Making & taking calls
Softphone: make and take calls in your browser
A working desk phone in a browser tab. Dial, answer, transfer, hold and transfer, add a third person, record, and use DND, hours and holiday shortcuts.
Which plans include it
Included on every plan, including the Free Trial.
What it means
A softphone is a phone that runs as software. This one runs in your browser (using WebRTC), signs in to your extension when the page opens, and rings in the tab. Nothing to install.
What it does
- Makes calls to any UK landline, mobile or extension, and answers incoming calls.
- Transfer: puts the caller straight through and you leave the call.
- Hold & Transfer: holds the caller while you ring and explain, then hand over — or go back to the caller.
- Add call: holds your caller, rings someone else, then merges all three of you.
- Records a call on demand (where your plan allows) and stops recording.
- Speaker for louder hands-free audio.
- Shows contacts, received calls and dialled calls.
- Quick status controls: Do not disturb, Hours and Holiday.
Every part of the page
- Status: Registered / Connecting… / Disconnected
- Registered means the phone is ready. Disconnected: press Reconnect. Keep the tab open to receive calls.
- Dial pad / "Type a number"
- Type a name, extension or number. Typing a name filters colleagues; digits are dialled as typed.
- Incoming call — Answer / Decline
- Appears when a call rings this tab.
- In-call controls
- Wake up when a call connects: Hold, Transfer, Add call, Record / Stop rec, Keypad (for menus), Speaker, End call. A greyed-out key means the feature is not on your plan.
- Transfer
- "Transfer now": straight through, you leave the call, and you cannot take the caller back.
- Hold & Transfer
- "Hold & call them": the caller hears hold music, you speak to your colleague, then "Complete transfer" — or "Back to caller".
- Add call / Merge calls
- Bring a third person in. Your caller waits on hold until you press "Merge calls".
- Status (DND / Hours / Holiday)
- These change how calls reach you and stay on until you turn them off. DND sends callers to voicemail.
- Features shortcuts
- Links to Hunt groups, Line status, Recordings, Voicemail and other setup pages.
- Contacts / Received calls / Dialled calls
- Recent activity and your colleagues; click to call back.
How to use it
Make your first call
- Open Softphone and wait for "Registered".
- Allow microphone access when your browser asks.
- Type a number (e.g. 07700 900123) and press Call.
Warm transfer to a colleague
- During the call press Transfer → "Hold & Transfer".
- Pick or type your colleague and press "Hold & call them".
- Explain who is waiting.
- Press "Complete transfer" — or "Back to caller" if they cannot take it.
Three-way call
- During the call press "Add call".
- Ring the third person.
- Press "Merge calls".
Use a menu while on a call
- Press Keypad and tap the digits (e.g. 1 for sales).
Examples
Work from home
Open the softphone in Chrome on your laptop, plug in a headset, and take calls to your business number at the kitchen table — no desk phone needed.
Pass a caller on
Customer asks for accounts: press Hold & Transfer, ring extension 205, say "I have Mr Patel about an invoice", then complete the transfer.
Three-way call
Use Add call to bring a colleague into the conversation so all three of you can talk.
Recommended settings
- ★Use a headset — it removes echo and sounds far better than laptop speakers.
- ★Use Chrome, Edge or Safari, kept up to date.
- ★Keep the Softphone tab open (pinned) all day so calls can ring.
- ★Prefer Hold & Transfer for customers — it is more polite than a blind transfer.
- ★Run a Network Quality test if calls are choppy.
- ★Mobile and desktop apps (included from Entry) let your business number ring on your phone too; up to three devices can ring together. Ask support for app access.
Abbreviations on this page
- Softphone — Software phone
- A phone that is an app or a browser tab rather than a handset on a desk.
- Example: Taking calls on your laptop with a headset uses a softphone instead of a desk phone.
- WebRTC — Web Real-Time Communication
- The technology that lets your web browser make and take phone calls without installing anything. The Softphone page uses it.
- Example: The dashboard softphone uses WebRTC, which is why it works in Chrome with nothing to install.
- Ext. — Extension
- A short internal number (usually 3 or 4 digits) for each person or phone. Calls between extensions are free and never leave your system.
- Example: Dial 204 to reach the warehouse.
- DND — Do Not Disturb
- Stops your phone ringing. Callers go to voicemail instead. Outgoing calls still work.
- Example: Turn DND on during a meeting and calls go to voicemail until you turn it off.
- DTMF — Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency
- The tones your phone makes when you press keypad buttons. Menus and card payments read these tones.
- Example: Pressing 1 in a phone menu sends a DTMF tone that tells the system which option you picked.
- SIP — Session Initiation Protocol
- The standard language internet phones use to make and receive calls. Desk phones and apps "register" to your account with SIP.
- Example: A desk phone or app signs in to your account using SIP, with a username, password and server address.
- HD voice — High-definition (wideband) voice
- Clearer, fuller call audio than a traditional phone line when both ends support it.
- Example: Two softphone users talking on HD Voice sound noticeably clearer than an old landline.
Questions
Why does the softphone say Disconnected?+
The tab lost its connection or your extension is not set up yet. Press Reconnect; if it says no extension is provisioned, contact support. A Network Quality test checks your connection.
People cannot hear me.+
Allow microphone access for the site in your browser, and check the right microphone is selected in your computer's sound settings.
Which plans include call transfer?+
Entry and above. On the Free Trial, transfer is an add-on.
Can I record a call from the softphone?+
On-demand recording is included from Plus, with full recording from Growth.
Do I need to install anything?+
No. It runs in a modern browser.
Related help
Already a customer? Open this page in your dashboard: Softphone. New to Silux Call? See the plans or start a free trial.