---
schema_version: "1"
id: c6bf22913f8e9cccee99218fd19fe9d9aba9267d20b8ce0775a7a06c06c866ff
title: Softphones for Lightning Console Apps
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/service/264-0-0/console_lex_custom_utilities_softphone.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.console_lex_custom_utilities_softphone.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 0ce5b0626e037827621b75d1fabb551617564e3342c97e56695e09fa82fe6cfe
description: Softphone utilities let your Lightning console users make calls directly from Salesforce.
products:
  - Salesforce Platform
  - Service Cloud
  - Sales
release: "264"
---
# Softphones for Lightning Console Apps

Softphone utilities let your Lightning console users make calls directly from Salesforce.

You can add softphones to your Lightning console apps that use Sales Dialer or Open CTI. Confused about the difference? Open CTI integrates third-party CTI systems with Salesforce. Dialer provides a way to provision numbers and make calls directly from Salesforce. If you already have a telephony system in place, Open CTI is the way to go since it integrates to that existing system.

![Important](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-console-264-0-0-production-enus/75c6dd08-020e-4339-beb1-c617dbcf77fb/images/icon_important.png)

Important Before you add the softphone utility to your Lightning console app, first set up and configure Open CTI or Dialer.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when adding the softphone to your Lightning console app:

- To see the Dialer option in the list of utilities, your org must have Sales Dialer enabled.
- To ensure that console users receive incoming calls before they open the softphone utility, enable Load in background when app opens.
- This utility supports pop-out.

#### See Also

- [Set Up Sales Dialer](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sales.voice_impl_overview.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Open CTI Developer Guide: Get Started with Open CTI](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.api_cti.meta/api_cti/sforce_api_cti_intro.htm)
- [Add a Utility Bar to Lightning Apps](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.apps_lightning_utilities.htm&type=5&language=en_US)