Can I use VoIP on my iPhone?

If you don’t spend your day sitting at a desk, VoIP is a great solution. It allows you to take one number with you, regardless of where you are. That means clients will never struggle to get hold of you, and you can keep in touch with colleagues without coming back to a pile of messages on your desk.

There are two common ways that our customers use VoIP with their iPhones. We’ll look at each of them in turn.

Option 1: Call Forwarding

VoIP allows you to set any number as a call forwarding number. This means that the call will be rerouted from the VoIP provider to your mobile phone network, and your iPhone will ring as it does when you receive a mobile call.

This is a simple solution, yet there are a couple of disadvantages:

• There will normally be a per-minute charge for forwarding the call through to the mobile network.
• It’s not always immediately clear that the call is a business call.

Option 2: VoIP Apps

VoIP apps use your phone’s internet connection to route calls through to your handset. You can use the same apps on your iPad too, and you can also take calls on an iPod touch when it’s connected to a Wi Fi network.

The big advantage is that your calls are separate; if a call comes in on your VoIP app, you know it’s not a regular mobile call. And because the app connects directly to the VoIP provider, there are no additional fees per minute.

For the best possible call quality, we recommend that you connect to a reasonably fast Wi Fi network, or use 4G to place calls. VoIP apps often work well on 3G, but a faster connection always helps to ensure that your call is handled seamlessly.

Choosing an App

Choosing a VoIP app can be tricky, since there are plenty to choose from on the app store. Some are free; some not. Don’t waste money buying apps at random.

Here are some tips regarding a few that we have tested:

• [Edit – Nov 2017] Our most recommended app is the Cloud Softphone which is available for both i0S and Android. You don’t need to set anything up in the app and you don’t have to pay anything to download and use the app. You’ll be able to find more information here.
• The Bria app was one of our favourite VoIP apps in the past, but we’ve found that customers have trouble receiving calls if the app is not in the foreground. For this reason, we no longer recommend Bria, since it’s possible you will miss calls.
• Acrobits is a better solution. When a call comes in, a push notification wakes the app before the call is handed over. This means that you can leave Acrobits running in the background all the time, and it will automatically pop up when a call comes in.

Help and Support

Once you sign up for a VoIP number, we’ll help you register your VoIP account in your chosen iPhone app. If you need help setting up your account using a VoIP app, drop us a line and we’ll be pleased to get you up and running.