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Beside on the web

Use Beside on the web at app.beside.com - make and receive calls, send texts, and manage your account from any browser, on desktop or mobile.


Beside on the web brings your business phone to any browser - make and receive calls, send and receive texts, and manage your account at app.beside.com. No download required.

Your web account uses the same phone line as your Beside mobile app - calls, texts, and contacts stay in sync.

What Beside on the web offers

What Beside mobile app offers

What is synced between platforms

  • Outgoing and incoming phone calls

  • Outbound and inbound texts

  • Contact management

  • AI Receptionist configuration (including Pronunciation)

  • Ask Beside AI

  • Account, plan & billing management

  • Advanced line and team management

  • Outgoing and incoming phone calls

  • Outbound and inbound texts

  • Contact management

  • AI Receptionist configuration

  • Ask Beside AI

  • Phone number management (Call Forwarding, porting, Caller ID, etc)

  • Notifications settings, Contact sync

  • Calls & Texts

  • AI Receptionist configuration

  • Ask Beside chat history is shared

  • Unified searchable memory across devices

Requirements:

  • Any modern browser on desktop or mobile (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge)

  • Microphone access for calls

  • A Beside account with an active subscription


Sign in to Beside on the web

Go to app.beside.com and log in using the same method you used to create your Beside account on mobile:

  • Apple Sign-in

  • Google Sign-in

  • Email

  • Primary phone number

💡 Shortcut from the mobile app: Open the Beside mobile app, go to Settings, and tap Beside on Web at the top of the screen for a quick way to access the web app.

⚠️ Important: Use the same sign-in method you originally used on mobile. Signing in with a different method creates a separate account and your subscription, lines, and data won't appear on the web.

Once logged in, your account, lines, and history appear automatically.


Find your way around

The web app sidebar is organized in three areas:

  • Top: the organization switcher (under the Beside logo, for users who belong to more than one organization), then Search, Contacts, Notes, Referral, Settings, AI Receptionist, and Ask Beside AI

  • Middle - Phone Numbers: every Beside line on your account, listed with its phone number. Hover a line to see the menu (Configure number, Manage members). The + button next to the section title opens Add phone number.

  • Bottom: Keyboard Shortcuts, Support, Help Center, Download

To work with calls or messages on a specific line, click that line in the Phone Numbers section. The view that opens has three tabs at the top: Chats, Calls, and Beside AI (Ask Beside AI scoped to this line).

💡 Quick navigation with ⌘K or Ctrl+K: press it anywhere to open the Search or Ask Beside command palette. Filter results across Chats, Notes, and Contacts; jump to a line under Inboxes; or open Settings, Manage Inboxes, or AI Receptionist from Jump to. Press ? anytime to see the full Keyboard Shortcuts dialog.


Send and receive messages

To access your messages on the web:

  1. Go to app.beside.com and sign in

  2. In the Phone Numbers section of the sidebar, click the line you want to use

  3. Click the Chats tab at the top of the column

  4. Select a thread to read and reply

To start a new conversation, click the compose icon (✏️) at the top right of the Chats tab. A New Conversation modal opens with two side-by-side panes:

  • Contacts (left) - Pick someone from your address book. Search by name, phone number, or email; matches appear in a scrollable list below.

  • Phone Number (right) - Enter a number to call or chat directly. Type a number, or use the built-in dial pad.

At the bottom of the modal:

  • A line selector pill - the line you were viewing is pre-selected; click it to switch to any other line on your account before sending.

  • Two action buttons: Call to start a call, or Chat to send a text. Press to send a chat from the keyboard.

💡 Shortcut: press ⇧C anywhere in the web app to open the New Conversation modal directly.


Make and receive calls

To use calls on the web:

  1. Go to app.beside.com and sign in

  2. When prompted, allow microphone access in your browser

  3. In the Phone Numbers section of the sidebar, click the line you want to use

  4. Click the Calls tab to see your call history

  5. To start a new call, click the dial-pad icon at the top right of the Calls tab. In the New Conversation modal, pick a contact from Contacts or enter a number in Phone Number, then click Call

Your call history shows incoming, outgoing, and missed calls - with AI-generated call summaries for recorded calls.

