Highlights:
- Having access to your communications at any time is vital to staying connected, especially in the hybrid workplace.
- RingCentral users have three different login options: the desktop app, mobile app, and web app.
- The web app offers all of the essential features available on the desktop app—with some additional advantages too.
- Chrome users also have some additional benefits thanks to Google’s PWA.
Whether it’s tweaks on a sales strategy or a major company pivot, great business ideas share a common starting point: collaboration. After all, innovation happens when you put smart minds together.
But with the rise of remote work during the pandemic—and now, significant moves among businesses toward permanent work-from-anywhere and hybrid working models—collaboration looks quite different than it used to.
No more desktop vs. mobile: The rise of web apps
Back when we lived in an office-based world, having two versions of an app—desktop and mobile—made sense. Because most employees spent their working time at their desks, desktop apps were usually the key focus.
Mobile apps were convenient especially for employees frequently on the road. Those apps, however, were often pared-down versions of the desktop experience, requiring a tradeoff between function and mobility.
However, a third option has been growing in popularity and capability: web apps. Once upon a time, these too came up short in comparison to dedicated desktop versions. But times have changed. Web apps now offer way more functionality, comparable to native apps on desktop and mobile.
At RingCentral, we’re all about giving our users several ways to collaborate, no matter where they work from. That’s why our web app (app.ringcentral.com) offers almost every feature available to the desktop version.
Here are several advantages of using the web app:
Advantage 1: Collaborate from anywhere
The beauty of hybrid and remote work: employees can do their jobs from anywhere, at any time. The challenge: employees need tools that make collaboration easily accessible—whether that’s sending a quick check-in message or joining a meeting.
With the RingCentral web app, users can easily log into their accounts without having to download or open their native apps. Just sign in through the login page via Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge and you’re ready to start working.
Advantage 2: Sign in from any device, company or personal
Many hybrid and remote companies equip employees with company laptops. But this can shackle them to those devices, making it work less flexible. For example, what if collaboration happens on a PC-based app, but you want to log on from your personal Macbook to quickly hop on a call?
You can log into the RingCentral web app from any device, removing any barriers to entry.
Advantage 3: The same features as the desktop app
Gone are the days of missing out on features in order to collaborate on the go. Not only does the RingCentral web app have the same familiar interface as the desktop version, but it provides almost all of the same functionalities too.
Web app users have all the essentials—messaging, video and phone—at their fingertips, along with the ability to send files, create groups, add bookmarks, and all the other functionalities that make RingCentral such a powerful collaboration platform.
And for those accessing RingCentral on Chrome, we have even more features and integrations, making the app even more powerful.
Advantage 4: Join meetings in an instant
As anyone who’s ever been late to a video meeting because they had to install the app can attest, app-based solutions—whether desktop or mobile—have some pain points. The need to download before you can use it is chief among them.
RingCentral’s web app allows users to say goodbye to this hassle altogether. There are no downloads required to join meetings—all internal and external users need is the link. And everyone has access to features such as screen sharing, virtual backgrounds, and recording functions.
Advantage 5: Updates are automatic
Whether they’re self-serve or managed via IT, app updates can be a pain—and failing to install them can hinder functionality and create security vulnerabilities. But there’s no need to manually update at all when using the RingCentral web app. Updates to the web interface happen automatically within the browser, providing access to the latest version every time you log in.
Go ahead. Try it on
As we enter a new era of hybrid work, you never know when you’ll need to respond to a message, answer a call, or join a meeting at a moment’s notice. The good thing is you’ll be ready as long as you have an internet connection.
The best part is you can start using it in an instant. Try our RingCentral web app now, even if you’re just looking around.
Originally published May 19, 2021, updated Dec 30, 2022
