Every call reaches the right person, on any phone.
Forward business calls to cell phones and landlines, or route them to your team in the Talkroute apps. Ring everyone at once or one at a time, set schedules for who’s on call, and decide exactly where callers go if no one picks up.
Two ways to ring
One at a time, or everyone at once.
Ring your team in order.
Put your users and numbers in the order you want them to ring and give each one its own ring time. If the first person doesn’t pick up, the call moves to the next.
- Drag to reorder, and set a ring time for each person or phone
- Repeat the whole sequence up to five times
- Send unanswered calls to voicemail, a menu, or AI Receptionist
Ring everyone at the same time.
Ring up to 10 users and phones at once, and whoever answers first takes the call. Callers who come in while everyone’s busy wait on hold instead of hearing a busy signal.
- Up to 10 users and phones ringing together, on Plus plans and higher
- Callers wait on hold, up to 5 minutes, while Talkroute keeps trying
- Play hold music or a ringing tone while they wait
Switch between Ring in Sequence and Ring All any time. Each phone number, menu option, and extension can use its own setup. Ring All is included with Plus plans and higher.
At a glance
Your calls, routed your way.
2ring strategies
Your choice
Ring in Sequence or Ring All, set separately for each number, menu option, and extension
10at once
Ring All
Ring up to 10 users and phones at the same time on Plus plans and higher
+1any phone
Any carrier
Forward to any US or Canadian cell, landline, or VoIP phone, plus your team in the Talkroute apps
24/7on your terms
Scheduled forwarding
Give each person or phone a schedule so it only rings when you choose, on Pro plans and higher
How it works
Build the call flow once. Change it in seconds.
Users & Numbers
Mix cell phones, landlines, and app users.
Add any phone your team uses as a forwarding number, then build a ring group from those numbers and your Talkroute app users. Drag members into order, set how long each one rings, and switch any of them off without removing them.
- Forward to any US or Canadian (+1) phone on any carrier
- Ring team members in the Talkroute desktop, web, and mobile apps
- Set a ring time per member and repeat the sequence up to five times
- Turn members on or off with one switch
Ring All & hold queue
No busy signals, even when every line is busy.
With Ring All, callers who come in while your team is on other calls wait on hold instead of hearing a busy signal. Talkroute keeps trying your phones and connects callers in the order they called. You set how long they wait and where they go if time runs out.
- Maximum hold time from 30 seconds up to 5 minutes
- Retry your phones every 15 to 30 seconds
- Play a ringing tone or your own hold music or message
- Send overflow calls to voicemail, a menu, or AI Receptionist
Scheduled forwarding
Ring the right phones at the right time.
Create reusable schedules and assign one to any member of a ring group. Each schedule is a set of days and times, like weekdays 8 to 6 or Saturday mornings. Outside those hours, that member doesn’t ring. Members with no schedule follow your regular hours of operation.
- Build schedules from days and start and end times
- Reuse one schedule across many phones and users
- See at a glance who’s in schedule right now
- Works alongside your hours of operation
- Included with Pro plans and higher
Incoming caller ID
Know it’s a business call before you answer.
Choose what your forwarded phones show on caller ID: the caller’s own number, or your Talkroute business number, so you always know a call came through your business line. With Call Announce turned on, forwarded phones also hear a short announcement that the call is coming from Talkroute. In the Talkroute apps, you see both the caller and the number they dialed.
- Show the caller’s number or your Talkroute number on forwarded calls
- Set it separately for each number, menu option, and extension
- The apps show which business number the caller dialed
- Call Announce tells you it’s a Talkroute call when you pick up a forwarded call
- Your cell’s own voicemail never picks up a business call
Use cases
Routing that fits how your business answers the phone.
Solo owners on the go
Forward your business number to your cell and answer anywhere. Callers dial your business line, and your personal number stays private.
Front desk with backup
Ring reception first, then the office manager, then the owner’s cell. Every call gets a person before it gets voicemail.
Sales lines where speed wins
Ring the whole sales team at once so new leads reach someone fast. Whoever’s free answers first.
After-hours on-call
Schedule your on-call technician’s cell for evenings and weekends, while the office phones ring during the day.
Hybrid and remote teams
Ring team members in the Talkroute desktop, web, and mobile apps. They answer wherever they’re working that day.
Busy hours without busy signals
When every line is tied up, new callers wait on hold with your music or message while Talkroute keeps trying your team.
Everywhere in your phone system
A call flow for every number, menu, and extension
Every part of your Talkroute phone system gets its own forwarding and routing, plus a fallback for calls no one answers.
