Your AI Receptionist can automatically transfer calls to the right person based on scenarios you define. When the AI recognizes that a caller needs to speak with someone specific, it connects them seamlessly, creating a warm handoff without you lifting a finger.

⚠️ Business plan only: Call Transfer is available on the 👥 Business plan. It is not available on the 👤 Starter plan.

What is Call Transfer?

Call Transfer lets your AI Receptionist redirect an incoming call to a specific person while the call is still in progress. This could be the business owner, an invited member of the line, or a department representative reachable at an external number.

You define transfer rules that tell the AI when a transfer should happen and who should receive the call. For example:

Transfer to the owner when a caller asks to speak with someone in charge
Transfer to billing when a caller has a payment question
Transfer immediately for urgent or emergency calls

You can create as many rules as you need, each with a different recipient.

📌 Transfer to a teammate or an external number: On the Beside mobile app on iPhone, you can transfer either to an invited member of the line or to an external phone number. On Android and on 📖 Beside on the web, transfers go to an external phone number only.

Before you start

Make sure the following are in place before setting up Call Transfer:

You are on the 👥 Business plan
Your AI Receptionist is enabled for phone calls (📖 Set up your AI Receptionist to answer calls)
For external transfers, you have the recipient's phone number ready. For teammate transfers (iPhone only), the teammate is already invited to the line.

Set up a Call Transfer rule

From Beside on the web

Go to app.beside.com and click AI Receptionist in the left sidebar
If you have multiple lines, select the line you want to configure from the dropdown at the top of the page
Under Actions, click Transfer Calls
Click + Add (top right)
In the Add Call Transfer Rule dialog, fill in:
- Rule Name - a short label (e.g. Transfer to Sales)
- Description - describe when the AI should transfer this call (e.g. The caller mentions a billing issue or wants to discuss an invoice)
- Callee Name (optional) - the name of the person or department being called
- Phone Number - the external number to transfer to
Click Add Rule to save

📌 External numbers only on web: Beside on the web currently supports transfers to an external phone number. To transfer to an invited member of the line, use the Beside mobile app on iPhone.

From the mobile app

Open the Beside mobile app → go to the AI tab. If you have multiple lines, select the line you want to configure from the dropdown at the top left. In the 📞 Phone section, under Actions, tap Call Transfer rules (iPhone) or Transfer Calls (Android).

On iPhone

Tap + Call Transfer on the AI Call Transfer screen
Under Define scenario, describe in what situation your AI Receptionist should transfer the call (e.g. "Caller asks to speak with the owner" or "Billing or payment question")
Under Transfer calls to, tap the dropdown and choose:
- A phone number - enter the recipient's Full Name and Phone Number
- A team member - pick an invited member of the line. The transfer will ring their Beside number.
Tap Save

On Android

Tap Add Scenario
Enter a description of when the AI should transfer the call (e.g. "Caller asks to speak with the owner" or "Billing or payment question")
Enter the recipient's name and phone number
Save your scenario

💡 Tip: Use clear, descriptive scenarios so the AI can easily match caller intent. For example, "The caller mentions a billing issue or wants to discuss an invoice" is more effective than just "billing."

Manage your transfer rules

You can add, edit, or remove transfer rules at any time. Changes apply to new calls immediately. Any call already in progress won't be affected.

If you're on the 👥 Business plan with multiple lines, each line has its own independent set of transfer rules. This means you can route calls differently depending on which line receives the call.

How Call Transfer works

Here's what happens during a transferred call:

A caller is speaking with your AI Receptionist
The AI recognizes that the caller's request matches one of your transfer rules
The AI acknowledges the request to the caller (e.g., "Let me connect you with John right now.")
The recipient's phone rings
If the recipient answers, a three-way call is established and the AI steps back
If the recipient doesn't answer, the caller is sent to the recipient's voicemail

📌 Note: The AI remains a silent participant during the transfer but stops speaking. This enables a smooth warm handoff.

Transfer outcomes

If your recipient is unavailable, the outcome depends on the situation:

Busy - The recipient's line is occupied. The caller is sent to the recipient's voicemail.
No answer - The recipient didn't pick up. The caller is sent to the recipient's voicemail.
Canceled - The transfer was canceled before connecting. The AI continues the conversation with the caller.
Failed - A technical issue prevented the transfer. The AI apologizes and offers alternatives.

Test your Call Transfer setup

Before going live, test that your transfer rules work correctly:

Open the Beside mobile app and go to the AI tab
Tap Try Receptionist at the bottom, then Call Receptionist
During the test call, describe a situation that matches one of your transfer rules
Confirm that the AI acknowledges the transfer and attempts to connect you

⚠️ Important: If you're forwarding your personal number to Beside, calling your Beside number from that same phone may not work. Beside detects this as a self-call and may end it automatically. Use a different phone to test.

📖 Test your AI Receptionist

Common use cases

Call Transfer works best when you want to handle specific types of calls differently based on what the caller needs. Here are the most common setups.

Route urgent or emergency calls directly to you

For service businesses (plumbing, HVAC, medical, locksmith, real estate) where missing a true emergency is costly, set up a rule that recognizes urgency and transfers the call to you immediately - even outside Business Hours.

Example rule:

Trigger: when caller mentions "emergency", "urgent", or describes a time-sensitive situation
Transfer to: your personal number

Route specific topics to the right team member

Useful if different people handle different areas of your business. On iPhone you can transfer directly to an invited member of the line; otherwise, transfer to their external number.

Examples:

- Billing questions → accountant

- Scheduling → office manager

- Technical issues → owner

FAQ

Can I transfer calls to an international number?

Yes, as long as the phone number is in a valid format and your account supports international calling.

Can the AI transfer to multiple people at the same time?

No. Only one transfer can happen at a time per call. However, you can create multiple rules with different recipients. The AI will pick the right one based on the caller's request.

Is the transferred portion of the call recorded?

Yes. If call recording is enabled, the entire call, including the transferred portion, is recorded.

Can the AI transfer to an invited member of my line?

Yes, on the Beside mobile app on iPhone. When creating a rule, choose A team member in the Transfer calls to dropdown and pick an invited member of the line - the transfer will ring their Beside number. On Android and on 📖 Beside on the web, you can still transfer to a teammate by entering their phone number directly.

Can the AI transfer to a department or call queue?

Each rule transfers to a single destination - either an invited member of the line (on iPhone) or one phone number. Queue-based or department-wide routing is not yet supported.

What if I don't have any transfer rules configured?

If no rules are set up, your AI Receptionist will handle the call normally without attempting any transfers. It will take a message and you'll receive a summary as usual.