What is a softphone and how do you set it up? Your work number on a computer or smartphone
Sado AI team · · 4 min read
In short
A softphone is a phone app you install on a computer or smartphone. It connects to the work number over SIP, so staff can make and take calls on the company number from anywhere, without a desk phone. You need three things: a separate SIP account for each person (an extension on the PBX or a login from the provider), a headset and stable internet. You enter the login, password and server. The usual problems are echo, one-way audio and an app that falls asleep on a smartphone.
When a softphone is handy
An ordinary phone is tied to a desk; a softphone is tied to a person: they open a laptop or the app on their smartphone, and the company number is with them.
- Someone works from home or another city but has to talk from the company number.
- A manager is often on the road: takes calls in the smartphone app, and customers don’t see their personal number.
- A new office has opened and work has to start before desk phones are bought.
- A salesperson spends the day at a computer: the CRM and the call on one screen.
What you need
| What | Why | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| SIP account | The app uses it to connect to the number | One per person, so you see who talked |
| App | Making and taking calls | The PBX or provider app, or general apps such as MicroSIP, Zoiper, Linphone |
| Headset | No echo | A headset instead of computer speakers |
| Internet | The voice travels over it | A stable connection; if Wi-Fi is weak, use a cable |
How to set it up
- Get a SIP account for the person from the PBX administrator or the provider: login, password, server.
- Install the app from the official website or an app store.
- Add an account and fill in three fields: user (login), password, domain or server.
- Wait for the status “registered” or a green icon.
- Test it: call the work number from a mobile, then call a mobile from the app, and check both sides can hear.
- On a smartphone, allow the app to run in the background and send notifications, or calls may not come through.
Common problems
| Problem | Usual cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The other person hears themselves | Speakers close to the microphone | Use a headset |
| Sound goes one way only | The router isn’t letting the voice through | Tell the PBX administrator or the provider |
| The voice breaks up | Unstable or busy internet | Switch to a cable, stop big downloads |
| Calls don’t reach the smartphone | The phone put the app to sleep | Allow background running, remove it from battery saving |
| “Not registered” error | Wrong login, password or server | Re-enter them and check for stray spaces |
Security
- Don’t share passwords between staff: everyone gets their own account.
- When someone leaves, delete their SIP account or change its password at once.
- Install the app only from an official source.
- If you don’t need calls abroad, ask the provider to block them: if a password is stolen, the damage is smaller.
Softphones and the AI operator
The AI operator doesn’t need a softphone: it connects to the number directly over SIP and answers calls itself. Softphones are for your staff. By your rule, the operator transfers a call to a staff member’s number, and that number can ring on a mobile or, through your PBX, in a softphone. We work out this route with your provider and PBX when connecting.
For example, at the “Daryo Travel” agency the operator answers, asks for the travel dates and the number of people, then transfers the call to a manager’s number by rule. The manager works from home and takes it through the PBX in a softphone on a laptop.
Each call the operator handled has its recording and transcript in the portal. More: AI operator for incoming calls, questions about Sado, what a mini-PBX is. Try it live.
Questions
Is a softphone free?
Many softphone apps have a free version; in some, extra features are paid. Call minutes are paid at your provider’s rates.
Can one SIP account be used on two devices?
Some providers and PBXs allow it, but it gets confusing: you don’t know which device took the call. One account per device is better.
Is call quality worse on a softphone than on a desk phone?
With stable internet and a good headset you won’t hear a difference. Problems usually come from weak Wi-Fi or computer speakers.
What headset does a softphone need?
A headset with a microphone that keeps out background noise is enough; it needn’t be expensive. Bluetooth sometimes delays the sound, so for someone on calls all day a wired or USB headset is more comfortable.