RingCentral DESKTOP App or RingCentral PHONE App for Citrix Integration?

I'm a systems administrator supporting a Citrix virtual desktop and application environment all running on Windows Server 2019 Standard 1809 servers with Citrix VDA version 2012. All of our end users are running either Windows 10 or Windows 11 with various versions of the Citrix workspace app.

I've been reading RingCentral's support instructions for getting the Web app, Desktop app, and Phone app working with Citrix Desktop using Citrix Workspace. These instructions: Using the Citrix VDI integration with the RingCentral app talk about "Optimizing your Calls with Citrix". However, the RingCentral Desktop app when installed on the Windows server that hosts our Citrix Desktops has no "Optimize Media Quality for Citrix" slider. While trying to understand what I was missing and assuming that the "Optimize Media Quality for Citrix" slider was an important step, I discovered these instructions: Installing the RingCentral Phone Plugin For Citrix. While following those instructions and attempting to install the RingCentral Phone app on the Windows server that hosts our Citrix desktops, I discovered that I had to follow these instructions: Installing Wireless LAN service on Windows Server to operate the RingCentral Phone desktop | RingCentral Phone app. After getting all of that done, I did find the "Optimize Media Quality for Citrix" slider on the Advanced tab on the RingCentral Phone app.

In testing the RingCentral DESKTOP app and the RingCentral PHONE app with Citrix Desktop using Citrix Workspace, both seem to work just fine. With RingCentral making a huge deal about moving away from the RingCentral PHONE app to the RingCentral DESKTOP app, I find it odd that the PHONE app is still supported. So my question for the RingCental moderators is:

"Which RingCentral application does RingCentral recommended to use with its service when running on Citrix desktops?"

My question for the community is:

What has been your experience with using and supporting end users using RingCentral's applications within the Citrix Desktop environment?
- Do you prefer one application over the other two?
- Do you base the installation of the application on the use case scenario of the end users?
  - Do you have more than one application installed in the environment?
- Do you base the installation of the application based on the resources (bandwidth, CPU, RAM, etc) you have for the Citrix environment?

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Hi Aaron Smith,

The RingCentral recommends to use the RingCentral App as it's updating all time, but if you need, you can use the RingCentral Phone or both for them.

Regarding the RingCentral App:

1. Have you installed BAT file under Admin on a your Citrix VM? You need to install it, reboot the VM and ensure that all Citrix Services are running. https://downloads.ringcentral.com/app/vdi/citrix-vda-policy.zip (Using the RingCentral App Citrix optimization doesn't require installation any additional plugins)

2. If the media-optimization icon is not displayed, please write to support and describe all your situation. They may ask you to collect logs files.

Regarding the RingCentral Phone:

1. You need to install RingCentral Phone to you Citrix VM.

2. Ensure that all Citrix Services are running.

3. Install RingCentral Phone Citrix Plugin to your client PC https://downloads.ringcentral.com/sp/RingCentralCitrixPluginForWindows

4. Re-connect to the VM and make a call, check the media-optimization icon.

Hi Kyrylo Ursatii,

Thank you very much for that excellent response. I did not initially install the BAT file because under the section "Using the RingCentral desktop app in a Citrix environment" of the Using the Citrix VDI integration with the RingCentral app article, it states:

Note: If you are using a version of the RingCentral desktop app that is older than Version 22.2.30, you’ll need to download and run this BAT file on the same server.

I installed the newest version of the RingCentral desktop app (v 23.4 from RingCentral's download center) on the Citrix server.

Because you suggested it, I will install that BAT file and see if that allows me to see and select the "Optimize Media Quality for Citrix" slider. Once done, I will post back here with the result.

Hi @Aaron Smith

Do you have all these Citrix services in a Running state? And have you reconnected to the Citrix VM?