Audio and Microphone

Support for WebHID API in UCSDK

Starting with the 2411 version, Citrix Workspace app for Mac supports the WebHID API to redirect Human Interface Devices (HIDs) from endpoint to Unified Communication SDK application on the VDI. It complies with the HID standard for bi-directional communication between the application based on UCSDK and the HID devices connected to the endpoint.

With this feature, your UCSDK application can interpret HID commands such as call accept, reject, mute, or unmute within the HDX session for an enhanced user experience. This feature is enabled by default.

Adaptive audio

You don’t need to configure the audio quality policies on the VDA with the Adaptive audio feature. Adaptive audio optimizes settings for your environment and replaces legacy audio compression formats to provide an excellent user experience. For more information, see Adaptive Audio.

Improved audio echo cancellation support

Citrix Workspace app supports echo cancellation in adaptive audio and legacy audio codecs. This feature is designed for real-time audio use cases, and it improves the user experience. Citrix recommends using adaptive audio.

Client-side microphone input

Citrix Workspace app for Mac supports multiple client-side microphone inputs. You can use locally installed microphones for:

• Live events, such as softphone calls and Web conferences.
• Hosted recording applications, such as dictation programs.
• Video and audio recordings.

Digital dictation support is available with Citrix Workspace app for Mac.

You can choose how to use your microphone and webcam with the virtual app and desktop sessions. To apply access type to your microphone and webcam, select any of the following access types as per your requirement on the Mic & Webcam tab in the Preferences settings:

• Use my microphone and webcam - Provides access to microphone and webcam when it’s connected.
• Dont use my microphone and webcam - No access to microphone and webcam.
• Ask me each time - Request permission each time when microphone and webcam access is required.

To apply a background blur effect when using the webcam, select Turn on background blur effect when using webcam.

Support for multiple audio devices

Starting with the 2311 release, Citrix Workspace app for Mac displays all available local audio devices in a session with their names. In addition, plug-and-play is also supported.

Store-based configuration of microphone and webcam access

Starting with the 2307 version, the microphone and webcam access per store are included as part of the client-selective trust feature. This enhancement allows you to provide access to a microphone and webcam on a per store basis.

To enable microphone and webcam access for a store, you must select Preferences > Mic & Webcam. In the Mic & Webcam tab, select the store and the type of access required for that store.

Support for audio volume synchronization

Previously, audio volume control is independent between the Virtual Delivery Agent (VDA) and your device. You’ve to adjust the volume on both sides to maintain the desired volume. Also, if you’ve muted the volume in your device, then it restricts to unmute the volume in the VDA.

Starting with the 2402 version, Citrix Workspace app for Mac supports synchronization of audio volume between the VDA and your audio devices. You can now tune the volume using the VDA audio volume slider and have the same volume on your device and the other way around. By default, this feature is enabled.

To enable this feature, you need to use VDA version 2308 or later. For more information, see audio volume synchronization in the Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops documentation.

To enable audio volume synchronization on the VDA, configure the following registry value and restart the machine:

For Server OS VDA:

• Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Citrix\Audio
• Value name: EnableVolumeSync
• Value type: DWORD
• Value data: 1

For Desktop OS VDA:

• Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\Audio
• Value name: EnableVolumeSync
• Value type: DWORD
• Value data: 1

To disable this feature through Mobile Device Management (MDM), administrators must use the following settings:

<key>EnableVolumeSync</key><false/>

Restart the session for the changes to take effect.

Loss tolerant mode for audio

Starting with the 2402 version, Citrix Workspace app supports loss tolerant mode (EDT lossy) for audio redirection. This feature improves the user experience for real-time streaming when users are connecting through networks with high latency and packet loss. By default, this feature is enabled.

To enable this feature, you need to use VDA version 2311 or later. For more information, see Support for audio over loss-tolerant mode (Preview) in the Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops documentation.

To disable this feature through Mobile Device Management (MDM), administrators must use the following settings:

<key>EdtUnreliableAllowed</key><false/>

Restart the session for the changes to take effect.

Enable Packet Loss Concealment to improve audio performance

Starting with the 2405 version, the jitter buffer mechanism is improved, and the Packet Loss Concealment (PLC) is added for the Adaptive audio codec. PLC helps to reconstruct the lost data packets. This enhancement helps to improve the packet loss tolerance and jitter tolerance and thus improves audio performance for loss tolerant mode (EDT lossy) for audio.

To enable this feature, you also need to enable the Loss tolerant mode for the audio feature.

This feature is enabled by default.

To disable this feature through Mobile Device Management (MDM), administrators must use the following settings:

<key> PacketLossConcealmentEnabled</key><false/>
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After running the command, restart the session for the changes to take effect.