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).
Install it as a desktop app
- Open Softphone in Chrome or Edge on your computer.
- Press "Install desktop app" at the top (or the install icon in the address bar).
- Silux Call opens in its own window and gets a desktop / Start menu / Dock icon. Keep it open to receive calls.
iPhone: open the Silux Call app after answering on the lock screen
- When your phone is locked or the app is closed, calls ring on the normal iPhone call screen. Swipe to answer.
- Talk as normal. To use Transfer, Hold & Transfer, Record or the keypad, open the app.
- Press "More" (bottom of the call screen).
- Press the Silux Call icon. If asked, unlock your phone with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.
- The Silux Call app opens on your call, with all the call buttons.
Android: open the Silux Call app after answering on a locked phone
- When your phone is locked or the app is closed, the Silux Call incoming-call screen appears. Press Answer.
- If the call screen is not showing, unlock your phone and press the Silux Call call notification at the top of the screen.
- The Silux Call app opens on your call, with all the call buttons.
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.
- ★The Silux Call app for iPhone and Android (included from Entry) lets your business number ring on your mobile too. Each user can use the app on one phone at a time.
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
Can I call abroad from the softphone?+
Not as standard. Every account calls UK landlines and mobiles only. If you dial abroad, a message lets you request international calling. Additional charges apply.
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 on every paid plan, with full recording from Plus.
Do I need to install anything?+
No. It runs in a modern browser.
Is there a desktop app?+
Yes. In Chrome or Edge on your computer, open Softphone and press "Install desktop app" (or the install icon in the address bar). It opens in its own window with a desktop icon.
I answered a call on my locked iPhone. How do I get to the Silux Call app?+
Press "More" on the call screen, then press the Silux Call icon. Unlock your phone if asked, and the app opens on your call with Transfer, Hold & Transfer, Record and the keypad. Apple decides how the iPhone call screen looks, so every calling app sits under "More" — the button cannot be renamed.
What is the PIN in the Silux Call app Settings?+
It protects the app's call settings. You choose it yourself: the first time you press Unlock in the app's Settings, the PIN you type (4 digits or more) becomes your PIN. After that, Unlock asks for it and keeps the settings open for an hour. Forgotten it? An account admin can reset it on Users (the key button), and you choose a new one the next time you press Unlock.
What do the switches in the Silux Call app Settings do?+
Incoming calls off or Do not disturb: your app does not ring and callers go to your voicemail. Outgoing calls off: the app cannot make calls out (999 always works). Voicemail off: callers who are not answered hear that nobody is available and no message is taken. Call forwarding: calls you do not answer are sent to the UK number you enter. Notifications: choose which alerts the app shows. Switches for features that are not on your plan are greyed out.
Can I use the Silux Call app on two phones at the same time?+
No. Only one phone per user can be logged in to the Silux Call app at a time. If you log in on a second phone, that phone takes over your calls and the first phone stops ringing. To move back, open the app on the other phone. If two people need the app, give each of them their own user on Users & Roles.
Related help
Already a customer? Open this page in your dashboard: Softphone. New to Silux Call? See the plans or start a free trial.