Softphone
Turn any computer into a business phone
💻 A softphone is an app that turns your laptop, desktop, or tablet into a business telephone. You make and receive calls over the internet, with no physical desk phone required. The app registers with your Cloud PBX and behaves exactly like a hardware phone: dial, answer, transfer, hold, record.
How It Works
💡 In short: install the app, sign in once, and the computer you already own becomes a full business phone.
💻 What a softphone unlocks: no hardware cost, work from anywhere, scale by installing an app, and one extension ringing on desk and mobile at the same time.
Types of Softphone
Softphones come in four main forms. Most businesses end up using at least two: a bundled desktop app plus a mobile counterpart for staff who travel or work from home.
The Most Widely Used Desktop Softphones
If your Cloud PBX provider ships its own desktop app, use it. If not, or if you run a self-hosted system such as Asterisk, FreePBX, or FreeSWITCH, any of the independent SIP softphones below will connect to a SIP-compatible PBX. Voxbi is the desktop client for Mixvoip Cloud PBX users.
Why It Matters for Your Business
What to Look For
🔋 HD codec support
Look for apps supporting Opus, G.722, or similar HD codecs. Call quality over internet depends heavily on the codec, especially on low-bandwidth connections.
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Do I need special equipment to use a softphone?
No special equipment is required beyond a device you already own. A laptop, desktop, smartphone, or tablet running the softphone app is enough. A headset with microphone improves call quality and comfort, particularly for longer calls, but is not mandatory. Built-in microphones work fine for occasional calls.
❓ Can I keep my existing business phone number?
Yes. Most Cloud PBX providers offer number portability, which allows you to transfer your existing business number to the new system. The process takes a few days and is managed by your provider. There may be a small one-off porting fee, but the number, dialling pattern, and caller recognition all stay the same.
❓ What happens if the internet goes down?
If your internet connection fails, your softphone will not receive calls. To handle this, most Cloud PBX systems allow you to set a fallback rule: for example, forward unanswered calls to a mobile number automatically. This ensures callers always reach someone even if your office connection is interrupted briefly.
❓ Is a softphone secure for business calls?
Reputable softphone apps and Cloud PBX platforms encrypt calls using TLS and SRTP protocols. This protects both the signalling and the audio from interception. Confirm that your provider uses encrypted transport before handling sensitive conversations over VoIP, and enable encryption in the app's settings where it is not on by default.
❓ Can one person use a softphone on multiple devices at the same time?
Yes. Most Cloud PBX systems allow a single extension to ring on several devices simultaneously. A sales manager can have the same extension active on a desktop softphone and a mobile app. The first device to answer takes the call, and the others stop ringing instantly without any manual action.
Related Features
📅 Not sure which features matter for your business?
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