Displaying your primary number helps your contacts recognize your business immediately, building trust and professionalism from the first ring. You can set up Caller ID so recipients see your existing business number when you call them from Beside.
💡 Good to know: Your primary number is typically the number you want people to associate with your business - the one on your business cards, listed online, or shared with clients before joining Beside.
📌 Set up Caller ID from the Beside mobile app. Caller ID verification is currently completed from the mobile app, support for setting up Caller ID in the web app at app.beside.com is coming soon.
Set up Caller ID
Open the Beside mobile app
Go to the Settings tab
In the Phone section, tap Caller Identity
On a 👥 Business plan: under Phone Numbers, tap the line you want to configure first, then tap Configure Number.
Choose the number recipients see: your Beside number, your forwarded number, or another number
Complete the verification process: answer the automated call from Beside and enter the 6-digit code from the app to confirm ownership
Your primary number will now appear to the people you call.
📌 Note: If you ported your number to Beside, your ported number will automatically appear as your Caller ID - no additional setup is needed.
Caller ID and text messages
Caller ID only applies to outgoing calls, not to text messages. Even with Caller ID enabled, your texts will always show your Beside number as the sender - not your primary number. This is a carrier limitation.
If you want your texts to come from your existing number, you need to port that number to Beside.
Troubleshoot Caller ID issues
If you're experiencing issues enabling Caller ID, try these solutions:
Missed the verification call
Quit and relaunch the Beside app
Repeat the Caller ID setup process from step 1
Call forwarding interferes with setup
If call forwarding is enabled, it may interfere with the Caller ID verification. Try this:
Disable call forwarding in the Beside app
Disable call forwarding in your carrier settings (or via carrier codes)
Quit and relaunch the Beside app
Enable Caller ID again
Once Caller ID is successfully enabled, you can re-enable call forwarding
FAQ
Does Caller ID work for text messages too?
Does Caller ID work for text messages too?
No. Caller ID only applies to outgoing calls. Text messages always show your Beside number as the sender, regardless of your Caller ID settings. To have texts come from your existing number, you need to port it to Beside.
Do I need Caller ID if I ported my number?
Do I need Caller ID if I ported my number?
No. When you port a number to Beside, it becomes your Beside number. It will automatically show on all outgoing calls and texts - no Caller ID setup needed.
Does Caller ID change how incoming calls reach me?
Does Caller ID change how incoming calls reach me?
No. Caller ID is outbound only, it controls the number recipients see when you call them from Beside. It does not route incoming calls.
Calls to your Beside number always ring in Beside. Calls to your primary carrier number stay on your carrier line, unless you've also set up call forwarding.
Can I use a different Caller ID for each line?
Can I use a different Caller ID for each line?
Yes. On a 👥 Business plan, you can configure a different Caller ID for each line. Go to Settings, select the line you want to configure, then set up Caller ID for that specific line.
Can I set up Caller ID from the web app?
Can I set up Caller ID from the web app?
Not yet - Caller ID verification is currently done from the Beside mobile app. Support for setting up Caller ID in app.beside.com is coming soon.
Can I have my business name show next to my number when I call?
Can I have my business name show next to my number when I call?
No. Beside controls the number that appears on outgoing calls (Caller ID), but not the name that displays alongside it. The displayed name comes from a separate system called CNAM (Caller ID Name), which is maintained by phone carriers and third-party CNAM registries.
CNAM registration is not something Beside provides - it has to be set up directly with a third-party CNAM registry service. Once your business name is registered, U.S. carriers that look up CNAM will display it for your number.
A few things to keep in mind:
CNAM lookup is not universal - some carriers don't perform it, so even with a registered name, not all recipients will see it
CNAM registration is typically a paid service through a third-party provider
Changes can take several days or weeks to propagate across carriers