From a web browser, you can make ConnectUC calls with one click on any web page with a phone number link.

Important: One-click dialing only works on computers with the ConnectUC client installed as a Progressive Web App (PWA).

You can use ConnectUC to make calls from the following browsers:

• Google Chrome
• Microsoft Edge

This article provides the technical details of dealing with the tel:// URL settings in Windows, MacOS and in Chrome and Edge.

If users need to click on numbers on web pages that aren't tel: links can use a browser extension such as this extension from Mondago: 

Chrome: Telephone Number Detection - Chrome Addons

Edge: Telephone Number Detection - Microsoft Edge Addons

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• The Simple Method
  • Working with URL Handlers 
    • Windows 11 Setup (Default Apps)
    • MacOS Setup (Swift Default Apps)
      • Installing Swift Default Apps  
      • Using Swift Default Apps  
    • Chrome 
    • Edge 

The Simple Method

If ConnectUC isn’t launching properly when you click on a URL handler, the easiest way to get it to work properly is to remove the PWA and clean up any tel:// URL handlers in the browsers. Once complete, you may re-install the ConnectUC PWA and let it register ConnectUC as the PWA handler. 

Working with URL Handlers 

The tel:// URL handler can be configured in the Computer's Operating System and also in the Web Browsers. For use with ConnectUC it’s best to remove tel handlers from within Chrome and Edge and let the operating system settings control launching ConnectUC. 

The operating System configuration is handled differently on Windows vs. MacOS.

Windows 11 Setup (Default Apps)

Please follow the steps below if you are are using Windows OS. 

1. In Windows, go to Settings and under Recommended settings click on Default apps.
    
2. Scroll to find ConnectUC with the UC logo and click on it:
   
   
3. Verify that ConnectUC is listed as the TEL handler. Click in the space below TEL and ensure that ConnectUC is selected.
   
   
4. The default app selector will be shown.
   
5. Click ‘Set default’ once ConnectUC is verified as the Default app. 
6. Proceed to remove tel:// handler from Chrome and/or Edge (Steps detailed below).

MacOS Setup (Swift Default Apps)

Please follow the steps below if you are are using MacOS. 

MacOS doesn’t have a built in means for managing default apps. Instead, a third party program called Swift Default Apps is required.  

Installing Swift Default Apps  

For Mac, there is no way to change the default application used to launch ConnectUC in the operating system for tel: links. A small application called “Swift Default Apps” (GitHub - Lord-Kamina/SwiftDefaultApps: Replacement for RCDefaultApps, written in Swift) is needed to do this.  

• Download page: Releases - Lord-Kamina/SwiftDefaultApps   
• Latest version (2.0.1): https://github.com/Lord-Kamina/SwiftDefaultApps/releases/download/v2.0.1/SwiftDefaultApps-v2.0.1.zip

Please complete the following steps:

1. Download the file and unzip. Please note, you will need administrator privileges to install. 
2. To install, double click on the .prefpane, and you will be prompted to install it. 
3. To uninstall, simply Ctrl+Click on the Prefpane icon and remove it, or move the .prefpane file to the Trash.  

Using Swift Default Apps  

Swift Default Apps installs into your Mac’s Preferences. To navigate to the app, click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner and then select the System Preferences menu item.   

Once you have located the app:

1. Navigate to the URI Schemes tab and scroll the left pane to find ‘tel:’
   

   

2. On the right hand side in the ‘Viewer’ box, select the copy of ConnectUC to launch by default.
   

3. Once selected, you can verify the path to the PWA. In the screenshot below we can see that the ConnectUC.app in Edge is selected.
   

4. Once complete, The URL handler is now configured in the Operating System.

Chrome 

To configure the tel:// URL handler in Chrome:

1. Click on the three button menu in the upper right and click on Settings. The following will be shown:
   
2. In the Search settings box enter ”protocol handler” Click on ”Site settings” and then scroll down to find ”Protocol handlers“.  Clicking on it will reveal any configured protocol handlers for Chrome.
   
3. If a tel handler is shown, click on the three button icon to the right of it and select Remove.

Edge 

The same method from Chrome can be used for Edge. Edge is just organized a bit differently. 

To configure the tel:// URL handler in Edge:

1. Get into Settings and then in the Search settings box enter ”protocol handler.” 
2. Click on ”Site settings” and then scroll down to find ”Protocol handlers."  Clicking this option will reveal any configured protocol handlers for Edge.
   
3. If any tel handler is configured (as in the above example), click on the trashcan icon to remove it.