# Webphone overview

> Make and answer calls, send SMS, manage contacts and see your call history in the Webphone on your computer.

- URL: https://kb.voipcloud.online/phones-and-apps/webphone/webphone-overview/
- Section: Phones and apps › Webphone
- Type: overview
- Applies to: All countries
- Last reviewed: 2026-11-09

The **Webphone** is your provider's own phone app. It works in a web browser, as a desktop app for Windows, Mac and Linux, and as a mobile app for iOS and Android. It's linked to your PBX, so it shows your phonebooks, call history, SMS chats and queues, not just a dial pad.

This page covers the browser and desktop versions. For phones and tablets, see [Webphone mobile app](https://kb.voipcloud.online/phones-and-apps/webphone/webphone-mobile-app/).

## Before you start

Your PBX administrator sets you up first: they add your email and a Webphone device to your user. See [Set up the Webphone](https://kb.voipcloud.online/phones-and-apps/webphone/set-up-the-webphone/). You then get an email to set your password: see [Sign in to the Webphone for the first time](https://kb.voipcloud.online/phones-and-apps/webphone/webphone-first-sign-in/).

## Main parts

The dial pad is on the left, and the menu at the top takes you to each part. In a narrow window, the tabs are along the bottom instead, with **Dialpad** as the first tab.

| Tab | What you do there |
| --- | --- |
| **Dialpad** | Make calls and choose your caller ID. |
| **Contacts** | Search, add, edit and delete contacts in your phonebooks. |
| **SMS** | Send and reply to text messages. |
| **History** | See every call you made, received or missed, on any of your devices. |
| **Services** | Join or leave queues and ring groups, use call flow controls, and manage voicemail and call parking. |
| **Settings** | Your profile, password, language, notifications, ringtones and devices. |

![Webphone dial pad with the caller ID picker and the tabs along the bottom](https://kb.voipcloud.online/images/phones-and-apps/webphone/webphone-overview-dialpad.webp)

## Make a call

1. Open **Dialpad**.
2. Type the number with your keyboard, click the keys, or paste it into **Phone number**. You can also click a contact's number in **Contacts** to call it straight away.
3. Under **Your caller ID displays as:**, choose the number the other person sees. The list shows every caller ID your administrator allows you to use.
4. Click the green call button.

If you see **No access to the microphone**, the Webphone can't use your microphone. See [Webphone troubleshooting](https://kb.voipcloud.online/phones-and-apps/webphone/webphone-troubleshooting/).

## Answer a call

Click **Accept** to answer or **Decline** to reject the call. The desktop app and browser can also show a pop-up notification for incoming calls.

![Incoming call screen with Decline and Accept buttons](https://kb.voipcloud.online/images/phones-and-apps/webphone/webphone-overview-incoming-call.webp)

The Webphone needs permission to use your microphone and show notifications. If it doesn't ring, see [Webphone notifications and ringtone](https://kb.voipcloud.online/phones-and-apps/webphone/webphone-notifications-and-ringtone/).

## Contacts

**Contacts** shows the phonebooks your administrator shares with you. Use the search field above the list to find a contact by name or number.

- **Add a contact:** click **New contact**, enter a **Phone number** and **Name**, and optionally an **Email** and picture. Click **Create**.
- **Edit a contact:** click the pencil icon next to it, change the details and click **Update**.
- **Delete a contact:** click the delete icon next to it, then click **Delete**.

Contacts in a read-only phonebook can only be changed by a PBX administrator. See [Phonebooks](https://kb.voipcloud.online/pbx/settings/phonebooks/).

## Call history

**History** lists calls to and from you, on all your devices, newest first. For each call it shows:

- the contact name, or the number if it isn't in your phonebook;
- the type: inbound, outbound or missed;
- the line used: the number that was called, or the caller ID you used;
- the duration, and the date and time.

To save an unknown number, click the add-contact icon at the end of its row. Use **Search** and **Filters** to find a call. If your administrator stores your call recordings in the cloud, you can play them here too.