View call details

Click any call in the list to open its detail page. Three tabs at the top let you see different views:

  • Summary - AI-generated bullet points covering the reason for the call, who called, and what was decided or asked for

  • Transcript - the full text transcript of the call

  • Call Details - caller details, direction (incoming/outgoing), status, duration, when the call happened, and a Listen button to play the recording in a new tab

At the top right of the call detail page:

  • Ask Beside - opens Ask Beside AI to ask questions about this specific call

  • Share - copies a public link to the call transcript so you can share it with anyone (a "Link copied!" toast confirms)

  • View in Notes - opens the matching entry in the Notes section of the sidebar

⚠️ Microphone access is required: If you blocked microphone access, the browser won't let Beside make or receive calls. Check your browser's site settings for app.beside.com and allow microphone access, then refresh the page.


Manage your contacts

Click Contacts in the sidebar to view, search, and add contacts from the web.

🟡 Web-specific view: Your contacts are synced across web and mobile, but the dedicated Contacts section in the sidebar - with its filter dropdown and manual + Add button - is part of Beside on the web. On mobile, contacts are accessed through other parts of the app.

The Contacts page lists everyone in two sections: Beside Users at the top (contacts who also use Beside, each with a blue Beside badge), and Other Contacts below.

At the top right of the page:

  • Search contacts - filter the list by name or number

  • All Contacts dropdown - narrow what you see: All Contacts (default), Beside Users only, or Other Contacts only

  • + Add - create a new contact manually

Each contact in the list has Chat and Call buttons to start a conversation directly.


Browse your notes

Click Notes in the sidebar to see all the notes generated by Beside in one place - call summaries from every line, and Ask Beside AI conversations.

At the top right of the Notes page:

  • Search notes - filter by title or content

  • All Inboxes dropdown - filter by source: All Inboxes (default), Direct Messages, or any one of your phone lines

  • All Types dropdown - filter by note type: All Types (default), Calls, or Beside AI

Each note in the list shows its title, the matching channel icon (call or message), and the date it was created. Click a note to open the full view.

🟡 Web-only view: The dedicated Notes section in the sidebar is part of Beside on the web. On mobile, call summaries are accessed from each call's detail screen, and Ask Beside conversations from the Ask Beside section.


Manage your lines from the sidebar

Each phone line in the Phone Numbers section of the sidebar has a quick-action menu. Hover a line and click the button that appears to:

  • Configure number - opens the line's settings (for now, most line configuration is done on mobile - see Set up your line on mobile first)

  • Manage members - invite, remove, or change roles for teammates on this line (👥 Business)

To add a new line, click the + button next to the Phone Numbers section title (the Add phone number tooltip confirms the action). New line creation runs in the Beside mobile app.

Set up your line on mobile first

Beside on the web uses the same phone line as your mobile app. Phone line configuration (call forwarding, caller ID, porting) can only be done from the Beside mobile app - it isn't available on the web yet.

🟡 No line configured? If you haven't set up a phone line on mobile yet, download the Beside mobile app from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android) and complete line setup there first.

Once your line is active on mobile, it's automatically available on the web - no extra setup needed.


Configure your AI Receptionist

The AI Receptionist is its own section in the sidebar. Open it to configure how your AI handles calls, texts, and emails for the line selected at the top of the page.

The configuration is grouped into four areas:

Channels - what your AI handles

  • Phone Calls - turn AI call answering on or off, set ring count, choose which calls it answers

  • Text Messages - configure AI text replies

  • Draft Emails - connect Gmail or Outlook so your AI can draft replies to inbound emails

Actions - what your AI does on a call

  • Book Appointments - let your AI book calendar appointments

  • Welcome Greeting - what your AI says when it picks up

  • Ending Message - what your AI says before hanging up

  • Transfer Calls - rules for routing calls to the right person

  • Qualify Leads - the questions your AI asks to qualify leads

Voice - how your AI sounds

  • Tone of Voice - the voice your AI uses

  • Pronunciation - teach your AI how to say your business name and other terms

Knowledge - what your AI knows

  • Company Details

  • Contact Information

  • Additional Knowledge

  • Products & Services


Manage your account, members, lines, and billing

Open Settings in the sidebar. Settings is grouped into three areas:

