# App and Portal Users

- Updated on Mar 14, 2026  
- Published on Mar 9, 2026  
- 1 minute(s) read

### Overview

Sanas has two distinct user types, each with a different purpose:

- **App Users** are the people who use the Sanas desktop application, typically agents in a contact center or employees handling calls.

- **Portal Users** are administrators who manage the Sanas account, configure settings, and oversee App Users through the Portal.

Understanding this distinction is essential to setting up your organization correctly.

### App users

Users of the Sanas desktop application are referred to as App users, who are the primary users to access and utilize the Sanas products (Accent Translation, Language Translation, Noise Cancellation, and Speech Enhancement) during their calls.

**Key characteristics:**

- Authenticate on the Sanas app using the configured authentication mode (UAK, Auto-Activation, Email-Passcode, or SSO).
- Belong to a group, which determines their product-access and feature configurations.
- Cannot access the Sanas Portal.
- Managed by Portal Users (admins).

### Portal users

Portal Users are administrators who access the [Sanas Portal](https://help.sanas.ai/portalv3/docs/sanas-portal) to manage the account, groups, settings, and users.

**Key characteristics:**

- Sign in to the Portal using their email or SSO.
- Assigned a [Portal role](https://help.sanas.ai/portalv3/docs/portal-roles) (Account Admin, Group Admin, or a custom role) that determines their permissions.
- Assigned at the account level or a specific group level, which determines their scope.
- Can manage app users, configure settings, and invite other Portal users (depending on their role).

### Comparison

|     |     |     |
| --- | --- | --- |
|     | **App Users** | **Portal Users** |
| _Purpose_ | Use Sanas products during calls. | Manage the Sanas account and users. |
| _Access_ | Desktop application only. | Portal only |
| _Authentication_ | Configured by portal user <br>(UAK, Auto-Activation, Email-Passcode, or SSO). | Email or SSO |
| _Permissions_ | None; controlled by group settings. | Defined by the assigned Portal role. |
| _Managed by_ | Portal users. | Other Portal users with appropriate permissions (Account admin or with similar permissions). |

### Support

**Need help?** Get in touch with our [Support Team](mailto:support@sanas.ai) for assistance.