Beside lets you decide how a shared line rings your team when a call comes in. Pick the mode that fits how your team handles calls - ring everyone at once, ring members one by one in a set order, or skip ringing the team entirely and send calls straight to your AI Receptionist or voicemail.
📌 Availability:
Available on iPhone and on 📖 Beside on the web. Not yet available on Android.
Ringing Mode only appears when the line has more than one member. On lines with a single member, calls ring that member's device directly.
Only the account owner can change the mode. Other members see the screen, but it appears greyed out for them.
Open Ringing Mode
From the Beside mobile app (iPhone)
If you have a single line on your account:
Go to Settings
Tap Ringing Mode
If you have multiple lines:
Go to Settings
Tap the line you want to configure
Tap Ringing Mode
From Beside on the web
Go to app.beside.com and sign in
Click AI Receptionist in the left sidebar
If you have multiple lines, select the line from the dropdown at the top of the page
Click Phone Calls under Channels
Scroll to the Ringing section
📌 On Beside on the web, the picker is labelled Ringing mode with two options: Ring All Members and Ring Members in Order. To send calls straight to your AI Receptionist or voicemail, keep Ring All Members and set Answers after to Direct to Receptionist.
Pick a mode
The screen shows three options under Select mode.
Mode | What it does |
Ring all users at once | Every member's device rings at the same time. Whoever is free picks up. This is the default for shared lines. |
Ring users in order | Members ring one by one in the order you set. You can reorder the list and choose how many times each member rings before the call moves to the next. If nobody picks up, the call falls back to your AI Receptionist - or to Traditional Voicemail when your AI Receptionist is off. |
Direct to AI Receptionist (or Direct to Beside Voicemail) | Skip ringing the team entirely. Calls go straight to your AI Receptionist when it's on, or to Beside Traditional Voicemail when it's off. The label adapts to whichever is active. |
💡 Same ring count across the app:
The Answers after ring count you set on Ringing Mode is the same value as the one in your AI Receptionist settings - they're synced. Changing it on one screen updates the other.
The picker offers 2 Rings (~10 sec) up to 10 Rings (~50 sec).
Ring all users at once
This is the default for shared lines. Every member's device rings at the same time, and the first one to pick up takes the call. If nobody answers, the call falls back to your AI Receptionist - or to Traditional Voicemail when your AI Receptionist is off.
Below the mode, the Rings before Receptionist section shows Answers after with the current ring count (for example, 4 Rings (~20 sec)). Tap to change it - this is the same setting as Answers after in your AI Receptionist settings.
Ring users in order
Members ring one by one in the order you set.
Rings per member - tap Answers after to choose how many times each member's device rings before the call moves to the next person. Same range as above (2 to 10 rings), and synced with your AI Receptionist's ring count.
Ring order - the list shows your members numbered 1, 2, and so on. Drag the handle on the right of each member to reorder them.
Fallback - the last entry in the list (numbered after your members) shows where the call goes if nobody picks up: AI Receptionist when it's on, or Beside Voicemail when it's off.
💡 Use this when:
You want a specific person to try first (for example, a dedicated account manager) before the rest of the team is alerted.
You want to give one teammate a few rings to grab the call before escalating.
Direct to AI Receptionist / Direct to Voicemail
Skip ringing the team entirely. Calls go straight to your AI Receptionist when it's on, or to Beside Voicemail when it's off. The label and icon on the screen adapt automatically.
There's no ring count to set for this mode - the call goes immediately to the fallback.
💡 Use this when:
You want every inbound call answered by your AI Receptionist without ringing the team first.
Your team is fully booked or in focus time and you want callers handled automatically.
📌 On Beside on the web, this same behavior is available by keeping Ringing mode on Ring All Members and setting Answers after to Direct to Receptionist.
When your AI Receptionist is off
When your AI Receptionist is paused for the line, the screen shows a notice at the bottom:
📌 Your AI Receptionist is paused for this line. Activate it now.
Tapping Activate it now opens your AI Receptionist settings. It does not flip the toggle on automatically - you choose when to turn it back on. While the AI is off, the fallback for Ring users in order and the Direct option both route to your Beside Voicemail.
FAQ
Why don't I see Ringing Mode in my line's settings?
Why don't I see Ringing Mode in my line's settings?
Ringing Mode only appears when the line has more than one member. If you're the only person on the line, your device rings directly when calls come in - there's nothing to configure.
To add a member, see 📖 Share your line with your team.
Why does the Ringing Mode screen look greyed out for me?
Why does the Ringing Mode screen look greyed out for me?
Only the account owner can change a line's Ringing Mode. Other members see the screen but can't edit it - the options appear greyed out. Ask your account owner if you want the mode changed.
Is Ringing Mode available on Android or Beside on the web?
Is Ringing Mode available on Android or Beside on the web?
Beside on the web supports Ringing Mode under AI Receptionist → Phone Calls → Ringing, with two modes (Ring All Members and Ring Members in Order). Android is not yet supported - shared lines on Android still ring all members at once. Changes you make on iPhone or on the web sync across the app.
What happens when nobody picks up?
What happens when nobody picks up?
The call falls back to your AI Receptionist if it's on, or to your Traditional Voicemail if it's off. The fallback applies to Ring all users at once and Ring users in order. With Direct to AI Receptionist / Direct to Voicemail, the call goes straight to the fallback without ringing the team first.
Is there a limit to how many members I can add to "Ring users in order"?
Is there a limit to how many members I can add to "Ring users in order"?
Yes - Ring users in order supports up to 10 members in the ring sequence. If your line has more than 10 members, only the first 10 in your ordered list will be rung before the call falls back to your AI Receptionist or Beside Voicemail.
Can I set a different Ringing Mode per time of day?
Can I set a different Ringing Mode per time of day?
Not directly. Ringing Mode is a single setting per line. If you want calls handled differently outside of working hours, use Business Hours alongside your AI Receptionist - see 📖 Set your Business Hours.
Does Ringing Mode override the AI Receptionist's ring count setting?
Does Ringing Mode override the AI Receptionist's ring count setting?
No - they're the same setting, shown in two places. The Answers after ring count is synced between Ringing Mode and your AI Receptionist settings, and between iPhone and Beside on the web. Change it on any screen and the others update.
Why does the Rings per member count start at 2?
Why does the Rings per member count start at 2?
In Ring users in order, the per-member ring count starts at 2 Rings (~10 sec) so that each person has enough time to pick up before the call moves to the next. If you want calls to bypass ringing the team entirely, pick the Direct to AI Receptionist mode on iPhone, or on Beside on the web, keep Ring All Members and set Answers after to Direct to Receptionist.