A working phone setup has several separate parts: the provider/service, the number, its routing, its staff assignment, outbound calling and SMS registration. Completing one does not automatically prove the others work.
1. Open Phone & SMS
Open CRM › Phone & SMS; the registered route is /app/phone-system. Confirm the organization. The setup checklist also has Business phone › Turn on phone & SMS and Get a phone number.
2. Prepare the service and outbound calling
Inspect the Phone service / Outbound calling status panel. If setup is required, the current implementation presents service terms and provisions the organization’s phone service when accepted. Review the displayed charges and agreement before enabling a paid service.
Once configured, inspect the returned ready state. Outbound calling requires the organization voice app. If inbound works but outbound fails, inspect that panel before troubleshooting the handset. The repair/rebuild action is for an actual setup issue, not a routine first click.
3. Get or connect the number
Search available numbers by country/area code and review the number and cost before purchasing. If bringing an existing number, follow the provider/platform’s supported ownership and webhook setup. After provisioning, verify the number appears in your organization. This audit does not purchase a number or certify a porting workflow.
4. Assign the number to an employee or team
- In the number list, find Assigned To, or open the row menu and choose Assign to User/Group.
- Use the Users or Groups tab, search for the intended account/team, select it, and click Save Assignments. Confirm Assignment updated, then reopen the assignment to check it persisted.
- For a personal line, verify the staff email/account is the intended one. For a shared line, inspect the group’s membership as well as the number’s group assignment.
- Sign in as that user and inspect their available phone numbers. The documentation describes personal numbers as yours and inherited numbers as team.
- Revoke or change assignment when a person leaves; do not rely on a forgotten device eventually signing out.
If the app says No phone assigned to your account, inspect this assignment and group membership first.
5. Decide where inbound calls go
Configure the routing record in the phone/IVR tools. Choose Forward, AI assistant, Simple menu or Automation flow. Define reachable targets or a forwarding group, its ring strategy, ring duration and unanswered fallback. Set business hours and the intended time zone.
Number assignment and call routing are related but distinct: a number can be assigned while its routing still sends callers somewhere else.
6. Register SMS separately
For applicable local numbers, the row menu opens SMS Registration (A2P 10DLC). Complete the actual registration form with the organization’s information and inspect the status returned for that number. Submitted/pending is not registered. The number’s SMS capability toggle does not replace carrier registration.
The current registration form groups the information as follows. If the organization already has a registered brand, the UI reuses it and asks for the campaign rather than collecting the brand details again.
| Form section | Information to prepare |
|---|---|
| Business information | Brand type, legal business name, business type, industry, EIN/Tax ID when required by the selected form, contact email, website and the relevant social-profile field |
| Business address | Street, city, state/region, postal code and ISO country |
| Authorized representative | Name, email, E.164 phone, job position and business title |
| Campaign | Use case, campaign description, opt-in/message flow and two sample messages |
| Keywords and auto-replies | Opt-in, opt-out and help keywords plus their actual response messages |
Fill these with the business’s real information and the actual message flow. Review validation before submitting, then inspect both brand/campaign status and the number’s registration status. Do not copy tutorial sample business identifiers or promise an approval time.
Do not promise instant approval. Record missing fields, rejections or pending status and continue voice setup separately where available. If system notifications use SMS, also check which number is selected as the organization’s outbound SMS sender.
7. Prepare the employee’s device
Open the browser/mobile phone screen as the assigned employee. Check microphone permission and the phone’s online/power state. Device registration and user-number assignment are different checks. A phone that works on a laptop may still be offline or unregistered on the mobile device.
8. Verify one complete call—and one message
Use designated test destinations. Place an inbound call, answer as the intended user, check audio both ways and inspect the call log. Place an outbound call and verify its caller identity. Test unanswered and out-of-hours behavior separately.
When SMS registration and sender setup are ready, send a test message and verify delivery and reply routing. A voice call passing does not certify SMS.
| Symptom | First check |
|---|---|
| No phone assigned | User/group assignment |
| Inbound works, outbound fails | Organization voice app/Outbound calling readiness |
| Wrong employee rings | Routing targets, assignment and group membership |
| Mobile never rings | Device online state, registration and permissions |
| SMS fails | Number registration status, capability and selected sender |
| Calls outside hours | Time zone, off days, holidays and fallback |
Evidence: current phone UI source and reference documentation reviewed. A paid number purchase, carrier registration and two-device call test remain unverified. Full phone guide · Mobile calling.