One of the first questions owners ask about an AI receptionist is whether they need a new phone number. The answer, with Tactly, is no. Every plan comes with its own local number, but you do not have to give it to anyone. Your customers keep dialing the number on your van, your website and your business cards. You simply tell your phone to send certain calls on to Tactly.
This is called call forwarding, and almost every business phone line and mobile plan supports it. Here is how it works in plain terms.
The two kinds of forwarding
Most carriers offer two broad kinds.
Forward every call
Sometimes called unconditional forwarding. Every call to your number goes straight to the forwarding number without your phone ringing. This suits you if you want Tactly to greet every caller and transfer the ones that need you during your hours.
Forward only certain calls
Often called conditional forwarding. Calls are forwarded only when a condition is met, most commonly when nobody answers, when the line is busy, or when the phone is off or out of signal. This is what most owners want: your phone rings as normal, and only the calls you miss go on to Tactly.
Match forwarding to your answer mode
Tactly has four answer modes: every call, only after hours, only the calls nobody picks up, or missed calls and after hours together. Your forwarding setup and your answer mode work together:
- If you choose every call, set your line to forward every call to your Tactly number.
- If you choose a missed-call mode, set your line to forward when there is no answer, and usually when busy or unreachable too.
- For after hours only, the simplest approach is still to forward unanswered calls, then let Tactly's hours setting decide whether it should step in.
In the modes that cover missed calls, you can also set how long your own phone rings first, from 5 to 60 seconds. Pick a time that gives you a fair chance to reach the phone without making callers wait too long.
How to set it up with your carrier
The exact steps depend on who provides your phone line, so check your carrier's help pages or call their support line. In general you will find one of these options:
- A settings screen. Many mobile phones have a call forwarding section in their phone settings, with separate options for no answer, busy and unreachable.
- An online account portal. Business phone and VoIP providers usually let you set forwarding rules from their website or app.
- A dial code. Some carriers let you switch forwarding on and off by dialing a short code followed by the forwarding number. Your carrier can tell you the right one.
Whatever the method, you will enter your Tactly number as the destination. Write down how to turn forwarding off as well, so you can undo it if you ever need to.
A few things to check with your carrier
- The no-answer delay. Some carriers have their own ring time before they forward. Make sure it fits with the ring time you set in Tactly.
- Voicemail. If your carrier's voicemail picks up before the forward happens, calls may never reach Tactly. You may need to turn voicemail off or shorten its delay.
- Forwarding charges. Some plans charge for forwarded calls. It is worth asking.
Test before you rely on it
Once forwarding is on, test it properly. Test calls to Tactly from your own phone are free, but to test forwarding you need to call your business number from a different phone. Try three things:
- Call and answer it yourself. Your phone should ring as normal.
- Call and let it ring out. Tactly should pick up after the delay you chose.
- Call while your line is busy. Check that the call reaches Tactly too, if that is what you want.
Then check your inbox. Each answered call should arrive as a summary with its transcript.
What forwarding does not change
Forwarding is not the same as moving your number. Your number stays with your current carrier, and your bill and contract stay as they are. You can switch forwarding off at any time and your phone goes back to exactly how it worked before.
A couple of limits are worth knowing too. Tactly answers up to 50 calls a day and 3 from any single caller in an hour. Past those, calls ring through as normal, so a flood of calls or a repeat dialer never blocks your line.
A quick setup checklist
- Choose your answer mode and ring time in the dashboard.
- Write your notes and make a free test call to Tactly directly.
- Set up forwarding with your carrier using your Tactly number.
- Test from another phone in all three situations.
- Read the summaries and adjust anything that sounds off.