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Customize Email, Call, and Text Buttons

Choose which desktop and mobile apps PracticeRunner opens when you email, call, or text a contact.

PracticeRunner can open email, call, and text buttons with your device’s standard apps or with links provided by another calling or messaging service. These preferences affect actions you start from contacts, cases, the calendar, conversations, billing, and the Session Workspace. They do not change how PracticeRunner sends automated email, appointment reminders, invoices, or secure messages.

Configure the handlers

  1. Open Settings → Account → Preferences.
  2. Find External Actions.
  3. Configure the desktop and mobile choices under Email, Phone calls, and Text messages.
  4. Save your preferences.
  5. Test each action on the devices you use.

Desktop and mobile handlers are separate. For example, you can use Gmail Web on a computer while using the mail app configured by your phone.

The most dependable option is usually the default handler supplied by the operating system:

  • Email: mailto: opens the configured mail app.
  • Phone calls: tel: opens the configured calling app.
  • Text messages: sms: opens the configured messaging app.

These defaults are the initial mobile settings in PracticeRunner. If you change the default app in iOS, Android, macOS, or Windows, PracticeRunner normally follows that choice without requiring a custom template.

iPhone and iPad

On a current version of iOS or iPadOS:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Choose Apps → Default Apps.
  3. Review Email, Calling, and Messaging.
  4. Choose an installed app that supports being used as the default.

The available calling and messaging choices can depend on the app, device, operating-system version, and region. Apple explains the current options in Change your default apps on iPhone. Google also provides specific instructions for making Gmail the default mail app.

Android

Default-app names vary by device manufacturer, but they are usually under Settings → Apps → Default apps. Choose the phone, SMS, and email apps you want Android to open.

Google Voice can redirect calls started with the Android phone app on supported accounts and configurations. In Google Voice, review Settings → Calls → Calls started from this device’s phone app. Android may also provide Default apps → Call redirecting app. See Google’s instructions for making calls with Google Voice on Android.

Custom templates

Choose Custom Handler when your provider publishes a supported link format. Every template must:

  • start with a protocol such as https:, rcmobile:, or another scheme registered by the provider’s app
  • include {{phone}} for phone and text actions, or {{email}} for email actions

PracticeRunner replaces the placeholder when the button is selected. Phone numbers are reduced to digits and a 10-digit US number is given a leading 1.

Custom mobile links generally require the provider’s app to be installed. If the provider changes or removes its link format, the action may stop working. Keep the default tel:, sms:, or mailto: option available until you have tested the custom link.

Mobile compatibility

Start with the operating-system defaults on phones and tablets. Set PracticeRunner’s mobile handlers to Default, then choose compatible email, calling, and messaging apps in the device settings. This is generally more dependable than sending a mobile browser to a provider’s website or relying on an undocumented app link.

On iPhone and iPad, open Settings → Apps → Default Apps to review the available Email, Calling, and Messaging apps. Only apps that support Apple’s default-app system appear as choices. On Android, review Settings → Apps → Default apps. The names and available categories vary by device.

Google services have different levels of mobile support:

  • Gmail: Use PracticeRunner’s default mailto: handler and set Gmail as the device’s default email app. Do not use the desktop Gmail web template as a mobile-app link.
  • Google Voice calls: Google does not publish a stable mobile deep link that accepts a phone number. PracticeRunner can copy the number and open Google Voice so you can paste it. On supported Android accounts, the default tel: handler with Google Voice call redirection is generally more dependable. Google documents limitations for Workspace accounts and Android work profiles.
  • Google Voice texts: Google does not publish a supported mobile or web link that opens a new text conversation with a supplied phone number. PracticeRunner can copy the number and open Google Voice so you can paste it, but it cannot select the recipient automatically.

If your practice needs dependable click-to-call or click-to-text behavior across devices, consider a business phone platform that documents its link formats. Zoom Phone and RingCentral are examples. Confirm licensing, install the current provider app, sign in, and test each link on every device you use.

Known provider examples

Gmail

For desktop email, choose Gmail Web. PracticeRunner opens a Gmail compose page with the recipient filled in.

For mobile email, the recommended choice is Default (mailto:), then configure Gmail as the device’s default mail app. A Gmail web link can open in a mobile browser instead of the Gmail app, so it is less predictable than the operating-system default.

Google Voice

Google documents this web link for starting a call from a computer:

https://voice.google.com/u/0/calls?a=nc,%2B{{phone}}

PracticeRunner uses that format when the standard desktop phone template is set to Google Voice.

Google does not currently publish a supported web template for opening a new Voice text conversation with a phone number. Older URLs that contain /messages?itemId=t... should not be used. They may open the Voice site without selecting the recipient, or may not work at all.

For desktop texts, choose Google Voice Web (copy number, then open Messages). PracticeRunner copies the phone number, opens Google Voice Messages in your browser, and briefly reminds you to paste the number. It cannot select the recipient automatically.

On mobile, Google Voice (copy number, then open app) uses a googlevoice: link after copying the number. This depends on the device recognizing that scheme, which Google does not document as a stable call-or-text parameter format. If the app does not open, use the operating-system default or open Google Voice manually. On Android, using tel: with Google Voice call redirection is the more dependable documented configuration for calls.

Zoom Phone

Zoom Phone is a stronger custom-handler option when you need published call and text link formats. Zoom documents URI schemes for launching its signed-in client with a phone number already filled in.

Action Template
Call on supported clients zoomphonecall://+{{phone}}
Text on desktop or mobile zoomphonesms://+{{phone}}

These links require a Zoom Phone license, a valid Zoom Phone number, the current Zoom client, and an active sign-in. Zoom documents outbound SMS links for desktop and mobile clients version 6.1.0 or later. Call-link support varies by operating system; Zoom documents tel:, callto:, and zoomphonecall: support with platform-specific limitations. On mobile, try the operating-system default with Zoom first, then use a custom Zoom scheme only where Zoom documents support for that device.

See Zoom’s click-to-dial instructions, outbound-call URI reference, and outbound-SMS URI reference for current requirements and platform support.

RingCentral

RingCentral publishes separate desktop and mobile links. These examples can be entered as custom templates:

Action Template
Desktop call https://app.ringcentral.com/r/dialer?number={{phone}}
Mobile call rcmobile://call?number={{phone}}
Desktop text https://app.ringcentral.com/r/sms?type=new&number={{phone}}
Mobile text rcmobile://sms?number={{phone}}

The mobile templates require the RingCentral mobile app. See the RingCentral URI Scheme Reference for the provider’s current formats.

Dialpad

Dialpad documents call links that work with its native apps:

https://dialpad.com/launch?phone=+{{phone}}
dialpad:+{{phone}}

Dialpad also supports tel: links when the device is configured to route calls through Dialpad. See Enable Click to Call on Third Party Apps. Dialpad does not currently document a comparable compose-by-number SMS link in that guide.

Troubleshooting

If a button opens the wrong app:

  1. Confirm whether you are changing the desktop or mobile setting.
  2. Test the default tel:, sms:, or mailto: option.
  3. Check the device’s default-app settings.
  4. Confirm that the provider app is installed and signed in.
  5. Compare the custom template with the provider’s current documentation.
  6. Make sure the template contains the required {{phone}} or {{email}} placeholder.

If a custom mobile link does nothing, return to the operating-system default. A browser cannot guarantee that an installed provider app accepts an undocumented link format.