Your AI Receptionist can automatically answer calls when you're unavailable and represent you professionally. It captures key details from missed calls, helping you prioritize follow-ups.
Enable your AI Receptionist for calls
Turn it on
From Beside on the web
Go to app.beside.com and click AI Receptionist in the left sidebar
If you have multiple lines on your account, select the line you want to configure from the dropdown at the top of the page
Click Phone Calls under Channels
Toggle on Answers Phone Calls (top right). Changes save automatically.
From the mobile app
Open the Beside mobile app
Go to the AI Receptionist
If you have multiple lines on your account, select the line you want to configure from the dropdown at the top left
In the Phone section, under Phone Calls, toggle on Answers Phone Calls
Define the scope
Under Scope, choose who your AI Receptionist answers.
On Beside on the web, click the Answers to dropdown to pick:
Missed From Everyone - answer all missed calls
Missed From Unsaved Numbers - only new or unknown callers
On the mobile app, additional scope options are available, including saved-contacts-only.
On mobile, you can also tap Exclude Contacts to prevent specific people from being routed to your AI. 📖 Control who your AI Receptionist handles
📌 Note: If you don't pick up and your AI Receptionist isn't configured to handle that call (e.g. the caller is outside your defined scope), the call goes to your Beside voicemail instead. No call is ever lost.
Set the number of rings before the AI Receptionist picks up
By default, calls ring 4 times before being sent to the AI Receptionist. You can adjust this from Direct to Receptionist (0 rings) up to 10 rings - or pick any value in between to control how long your phone rings before the AI takes over.
📌 The same setting controls voicemail. The number of rings you set here also applies when a call rolls over to voicemail (for callers outside your AI Receptionist's scope). There's a single ring count per line.
💡 Shared lines (iPhone and Beside on the web): if your line has more than one member, this same Answers after setting also drives the Ringing section, where you can additionally pick how the team is rung (all at once, or one by one). Changing the ring count on any screen updates the others - they're synced across iPhone and the web.
See 📖 Choose how your line rings.
From Beside on the web
Go to app.beside.com and click AI Receptionist in the left sidebar
Select your line from the dropdown at the top, then click Phone Calls under Channels
Under Scope, click the Answers after dropdown and select the number of rings (or Direct to Receptionist)
Changes save automatically.
From the mobile app
Go to the AI Receptionist
In the Phone section, under Scope, tap Answers after (iPhone) or Rings before AI answers (Android)
Select the number of rings
📌 iOS note: the option 1 ring is not available on iOS - pick 0 or 2+ instead.
Customize your greeting and ending message
Your AI Receptionist's welcome greeting (what it says when it picks up) and ending message (how it wraps up) are now set in Scenarios - the single place where you teach your AI how to handle a call, from greeting to goodbye.
On the Beside mobile app: go to AI Receptionist and open Scenarios. Edit the Welcome Greeting under step 1 (AI picks up the phone) and the Ending Message under step 3 (Wrapping up).
On Beside on the web: open AI Receptionist, then under Actions click Scenarios. Edit the Welcome greeting and Wrapping up sections, then click Save changes.
💡 Tip: Use short, friendly sentences that sound like something you'd actually say. For example: "Hi! You've reached Alex's AI Assistant. How can I help today?" to greet callers, and "Thanks for calling, we'll get back to you soon. Have a wonderful day!" to wrap up. It makes your AI feel more human and approachable.
Set up Call Transfer
Your AI Receptionist can redirect calls automatically to the right person or phone line based on scenarios you define.
Test your setup
In the mobile app, tap Try Receptionist at the bottom of the AI Receptionist screen, then Call Receptionist to simulate a call. You'll hear how your AI answers, routes, and ends calls before going live.
⚠️ Important: If you're forwarding your personal number to Beside, calling your Beside number from that same number may not work. Beside detects this as a self-call and may end it automatically. Use a different phone to test.
Set up your AI Receptionist for texts and emails
Now that your AI Receptionist handles calls, you can also enable it for:
📌 Next step: Teach your AI Receptionist about your business so it can answer questions accurately. 📖 Train your AI Receptionist
FAQ
How do I set the time before the AI answers my calls?
How do I set the time before the AI answers my calls?
Adjust the number of rings before the AI Receptionist picks up - see Set the number of rings before the AI Receptionist picks up above. You can pick anywhere from Direct to Receptionist (0 rings) up to 10 rings. The same setting also controls how long calls ring before going to voicemail (for callers outside your AI Receptionist's scope).
What if call recording is turned off for a contact?
What if call recording is turned off for a contact?
The AI Receptionist will still handle their calls and generate a transcript. Call recording settings don't affect AI Receptionist behavior.
Is there a maximum call duration for AI Receptionist calls?
Is there a maximum call duration for AI Receptionist calls?
Yes - but only for AI-handled calls. Calls handled by your AI Receptionist are limited to 10 minutes. After that, the AI disconnects, though the call itself may continue depending on your carrier or network.
Live calls you answer yourself have no time limit.
What happens if I don't answer and the AI Receptionist is off?
What happens if I don't answer and the AI Receptionist is off?
The call goes to your Beside voicemail, where the caller can leave a recorded message.
Can I have different AI Receptionist settings per line?
Can I have different AI Receptionist settings per line?
Yes. If you have multiple lines on your account, each line has its own AI Receptionist with independent settings for scope, greetings, transfer rules, and knowledge base.