Line 01 · How it works · 3 steps
Cloud phone system, explained: number, menu, any device
A cloud phone system runs your business line over the internet instead of a phone closet: your number, phone menu, routing, and voicemail live in the cloud, and any phone or laptop answers. Phoner is live in about 5 minutes.
Under the hood this is VoIP, the same technology carriers themselves use between exchanges. Our plain-English guide to what is VoIP covers the plumbing; this page covers what you actually do.
Three steps from no phone system to answering
No technician visit, no provisioning cycle, no hardware order. The whole setup happens in your browser.
Pick your number
Choose a local number in your area code, a toll-free 833 or 800 line, or a vanity number that spells your brand. It is live the moment you pick it. Already have a number? We port it for free and it keeps working during the switch.
local phone number for businessBuild your phone menu
Drag together a phone menu in the visual builder: press 1 for Sales, 2 for Support, after-hours to voicemail. Route each branch to a teammate, a ring group, or a schedule. No phone closet, no technician visit.
IVR phone menuAnswer from any device
Your team answers on the phones already in their pockets: iOS, Android, desktop, or the browser. Missed calls become voicemail transcribed to text, so nothing dies in a personal mailbox.
business phone number appThat is the whole project. From there you tune routing and hours as the team grows, and business phone system pricing stays per user, month-to-month.
What happens on a call
One caller, start to finish, the way the operator's call sheet would log it.
A customer dials your number from +1 (415) 555-0177. The cloud answers on the first ring, every time.
Your menu greets them: "Press 1 for Sales, press 2 for Support." The caller presses 1.
Routing rings the Sales ring group: three teammates at once, wherever they are.
Ring groupAva answers on her iPhone from a job site. The caller hears the company; Ava sees the business line, not her personal number.
AnsweredThe call ends after 7:12 and lands in the call log with who answered and how long it took.
Nobody free, or after hours? The call does not die in a personal mailbox. It becomes a transcript in your inbox:
9:48 PM · 0:37 Transcript
"Hi, this is Dana from Corewood Roofing, calling about the quote you sent over. We would love to move ahead this week. Call me back when you can."
You read it between jobs and call back the ones that matter first. The audio is one tap away.
What you need: less than you think
If you can read this page, you already own the equipment.
Req 01
Any phone or laptop
iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, or a browser tab. The business phone number app turns the device already in your pocket into the company line.
Req 02
An internet connection
Wi-Fi or mobile data is all a cloud phone system needs. Office, home, truck, or airport: the line follows the connection, not the building.
Req 03
About 5 minutes
Pick a number, build the menu, install the app. No desk phones, no wiring, no hardware at all. Porting an existing number runs in the background while it keeps ringing.
Still have questions? See the full business phone system FAQ for contracts, porting timelines, and call recording rules.
Try the switchboard yourself
Pick a number, build the menu, then answer an incoming call from the keypad. Everything above, in about 20 seconds.
01 · Pick your number
02 · Your phone menu
03 · Incoming call
Press a key to answer the menu yourself
Voicemail to text
transcribed · texted to you · 0:42
Call sheet
Today
This number can be yours in about 5 minutes.
Recording consent laws vary by state and country. You are responsible for lawful use.
Line 06 · Your line is open
Your phone system, live before the coffee cools
Pick a number, build your menu, answer anywhere. Plans from $15 per user per month, no contracts.