared inbox
Inbox, active conversation, and dial pad sit side-by-side on a real monitor. Keyboard shortcuts cover assign, tag, close, send template, and jump to next unread. Drag-and-drop attachments from the desktop into a thread for MMS or live chat send. Works on every device the user signs into.
Encrypted local token storage
Authentication tokens encrypt into the OS keychain (macOS Keychain, Windows Credential Manager) via electron-store rather than into a plain config file. Native OS notification center integration surfaces missed calls and inbound texts as real notifications: clickable, dismissable, Focus-aware.
Native Mac and Windows, not a browser tab
The VanceTel desktop app runs as a native macOS and Windows process built on Electron 39, with code-signed Apple entitlements for microphone, camera, and accessibility, and a Windows installer signed for SmartScreen. Calls, SMS, voicemail, contacts, BLF presence, and the Shared inbox all sit at the keyboard, not behind a browser tab.
A browser tab loses audio when the tab is backgrounded, swallows hotkeys, and cannot click-to-call from a different app. VanceTel ships a native macOS and Windows desktop app built on Electron 39 with code-signed entitlements on Mac (microphone, camera, accessibility, system-events) and a SmartScreen-signed installer on Windows. The app sits in the system tray with availability controls (Available / Busy / Do Not Disturb), click-to-call any phone number selected in any other app, and a keyboard shortcut to summon the dial pad. Works on every device a user signs into, so pair with the [mobile app](/products/mobile-app) so the office and the road stay on the same extension.
Click-to-call from any app on the system
Highlight a phone number anywhere on the system (a CRM record, a spreadsheet, a calendar invite, a PDF) and a keyboard shortcut dials it through the VanceTel desktop app under the business number. The same shortcut summons the dial pad with focus already in the number field for keyboard-only calling. Screen-pop for incoming calls surfaces the caller name, last conversation timestamp, and notes from the contact CRM the moment the phone rings so the rep walks into the call with context. See the [business phone product](/products/business-phone) for the calling-feature deep dive.
The Shared inbox at the keyboard
A multi-window layout lets the inbox, an active conversation, and the dial pad sit side-by-side on a real monitor. Keyboard shortcuts cover the everyday actions: assign conversation, tag, mark closed, send template, jump to next unread. Drag-and-drop attachments from the desktop into a thread for MMS or live chat send. The same Shared inbox the mobile app sees, the same conversation status, the same templates, just with a keyboard and the screen real estate of a real workstation.
Secure local storage and OS-level integration
Authentication tokens store encrypted in the OS keychain (macOS Keychain, Windows Credential Manager) via electron-store rather than in a plain file. The app integrates with the OS notification center so missed calls and inbound texts surface as real native notifications: clickable, dismissable, and respectful of Focus / Do Not Disturb. Auto-update ships signed releases through the standard Electron updater so a deployment engineer never has to walk a user through a manual reinstall.
How Desktop App compares
Factual, defensible criteria, sourced from public pricing and published feature pages on the comparison date.
| Feature | VanceTel | RingCentral | Dialpad | 8x8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Native macOS + Windows builds (not a browser tab) | ||||
| System tray with availability presets | ||||
| Click-to-call from any other system app | ||||
| Screen-pop on incoming calls with CRM context | ||||
| Encrypted local token storage via OS keychain | ||||
| Multi-window Shared inbox layout | ||||
| Same extension as desk phone + mobile + web (simultaneous) |
Frequently asked questions
Get a quote
Get a written desktop app quote
Written quote with install timeline, hardware, and recurring price. Usually same business day.