Your account

  • Profile - your Information (first name, last name, timezone, phone number, email) and your Preferences:

    • Appearance - Light, Dark, or System Default

    • Short date format - used when the year is obvious (e.g. recent dates), like Apr 29

    • Long date format - used when the year needs to be shown, like Apr 29, 2025

    • Time format - 12-hour or 24-hour

    • Region - phone numbers from your region are shown without the country code

    Sign out is at the bottom of the page.

Notifications

  • Pulses - schedule recurring AI prompts that run automatically and create a new conversation with the results

Workspace

  • Members - invite, remove, and manage teammates (👥 Business)

  • Phone Numbers - view your lines, manage who they're shared with, and add new ones

  • Plan & Billing - see your current plan, change billing, update payment methods, view invoices


Current limitations

Beside on the web handles the most common phone and messaging tasks, but a few things still require the Beside mobile app:

  • Line configuration (new lines, call forwarding, Caller ID, etc.) is only available on the Beside mobile app

  • Texts and calls on the web are available in the US and Canada only

  • Some mobile-only features are not yet available on the web - the team is actively adding more based on feedback

  • Read status is not synced between the web and mobile - a message read on one platform may still appear unread on the other


FAQ

Can I use Beside on a computer or desktop?

Yes - you have two options:

  • Beside on the web: open app.beside.com in any modern browser on desktop. No download needed. Sign in with the same method you used on mobile (Apple, Google, email, or phone number).

  • Beside for macOS (Mac only): a downloadable app that also captures and summarizes online meetings - see 📖 Beside for macOS.

Which plans can use calls and texts on the web?

Calls and texts on the web are available on every plan - the Beside plan and legacy 👥 Business. You need an active phone line set up in the Beside mobile app first.

Which browsers are supported?

Beside on the web works in any modern browser on desktop or mobile - Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge. For the best experience with calls, make sure your browser has microphone access and a stable internet connection.

I signed up with Apple and used Hide My Email - how do I log in on the web?

Just click Continue with Apple on app.beside.com. Apple handles the rest - you don't need to know or enter your hidden email address.

If you ever need to find the email address Apple created for your Beside account (for example, if support asks for it):

  1. On your iPhone, open Settings and tap your name at the top.

  2. Tap Sign in with Apple, then find Beside in the list.

  3. Your hidden email address (ending in @privaterelay.appleid.com) is shown on that screen. Long-press to copy it.

Do I need to download anything?

No. Beside on the web runs entirely in your browser at app.beside.com.
If you'd also like a desktop app with meeting capture, check out 📖 Beside for macOS.

Why can't I make calls from the web?

Make sure you've allowed microphone access in your browser for app.beside.com. If calls still don't work, check that you have an active phone line configured in the Beside mobile app - line setup isn't available on the web.

Why do my messages show as unread on my phone after I read them on the web?

Read status is not yet synced between the web and mobile. A message you read on one platform may still appear as unread on the other. This will be improved in a future update.

Can I configure call forwarding or Caller ID from the web?

Not yet. Line configuration (call forwarding, Caller ID, adding new lines) can only be done from the Beside mobile app. Once configured, those settings apply on the web automatically.

Are there keyboard shortcuts on the web?

Yes. Press them anywhere in the web app to open the full Keyboard Shortcuts dialog (also available from Keyboard Shortcuts at the bottom of the sidebar). The most useful shortcuts:

  • ⌘K or Ctlr+K - open the command palette to search across Chats, Notes, and Contacts, or jump to any line or section

  • / - focus the search filter

  • ⌘⇧O - open Ask Beside AI

  • ⇧C - start a new conversation

  • g then 1, 2, 3… - jump between your lines

  • g then c/n/r/s/a/b - jump to Contacts, Notes, Referral, Settings, AI Receptionist, or Ask Beside

  • ↑/↓ or j/k - navigate within a list; ←/→ or h/l - switch tabs

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