StratusHUB Desktop App Basic User Guide
Discover how to get the most out of the StratusHUB desktop app's basic features with this basic user guide.
Written by Grayson Akerly
Updated at May 23rd, 2024
Table of Contents
Access the App
The StratusHUB App can be found at app.spectrumvoip.com on your web browser.
Quick Tip: This browser can be Google Chrome or another Chromium-based web browser like Chromium, Microsoft Edge, Brave, or Opera.
Download the App
While the StratusHUB App is able to be used within the web browser, it works best when downloaded as an application (app) on your computer.
To do this…
- Click on the Install SpectrumVoIP icon at the top of the browser within the search bar.
- In the Install app? prompt, click Install.
✔ After the app is installed, the browser should pop up a notification mentioning the app was downloaded/added:
The Desktop App should automatically open as well.
Log In
When launching the StratusHUB App for the first time, you will be presented with the login screen.
There are three different ways to log in: using your username and password, your Google account, or your Office 365 account.
To log in using your Stratus account's credentials…
- Use the Username box to type in your login name for the Stratus web portal.
- Use the Password box to type in your Stratus password.
- Click the LOGIN button.
✔ After your initial login, this data will be stored and not be requested again unless you log out
Sign Out
You can sign out of the app by clicking the User icon and selecting Sign Out.
Your View of the App
The app has two primary views: Condensed and Full Screen. These views also use a Collapsible Menu that shows the titles of each tab,
Condensed View
The condensed view looks similar to a smart phone app. The menu options are located in the top left hand corner of the window.
Full Screen View
The Full Screen view takes advantage of the longer width by stacking modules side by side. The menu can be left as always visible, or stowed away by clicking on the back arrow in the top left hand corner of the screen.
Collapsible Menu
The toolbar running down the left is expandable and collapsible. This toolbar is the key to navigating through the different features of the StratusHUB app.
For both the Full Screen and Condensed views of the app, the toolbar is collapsible using two icons:
• Expand Toolbar - 
• Collapse Toolbar - 
Status Indicators
At the top-right of the StratusHUB desktop app, you will see two indicators that can be used for quickly checking information about your own status: the Registration Status indicator and the Call Center Status indicator.
Registration Status
The Phone Icon with the word SIP in the top right hand corner is an indicator of your phone’s current registration status. Green is good and means your phone is registered. You should be able to make calls. Red is bad and means your phone is not registered. This could be due to a local internet issue or because you have not allowed the app to have access to your microphone.
Call Center Status
The Call Center Status button and drop-down can be used to set your status in the call queues you are present in.
To do this, use the Call Center Status drop-down to select a Status.
Note: Custom Statuses can be created by an Office Manager or Call Center Supervisor.
The color of the Call Center Status icon indicates your current status in the queue.
| Color | Example | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Green |  |
You are set as Online so that you can handle calls from your queue. |
| Red |  |
You are currently set as Offline. You will stop receiving calls from call queues until you go back Online. |
| Yellow |  |
Your status is set as Lunch. You will be set as unavailable for calls in the call queue until you go back Online. You can still receive direct calls and make outbound calls. |
| Orange |  |
Your status is set as Break. You will be set as unavailable for calls in the call queue until you go back Online. You can still receive direct calls and make outbound calls. |
| Purple |  |
Your status is set as Meeting. You will be set as unavailable for calls in the call queue until you go back Online. You can still receive direct calls and make outbound calls. |
| Dark Blue |  |
You are currently set as unavailable using a custom status that an admin has created. You will be set as unavailable for calls in the call queue until you go back Online. You can still receive direct calls and make outbound calls. |
| Grey |  |
Your call center status is set as Other. You will be set as unavailable for calls in the call queue until you go back Online. You can still receive direct calls and make outbound calls. |
Features of Your Desktop App
Use the Soft Phone Tab
In the Soft Phone page, you can use the Dial Pad to contact others and view your Recent Calls.
Place a Call
Just like with a desk phone or the mobile app, you can dial coworkers' extension numbers, external phone numbers, etc. using the dial pad feature.
There are three ways to place a call to someone using the Soft Phone page…
-
Use your keyboard or mouse to dial the other person's phone number or extension number and click the Dial button.
- Use your keyboard to type in the name of a contact and click the contact shown in the Search section.
- Click on an entry in the Recent Calls section.
Receive a Call
When there is an incoming call, the Caller ID of the caller will be displayed alongside the Accept 
, Ignore 
, and Decline 
buttons.
If you have enabled notification permissions, you can also get a notification from your computer that allows you to either Answer or Reject the call.
