How does vPhone handle incoming calls?

Incoming calls to a vPhone number can be routed 3 ways:

• To the Chrome/softphone extension
• To another phone number
• To voicemail

The first two are simultaneous, meaning if both are enabled both will ring at the same time, and the first one to answer will get the call. So, for example, if you enter your cell phone as the forwarding number and turn on forwarding, both your logged-in extension and the cell will ring at the same time.

It is important to understand that an existing phone number, such as a cell, will likely answer the call first with a voicemail or unavailable message if the device is turned off.

For example, a cell phone that is busy (if you don't have call waiting) or off, it will answer immediately with the phone's voicemail. So if you have enabled routing to both extension and existing phone number, but your phone off, the extension will never ring because your phone's voicemail will pick up immediately.  If the call is sent to voicemail on your forwarding line, that call is sent directly back to the voicemail in the vPhone and not to the phone line it was forwarded to.

Some virtual PBX systems (e.g. Google Voice) also answer the phone immediately, but they play a ringing sound to the caller, and then route the call to the user's device. This means routing to one of those phone numbers with vPhone will effectively bypass the extension as the other system will always 'answer' first - even though it doesn't appear that way.

When routing or forwarding to an existing number, vPhone will always ask the answerer to 'accept' the call. This cannot be disabled, as it ensures that the call is not routed to an external voicemail.

When routing to voicemail is enabled, vPhone only routes to voicemail after the other routes have not answered the call (our time out is just a little less than 30 seconds, designed to time out before a normal phone will answer with voicemail). If the only other route is the extension, and the extension is not connected (signed in with softphone enabled), then voicemail will answer right away.  When the extension is offline, we don't wait for the timeout. If no other route is defined, voicemail will answer right away.

How does the softphone extension work?

Currently, the softphone extension has no awareness of what user is logged in to Phoneburner in the browser. That means you must log into the extension to use it, and it's possible for one user to be logged into the extension and another into the site. Make sure you are logged in to the correct account if you share a computer with another user.

The softphone extension must be enabled to answer calls via the browser. Before it can be enabled, the extension must be granted microphone access. It is possible to enable and disable the softphone while leaving the extension in a logged-in state.

NOTE: The extension times out after an extended log in and should be logged out of /logged back in after periods of inactivity to make sure you are still active because it does not tell you if you are no longer connected.

How do Local ID and vPhone work together?

Local ID packages are available as an add-on to any account level. If you have a Standard or Professional account with Local ID as an add-on, you only need to do the Local ID setup defined here.

If you are on a Premium package that includes vPhone, there are some important factors to take into account in how these services interact together.

Setting up vPhone:

When you choose to add a vPhone number, the first step is set up.

Your vPhone number is shown on the page, followed by different setting options for Inbound Routing, Voicemail and Dial sessions.

For inbound routing: Do you want the call to just be sent to the extension only?

Yes : Then leave the call forwarding option off and blank and turn on the softphone and install and log into the extension.

No: Enter an outside phone line such as your cell or office line and turn on softphone . This will enable the calls to ring on both the extension and the forwarded line at once.  If you do not want it to ring in the extension at all, turn off the softphone.

Note: You cannot enter your vPhone number as your forwarding number. This would cause an infinite loop of calls ringing with no one there and calls you cannot answer.  If you do not have a call forwarding number to use, just turn off call forwarding and leave the field blank.  You can use the extension instead to accept calls.

Setting up vPhone Voicemail

If you want to have the system answer your calls for you when you are not available, you can record a voicemail here or let it play a default one.  When enabled, messages left here will show on your messages tab.

DO NOT USE A VPHONE NUMBER AS A LOCAL ID CALLBACK NUMBER

https://www.phoneburner.com/dialer/settings/local/configure/index

The main Callback Number is used if no other numbers are available for a call to be routed to. For example, if a contact calls you back from a phone that is not in your system after receiving a call that had a Local Id used when calling them.

The individual callback numbers for your team are where callbacks to their local id numbers will be routed. If you want these to go to the vPhone line, leave it blank, if you want it to go to a different line, enter their personal number that is NOT VPHONE!