Desk phones and apps · For 3CTel customers
How do I make calls from my business number on my cell?
Install the 3CTel mobile app on your iPhone or Android phone and sign in with your user credentials. Calls you place from the app go out over the internet and show your business number as caller ID, and incoming business calls ring the app alongside your desk phone or desktop app. Your personal cell number is never shown to clients, and business calls stay in the business call log.
Step by step.
Install the app
Use the link in your welcome email, or search for the app named in it on the App Store or Google Play. Sign in with the same username and password as the desktop app.
Allow permissions
Allow microphone, notifications and, on iPhone, the calling integration so business calls appear on the lock screen like normal calls. Contacts access is optional and lets the app show names for callers.
Check your caller ID
In the app's settings, confirm which number is shown when you call out. Most users show the main business number; some show a direct line. Your administrator sets which options are available.
Decide how it rings
Choose whether the app rings for all your calls, only when your desk phone is unanswered, or only during hours you set. Turn on Do Not Disturb in the app after hours if you do not want business calls in the evening.
Place a test call
Call a colleague and check that they see the business number, then have them call the main line and confirm your cell rings.
How it works
The app is a softphone: it registers your extension over the internet and carries calls as data, using Wi-Fi or your cellular data plan. Because the call goes through the 3CTel system, it is placed from your business number, recorded in the business call history, and subject to the same routing, voicemail and recording rules as any other extension.
The app does not use your cellular voice minutes. A call uses a small amount of data, similar to a voice message on a messaging app.
App versus call forwarding
Forwarding sends business calls to your cell number as a regular phone call. It works without an app, but you cannot call back from the business number, the forwarded call shows the caller's number or your own main number depending on settings, and you cannot transfer. The app gives you the full extension on your cell. Many people use both: the app normally, and forwarding as a fallback when they have no data signal.
Battery, data and privacy
- The app uses push notifications to wake for incoming calls, so it does not drain the battery by staying open.
- On a poor cellular signal, quality drops. Switch to Wi-Fi where you can, or use forwarding for that call.
- Business texts, voicemail and call history in the app belong to the business account, which keeps client contact out of your personal phone data.
- Signing out of the app stops all business calls and messages reaching that phone.
Related questions.
Will clients see my personal cell number?
No. Calls from the app show the business number chosen in your settings. Only calls placed from the phone's own dialler use your personal number, so use the app for all business calls.
Can I text from my business number on my cell?
Yes, where business texting is enabled on your account. Texts sent from the app come from the business number and are visible to whoever else shares that number's inbox.
What if I do not want business calls in the evening?
Set business hours in the app or turn on Do Not Disturb. Calls follow your after-hours routing, such as voicemail or the AI receptionist, instead of ringing your cell.
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