Phone numbers
Each local, toll-free, or vanity number can ring its own team, so your sales line and support line go to different people.
Phone numbers →Menu options
“Press 1 for sales, 2 for support.” Every menu option routes to its own group of users and phones.
Menus →Extensions
Give each person or team a direct extension that rings their phones, with its own ring strategy and fallback.
Extensions →Voicemail
Send calls no one answers to the right mailbox, and get new messages in the apps and by email.
Voicemail →Hours of operation
Decide what happens after hours, on holidays, or when you close early: send callers to voicemail or a menu, or end the call.
Hours of operation →AI Receptionist
When no one can pick up, AI Receptionist can answer instead, so callers aren’t left at a voicemail beep.
AI receptionist →Moving calls once you’re on them? See live call transfer →
Get started with Talkroute in minutes.
Set up forwarding from the Talkroute web or desktop app. There’s no hardware to install, and you can change your routing any time.
Starting at just $19/mo. 100% free to try. Unlimited calling. No contracts.
FAQ
Call Forwarding & Routing FAQ
What is call forwarding?
Call forwarding sends calls to your Talkroute business number on to another phone, like your cell or an office landline. Most forwarding services only let you forward to one number. With Talkroute, you can forward to as many phones as you need and decide whether they ring in order or all at once.
What is call routing?
Call routing sends incoming calls to the right people on your team in the Talkroute desktop, web, and mobile apps. You can route calls to app users and forwarding phones in the same ring group, and set up different routing for each phone number, menu option, and extension.
What’s the difference between Ring in Sequence and Ring All?
Ring in Sequence rings your users and phones one at a time, in the order you set, with a ring time for each. Ring All rings up to 10 users and phones at the same time, and the first person to answer gets the call. Ring All is included with Plus plans and higher. See pricing for details.
How many phones and users can I forward calls to?
You can add as many forwarding phone numbers as you need. A ring group using Ring All can ring up to 10 users and phones at once. Ring in Sequence can ring members one after another, for up to 10 minutes in total.
What kinds of phones can I forward calls to?
Any phone with a US or Canadian (+1) number and active service, including cell phones, landlines, and VoIP or IP phones. You can also ring your team in the Talkroute desktop, web, and mobile apps.
Do my phones need to be on the same carrier?
No. You can forward to any mix of phones and carriers. For example, you can ring an iPhone on one carrier and an office landline from another provider at the same time.
Can I forward calls to international numbers?
Forwarding phone numbers must be US or Canadian (+1) numbers. Team members outside North America can still answer business calls in the Talkroute desktop, web, and mobile apps.
Can I choose when each phone rings?
Yes. With scheduled forwarding, you can create schedules from days and times and assign one to any member of a ring group. That member only rings during its scheduled hours. Members without a schedule follow your regular hours of operation. Scheduled forwarding is included with Pro plans and higher.
What happens if no one answers?
You decide. Unanswered calls can go to a voicemail box, a call menu, or AI Receptionist, or the call can end. You can set a different fallback for each phone number, menu option, and extension.
What happens when several calls come in at once?
With Ring All, callers who come in while your team is busy wait on hold instead of getting a busy signal. They hear a ringing tone or your hold music while Talkroute keeps trying your phones, and they’re connected in the order they called. You set the maximum hold time, up to 5 minutes, and where callers go if it runs out. Learn more about call stacking.
How will I know a call is coming from Talkroute?
By default, your forwarded phones show the caller’s number. You can change the incoming caller ID to show your Talkroute business number instead, so you know the call came through your business line. With Call Announce turned on, you’ll also hear a short announcement that the call is from Talkroute when you pick up. In the Talkroute apps, incoming calls show both the caller and the business number they dialed.
Will my cell phone’s voicemail pick up forwarded calls?
Not when Call Announce & Talkroute Voicemail is turned on for that forwarding number (it’s on by default). Talkroute keeps your phone’s own voicemail from answering, so unanswered calls follow your routing instead, whether that’s the next phone in line, your Talkroute voicemail, or another fallback. You’ll also hear a short announcement that the call is from Talkroute when you answer.
Where do I set up forwarding and routing?
Account admins set up forwarding phone numbers and routing in the Talkroute web app or desktop app, and can update who rings at any time.
Send every call to the right person, wherever they are.
Forward to any phone, ring your team in the apps, and set schedules and fallbacks for every number. Try Talkroute free for 7 days.
Questions? Give us a call at 800.747.2140.