Softphone Video Calls for Business: When and How to Use Them
Tom Reed · Updated 4 November 2026
A softphone video call is a normal SIP call with a camera added. You ring the same extension or contact you'd call by voice, and video runs alongside the audio in the same app. For quick one-to-one calls with colleagues or customers, that beats opening a separate meeting app; for large scheduled meetings, a meeting tool still fits better.
This guide is for IT admins and small-business owners whose teams already call from a softphone and wonder whether a video softphone can replace a separate meeting app for quick face-to-face calls. It covers when to use video, the codecs involved, quality settings and a rollout checklist.
What is a SIP video call?
A SIP video call is a voice call with a video stream added to it. SessionTalk's business softphone apps for mobile and desktop put voice, video and messaging in one app across Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, with HD video calling built in. SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) is the same signalling your softphone already uses to set up voice calls. When both ends support video, the call carries a video stream next to the audio, and your PBX or video gateway negotiates which video format both sides will use.
For the person making the call, nothing new needs learning. They open the app they already use, pick a colleague or customer from the contact list, and place the call. Because the app speaks standard SIP, it works with SIP-based PBXs and hosted platforms rather than being tied to one system.
That's the key difference from a meeting app. A meeting app is a separate tool with its own accounts, invites and links. A SIP video call uses the extension and contact you already have, so the call starts the way every other call does.
When does softphone video beat a separate meeting app?
Softphone video wins when the call is short, unplanned and one-to-one, between people who already call each other. There's no meeting link to create or send, no second app to open, and the contact list is the one staff use every day. On the desktop app, a voice call can turn into a face-to-face call without anyone leaving the conversation.
A meeting app still has its place. Large scheduled meetings, webinars with invites and agendas, and long sessions built around documents on screen belong in a meeting tool. Use each for what it does best.
Table: softphone video or a meeting app?
| Situation | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quick face-to-face check with a colleague | Softphone video | Same app and extension you already call; no link to send |
| Customer call that needs a quick look at something | Softphone video | Turn video on from a call that's already happening |
| Field or remote staff showing a problem on site | Softphone video (mobile) | Calls from the phone they already carry; lower quality setting on mobile data |
| Large scheduled meeting or webinar | Meeting app | Built for many participants, invites and agendas |
| Long sessions that rely on sharing documents on screen | Meeting app | Not a softphone job; keep it in a meeting tool |
A simple rule for staff: if you'd normally just ring someone, ring them and switch the camera on. If you'd normally send a calendar invite to a group, use the meeting app. And when several people need to join by voice, a PBX conference bridge may fit better than video; see our guide to conference calling for small business.
Which video codecs does a softphone use?
A codec is the format used to compress video so it can travel over the network and be rebuilt on the other side. SessionTalk's softphones support video calling with the H.264, VP8 and VP9 codecs on desktop and mobile.
In plain words:
- H.264 is a long-established video standard that's supported by a very wide range of devices, PBXs and video gateways.
- VP8 is an open video format that's widely used for calling over the internet.
- VP9 is the newer version of VP8, built to compress video more efficiently.
The important part for IT is that both ends of the call must agree on the same codec. The softphone offers the codecs it supports, the other side does the same, and the call uses one they have in common. If video doesn't appear on a call, a codec mismatch somewhere along the path is one of the first things to check with whoever runs your PBX.
Audio has its own set of codecs, which work separately from video. If you want to understand those, read VoIP codecs explained.
How do you set video quality for Wi-Fi and mobile data?
Video uses far more data than voice, so the network matters. SessionTalk's softphones offer adjustable quality settings for Wi-Fi and mobile networks, so you can treat each connection differently:
- On good Wi-Fi, set quality higher. Office and home Wi-Fi usually has room for a sharper picture.
- On mobile data, set quality lower. That saves data on the user's allowance and helps keep the call smooth when signal varies.
Setting these once for the team avoids the common complaint that video "works in the office but freezes on the road". It also stops a field worker's mobile data being used up by a call that didn't need a sharp picture.
If a video call looks choppy or the audio breaks up, the cause is often the network rather than the app. Our guide on how to fix poor call quality on your softphone walks through the usual suspects, from Wi-Fi to firewalls.
Can you start a call as voice and add video later?
On the desktop app, yes. The desktop softphone for Windows and Mac supports SIP video calls on both Windows and macOS, and you choose how video behaves:
- Auto-send on outbound calls, so video starts as soon as the call connects. This suits teams that video-call each other all the time.
- Off by default and added mid-call, from the in-call controls. This suits most businesses: every call starts as voice, and video is turned on only when someone needs to see something.
Off by default is usually the safer starting point. Nobody is caught on camera by surprise, and video only uses network capacity when it's actually wanted.
On mobile, the app supports video calling on iPhone, iPad and Android with the same codecs. The mid-call option described here is the desktop app's behaviour, so check how your provisioned mobile app handles video during your pilot before you write user guidance.
Which devices support softphone video?
Video calling works across Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android:
- Desktop: the desktop app gives HD video on Windows and macOS, alongside voice, messaging and contact management.
- Mobile: the SIP softphone for iPhone, iPad and Android supports HD voice and video calls and messaging, so field and remote staff can show a problem from the phone they already carry.
- Tablet: an iPad makes a good middle ground for staff who move around a site but want a bigger screen; our guide to the iPad VoIP app for business calls covers it in more detail.
Calls on both desktop and mobile are protected by TLS signalling and SRTP-encrypted media where the PBX supports it.
Video calling rollout checklist
Rolling out video is mostly about agreeing defaults before anyone switches a camera on.
Checklist: before you switch on video
- PBX or video gateway negotiates H.264 or VP8/VP9 (check with your provider)
- Decide default: video off on desktop and added mid-call, or auto-send on outbound
- Quality set higher for Wi-Fi and lower for mobile data
- Headsets and webcams checked on Windows and Mac pilot machines
- Mobile users told when video uses mobile data
- TLS and SRTP on where the PBX supports it
- Apps provisioned by QR code so users don't type SIP settings
- One pilot call tested on desktop and one on mobile before rollout
QR code provisioning matters more than it looks. Users scan once and the softphone is ready to call, so nobody types SIP settings or codec options by hand, and every device starts from the same configuration.
Pair it with a hosted PBX
Pair it with a hosted PBX so voice and video calling, messaging and extensions come from one place: SessionPBX hosted PBX. With SessionPBX, your team can call colleagues and customers from Windows, macOS, iOS and Android, and you configure mobile apps with a QR code or desktop apps with a setup link. SessionPBX doesn't supply numbers or lines: it is a bring-your-own SIP trunk system, so you connect the SIP trunk you already use for outside calls.
FAQ
Can a softphone make video calls?
Yes. SessionTalk's softphones support HD video calling on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, from the same app and contact list staff use for voice calls.
Which video codecs do SIP softphones use?
Commonly H.264, VP8 and VP9. Both ends of the call must support the same codec, and your PBX or video gateway negotiates which one is used.
Does video work over mobile data?
Yes. Quality is adjustable for Wi-Fi and mobile networks, so you can lower it on mobile data to save data and keep calls smooth.
Can I add video to a call that started as voice?
On the desktop softphone, yes: keep video off by default and add it mid-call from the in-call controls. Or set video to auto-send on outbound calls.
Do I still need a meeting app?
For large scheduled meetings, probably yes. For quick one-to-one calls with a colleague or customer, the softphone is often enough.