Active Calls
An Active Call will have a pop-up that offers different in-call features:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Mute | Disable the microphone. |
| Hold | Place the other party on hold. |
| Dial Pad | Pull up the DTMF dial pad so that digits can be entered during a call. |
| Add Call | Create a second call that is separate from the first call. Once the second call is established the calls can be merged into a three-way conference or kept separate with the ability to swap between calls. |
| Transfer Call | When clicked, you can select between doing a Blind Transfer or an Assisted Transfer.  Blind Transfer - Send a call to another destination without speaking to the person taking the transfer. Assisted Transfer - Speak with the person you want to transfer the call to before completing a transfer. |
| Start Rec | If Call Recording is enabled, click this button to start recording a call. When clicked, a REC notice  will appear above the duration of the call.
|
| Pause Rec | Pause your recording of the call. The REC notice will show a pause symbol:  Click Resume Rec to continue recording the call. 
|
| Stop Rec | Stop recording a call. The REC notice  will disappear:
|
| Call Park | Select how to park a call. Call Park - Select which park queue the call should be transferred to.  Dynamic Park - Have the app choose where to park the call for you. 
|
| Switch Phone | Move the active call to another one of your phones that is connect. Clicking this will show a list of connected phones to choose from. 
|
| Hide | Minimize the active call options window. The active call options can be brought back by clicking on the Back to Call button. 
|
Reference Your Call History
The call history tab contains a complete call history for the user. This is organized by ALL, OUTBOUND, INBOUND, and MISSED calls.
You can select a call to find out more information about the call, such as the time, date, and duration. You can also choose to call the contact back, send them a message, or view their contact information.
Manage Contacts
The contacts section contains a list of all of your user’s Stratus contacts. While this is mainly for internal contacts, external contacts can also be added by clicking the ‘CREATE’ button.
Check Your Voicemails
The voicemail section will display your user’s vociemails. There are two categories, New and Saved that can be switched using the drop down menu on the left.
Messages can be selected then listened to within the app. There are also call back and forward options, as well as a delete option.
Send Chats and SMS Messages
If you have any Chats from coworkers or any SMS messages, they will appear in the Chat and SMS page of the desktop app:
This interface allows you to not only send Chat and SMS message back and forth; it also allows you to insert a document, picture, use emojis, and even start a video call.
Note: If you do not have any Chats or SMS messages, then the modal will appear empty like so:
You can click the NEW button to start a new conversation. The New Conversation menu will appear to let you search for the recipient and type out a message:
DANGER: To use SMS services, your business must have a registered SMS campaign and brand.
If SMS is being used, you must adhere to our Privacy Terms.
To learn more about registering for a SMS Campaign and the charges associated with SMS/MMS messaging, feel free to read this article regarding these recent guideline changes.
The interface for SMS messaging will look the same as it does for the Chat feature.
Quick Tip: The messaging interface also has a scrollable list of certain features and settings that can be used and adjusted for the selected chat/SMS conversation:
These options can be accessed by clicking the More Options 
icon for a conversation.
Export Chat and SMS Messages
In some circumstances, it may be necessary to export a .CSV file of a conversation's messages.
To do this…
1. Select and view the conversation.
2. Click the More Options 
icon for the conversation.
3. Select Export Chat.
4. In the Export Chat Messages window, click the Calendar 
icons to set the date range for the messages to be pulled.
4. Click EXPORT.
✔ A spreadsheet of the messages from that conversation from the date you chose should be downloaded to your PC.
5. In order to open this spreadsheet, the file that downloaded will need to be extracted.
To extract the file…
1. Navigate to the Downloads folder of your PC.
2. Right-click the zipped file.
3. Select Extract All…
4. Click the newly unzipped copy of the folder.
✔ Now you should be able to open the spreadsheet to view the messages.
Access Your Profile Settings
To review your Profile and its settings…
- Click the User icon.
- Select Profile.
While you are viewing your Profile settings, you can adjust them to match your preferences.
Personal Information
Using the desktop app's Profile Settings, you can update your Personal Information any time you need to:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| First Name and Last Name * | Update the name your coworkers will see while using the Directory feature of their desk phone, StratusHUB desktop app, or the Stratus mobile app. |
| Timezone | Use this drop-down to select the time zone that the app will reference. |
| User's Scope | View your user scope that has been set in the Stratus web portal. |
| Email * | Add or update the email address that is used for password resets. Click the Add button  to add an additional email address.
|
| Delivery Options | Select if your name should be read out or hidden to callers using a dial-by-name directory or coworkers using their • Announce in Audio Directory - If necessary, allow or disallow the dial-by-name directory your organization may use to announce your name to callers. • List in Directory - Show or hide your name from the Directory feature of your coworkers' phones. |
Caller ID Information
In some circumstances, it may be necessary to adjust the Caller ID Information your phone references and displays.
