You might notice or request an external number, like a personal mobile phone number or a landline from another provider, to be listed in your Aircall dashboard. This can be confusing, especially if you're expecting it to function the same way as Aircall numbers. Let's clarify what happens when an external number is added to Aircall.
What happens when you add an external number?
Imagine you've requested to add your personal mobile number to your Aircall dashboard. In this scenario, adding the mobile number allows you to use it for outgoing calls only within the Aircall environment. This means:
- You can initiate calls from the Aircall app using your mobile number's caller ID
- Incoming calls to that number will still come in on your phone's SIM card, bypassing Aircall's features
Limitations of External Numbers
- Aircall features won't apply for inbound calls: Features like greetings, call routing, voicemail, and many others configured in Aircall won't work for incoming calls to the external number.
- Limited functionality: You can't use Aircall to manage incoming calls on the external number.
Solutions
There are two options to consider if you want full control over both incoming and outgoing calls for the number:
- Create a new Aircall number: This is the quicker option. You can set up a new number within Aircall and configure all its features, including greetings, call routing, voicemail, and many other options.
- Port the number to Aircall: This process can take longer and involves transferring ownership of the phone number to Aircall.
Choosing the right solution
- Porting is ideal if you want to keep the existing number and have it fully integrated with Aircall for both incoming and outgoing calls.
- Creating a new Aircall number is faster and might be preferred if you don't mind using a new number for calls.