While Beside was originally built with professionals in mind, many people also use it for personal needs - whether that's filtering spam calls, keeping a clean separation between numbers, recording important conversations, or simply staying more organized.
There's no "business vs personal" mode to switch. Your Beside account works for both. You just need to update a few settings to make it feel fully personal.
Customize Beside for personal use
You can easily tailor your AI Receptionist and caller experience to reflect your personal style.
Open the Beside mobile app
Tap the Settings icon at the bottom right of the screen
Choose your line
Select AI Receptionist at the top:
Under Preferences: edit your Welcome Greeting (remove business-specific language) and Ending Message (friendly, simple tone)
Under Knowledge, update your Preferred Name (e.g., "Hi, you've reached Alex!")
By updating these settings, your Beside account will reflect your personal identity while retaining all the powerful features designed for business use.
💡 Good to know: You can use the Test Receptionist demo to hear how it sounds before going live.
Why personalize Beside for personal use?
Filter spam, effortlessly
Use the "missed calls only" setting so your AI Receptionist only answers when you don't pick up - perfect if you want spam filtering without changing how friends and family reach you.
Call recording and transcription
Keep personal records of important calls, or get transcripts for notes. You can also stop recording at any time directly within the call.
Use your usual phone number
If you prefer not to give out your Beside number, simply enable Call Forwarding and Caller ID.
This lets callers see (and reach you through) your everyday number while still benefiting from Beside's AI features and call tools.
Compliance notice
Even for personal use, you must comply with Beside's Terms of Service. This includes obtaining consent before recording calls and not using Beside for restricted content.
FAQ
Do I need a business to use Beside?
Do I need a business to use Beside?
No. Beside works for anyone who wants a separate phone line with an AI Receptionist, call recording, and transcription. There's no business verification required.
Can I use Beside alongside my personal phone number?
Can I use Beside alongside my personal phone number?
Yes. Beside runs as a separate line alongside your personal number. Your personal calls, texts, and data plan are not affected. You can also forward calls from your personal number to Beside so the AI handles them when you're busy.
Will my contacts know I'm using Beside?
Will my contacts know I'm using Beside?
Not if you enable Caller ID. With Caller ID turned on, your existing phone number shows on outgoing calls instead of your Beside number. Incoming calls forwarded to Beside are handled transparently - your contacts dial your usual number as always.
Can I turn off the AI Receptionist and just use Beside as a second line?
Can I turn off the AI Receptionist and just use Beside as a second line?
Yes. You can disable the AI Receptionist entirely from Settings and use Beside as a regular second phone line for calls and texts.
Is there a free plan for personal use?
Is there a free plan for personal use?
Beside offers a free trial to test all features. After the trial, you'll need a paid subscription. 📖 Plans and pricing