✔ Doing this can be useful for users that…
- Have their own Direct Inward Dialing (DID) number to use for their Caller ID.
- Need to switch between different phone numbers for their Caller ID in certain situations.
- Need their phones to dial the last 7 digits of local numbers easily with a specific Area Code.
- Should display a different phone number and address of a certain site for their Emergency Caller ID.
In the Profile Settings of the app, you can adjust your Caller ID Information:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Area Code * |
Set the first 3 digits that the app will add on when you dial the last 7 digits of other phone numbers that use the same area code. For example… If my area code is set as 469, I can dial 4-2-9-2-5-0-0 to call the SpectrumVoIP technical support team (469-429-2500). |
| Caller ID | If you own multiple numbers, select which phone number should be shown to callers. |
| Emergency Caller ID | Ensure that a phone number is set to be shown to emergency responders when you call 9-1-1. |
Change Account Security
In the Profile Settings of the app, you can update your password that you use to login to the app and the Stratus web portal.
✔ It is recommended to update your password periodically to ensure your account stays secure.
Change Voicemail Pin
The Profile Settings of the app also allow you to update the Voicemail PIN that secures your mailbox.
✔ This is useful for users that…
- Forgot their voicemail PIN.
- Update their security information periodically.
- Are inheriting this extension from a previous user.
Emergency Address Configuration
If you use the desktop app at a different site or remotely from home, it is essential to update the address it uses for your Emergency Caller ID. Multiple addresses can be saved so that you can switch addresses when you use the app at different locations.
It is recommended to update or switch your emergency address when you…
- First install and open the app.
- Move locations/sites.
- Start working remotely from home.
Quick Tip: This Emergency Address and your Emergency Caller ID phone number are shown to dispatchers when you call 9-1-1 for any emergencies.
DANGER: Not adding in your apps' current address can result in issues and delays in getting emergency responders to your location!
Avoid this risk by keeping your emergency address information up-to-date.
Add a New Address
1. Click the Emergency Address drop-down and select Add a new address.
2. In the boxes that appear, fill in the following information:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Address Name | A unique, descriptive name for the address that will be seen in the Emergency Address drop-down when you select addresses for the app. |
| Caller Name | Type in your first and last name that emergency responders should see when dispatchers answer your emergency call. |
| Address Line 1 | Type in the street number and name where you are located. |
| Address Line 2 | If necessary, type in the building, unit, or apartment number you are located at. |
| Country |
The United States is the only option available for provisioning for the app's emergency address. NOTE: If you live in a different country, please contact our technical support team. |
| State / Province | The state your office/home is located. |
| City | The city your office/home is located. |
| ZIP Code | Your office/home's ZIP code. |
| Location |
Type in a brief description of where exactly your office/home is located. Note: This description can be up to 60 characters long. WARNING: If the location description is longer than 60 characters, you will receive an error when you validate the address in the next step. |
3. To confirm the address is correctly formatted, click the VALIDATE button.
✔ If all of the address' information is correct, you will see a notification that the address has been confirmed and applied.
4. Click the SAVE button.
5. In the Account Authentication window, type in your app's current password and click the SAVE button.
Switch Emergency Addresses
When you have multiple emergency addresses added, you can use the Emergency Address drop-down to select one of your addresses and click the SAVE button.
✔ It is recommended to re-select your emergency address when you…
- Move locations/sites.
- Start working remotely from home.
- Travel for work
Edit an Address
At any time, your emergency addresses can be updated for accuracy,
To update the information for one of your emergency addresses…
1. Use the Emergency Address drop-down to select the address that needs to be edited.
2. Click Edit Address.
3. Update the address and its information as needed.
4. To confirm the address is correctly formatted, click the VALIDATE button.
✔ If all of the address' information is correct, you will see a notification that the address has been confirmed and applied.
5. Click the SAVE button.
6. In the Account Authentication window, type in your app's current password and click the SAVE button.
Update Address Name and Location
To only update the Address Name or Location description…
1. Click Add my location description.
2. Update the Address Name and Location information as needed. 
3. Click the SAVE button.
4. In the Account Authentication window, type in your app's current password and click the SAVE button.
Keep Your Desktop App Updated
Periodically, there may be updates available for the app. This will usually happen semi-automatically when the app is opened. Or a pop up may appear prompting the user to click ‘update’ to apply the update.
Alternatively, you can force a check for updates by clicking on the refresh icon in the top left of the app. Or Press Ctrl+F5 to refresh the app while it is in the foreground.