## SMS

1. Open **SMS** and click **+**.
2. Choose a **Contact** or type a **Phone number**.
3. In **Send from**, choose the number or sender ID to send from.
4. Type your **Message** and click **Send**.

To reply, click the chat, type your message and click **Send**.

![New chat window with Contact, Phone number, Send from and Message fields](https://kb.voipcloud.online/images/phones-and-apps/webphone/webphone-overview-new-sms.webp)

SMS needs an SMS plan and an SMS-enabled number routed to you. See [SMS to Webphone users](https://kb.voipcloud.online/services/phone-numbers/sms-to-webphone-users/).

## Queues and ring groups

In **Services**, use the switches under **Call controls** › **Queue membership** and **Ring group membership** to join or leave each queue or ring group you belong to. When a switch is off, you get no calls from that queue, but your other queues aren't affected.

Your administrator can turn these controls off for you.

## Do Not Disturb

Click the status in the top-right corner to switch between **Available** and **DND enabled**. In a smaller window, click your avatar to find it. With Do Not Disturb on, you get no incoming calls on any of your devices or external numbers, and no notifications.

## Settings

**Settings** has a page for each group of settings:

| Page | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **General** | The **Language** of the Webphone. In the desktop app, also start-up, headset and phone-link options. |
| **User** | Your avatar (**Upload new avatar**), your internal number, and **Change password**. |
| **Defaults** | The tab, phonebook and call modes the Webphone opens with. |
| **Notifications** | Which events show a browser or desktop notification. See [Webphone notifications and ringtone](https://kb.voipcloud.online/phones-and-apps/webphone/webphone-notifications-and-ringtone/). |
| **Ringtones** | Your default ringtone, and ringtones for calls tagged by your administrator. |
| **Audio** | The speakers for the ringtone and for calls, and the microphone. Not shown in every browser. |
| **Device management** | How your devices ring (see below). |
| **Integrations** | CRM and Zapier integrations, once they're activated for your account. |

### Device management

If you have more than one device, such as the Webphone and a desk phone, you can control how they ring:

- **Ring mode for incoming calls**: **Ring all**, **Linear** (one after another, in the order shown) or **Twinning** (the first device, then all the others together).
- Turn off a device's **Incoming calls** switch so it stops ringing. Outgoing calls and SMS still work.
- Drag devices to change the order, and click **Add external number** to ring a mobile as well.

Click **Save changes** when you're done.

![Device management with ring mode, ring time and a switch for each device](https://kb.voipcloud.online/images/phones-and-apps/webphone/webphone-overview-device-management.webp)

## Where to go next

- [During a call in the Webphone](https://kb.voipcloud.online/phones-and-apps/webphone/during-a-call-in-the-webphone/)
- [Contacts and call history](https://kb.voipcloud.online/phones-and-apps/webphone/webphone-contacts-and-call-history/)
- [SMS in the Webphone](https://kb.voipcloud.online/phones-and-apps/webphone/webphone-sms/)
- [Voicemail in the Webphone](https://kb.voipcloud.online/phones-and-apps/webphone/webphone-voicemail/)
- [Queues and ring groups in the Webphone](https://kb.voipcloud.online/phones-and-apps/webphone/queues-and-ring-groups-in-the-webphone/)
- [Device management](https://kb.voipcloud.online/phones-and-apps/webphone/webphone-device-management/)
- [Headsets and audio devices](https://kb.voipcloud.online/phones-and-apps/webphone/headsets-and-audio-devices/)
- [Webphone mobile app](https://kb.voipcloud.online/phones-and-apps/webphone/webphone-mobile-app/)
- [Click-to-call on Windows](https://kb.voipcloud.online/phones-and-apps/webphone/click-to-call-on-windows/)
- [Webphone troubleshooting](https://kb.voipcloud.online/phones-and-apps/webphone/webphone-troubleshooting/)