Beside lets you silence calls from numbers not saved in your contacts. Instead of ringing your phone, these calls are quietly routed to your Beside voicemail - so you can stay focused without missing anything important.
How Silence Unknown Callers works
When enabled, Beside will automatically route calls from numbers you don't know directly to your Beside voicemail.
A number is considered unknown if it's not saved in your contacts and you've never called it before.
What happens:
Your Beside app won't ring
The AI Receptionist won't handle those calls
The call is logged in your Inbox tab
The caller can leave a voicemail
Enable Silence Unknown Callers
From the mobile app
Open the Beside mobile app
Tap the Settings tab
Choose your line
Scroll to Notifications, then tap Silence Unknown Callers
Toggle the switch to On
From the web dashboard
Go to app.beside.com → click Phone Numbers in the left sidebar
Click the line you want to manage
Scroll to Compliance & Privacy → toggle Silence Unknown Callers on
📌 Note: If you're on a 👥 Business plan with a shared line, only the account owner can manage this setting. Invited members won't be able to turn it on or off.
Disable Silence Unknown Callers
From the mobile app
Open the Beside mobile app
Tap the Settings tab
Choose your line
Scroll to Notifications, then tap Silence Unknown Callers
Toggle the switch to Off
From the web dashboard
Go to app.beside.com → click Phone Numbers in the left sidebar
Click the line you want to manage
Scroll to Compliance & Privacy → toggle Silence Unknown Callers off
FAQ
Does this feature work with the AI Receptionist?
Does this feature work with the AI Receptionist?
Silence Unknown Callers works independently of the AI Receptionist. When it's on, unknown calls go straight to voicemail without triggering the AI Receptionist. You can combine both features - let the AI handle missed calls from known contacts while silencing unknown callers entirely.
Will I still see missed calls from unknown numbers?
Will I still see missed calls from unknown numbers?
Yes. All silenced calls are still logged in your inbox tab. You can review who called and listen to any voicemails they left.
What if an important caller isn't in my contacts?
What if an important caller isn't in my contacts?
If you're expecting a call from someone not in your contacts, you can temporarily disable the feature, or add them to your contacts beforehand. Callers you've previously dialed from Beside are also treated as known and will ring normally.