Direct to Cell

Direct to Cell lets eligible Waveline calls use your phone's regular cellular connection instead of the Waveline app's internet connection. The call's source inbox must have an active Waveline number. Customers continue seeing that business number, so your personal phone number stays private.

When Direct to Cell is useful

Direct to Cell can be helpful when:

• Cellular service is more reliable than the available Wi-Fi or mobile data.
• You prefer answering through your phone's native call interface.
• Calls need to reach you when the Waveline app is not in the foreground.
• You want to use a personal phone for business calls without sharing its number.

Before you begin

• Install and sign in to the Waveline mobile app.
• Have access to the personal cell phone you want Waveline to ring.
• Use your personal cell number during verification, not a Waveline business number.
• Use your personal inbox or a shared inbox where you are a Member or Manager. See Inbox Participants; Viewer access does not let you make or receive calls from that inbox.
• Confirm that you are included in the applicable ring order.
• Confirm that each inbox you want to use with Direct to Cell has an active Waveline number.
• On Android, allow phone-call permission when requested.

Where to find Direct to Cell

In the Waveline mobile app, open Settings → Direct to Cell.

This setting is managed by each teammate for their own account. An Owner or Admin does not enable another teammate's personal cell phone from the web app.

What enabling Direct to Cell changes

When Direct to Cell is enabled for an eligible call:

• Incoming Waveline calls intended for your Web/Mobile calling method can ring your verified cell phone when the source inbox has an active number.
• Outgoing calls started in the Waveline mobile app can continue through the phone's native calling interface when the selected source inbox has an active number.
• Customers see the selected Waveline business number rather than your personal number.
• Your personal carrier provides the cellular connection.
• You can choose Call Screening separately for each numbered inbox you work in.

Numberless inboxes remain in the Waveline app or use a configured SIP endpoint when available. Direct to Cell does not require Contacts access or write to your phone's address book.

Your carrier's normal cellular service, minutes, and charges may apply.

Enable Direct to Cell

1. Open Settings → Direct to Cell.
2. Turn on Direct to Cell.
3. Review the explanation of how incoming and outgoing calls work.
4. If your number is already verified, select Enable Direct to Cell. Otherwise, select Add your phone number, enter and verify your personal cell number, then select Verify & enable.
5. On Android, allow phone-call permission when requested.
6. Confirm that the Call screening section lists your inboxes. Inboxes without a number show No number yet — screening unavailable.

Numbered and numberless inboxes

Direct to Cell eligibility is determined separately for each call by its source inbox:

• A numbered inbox can use your verified cell phone for eligible incoming and outgoing calls.
• A numberless inbox remains app-only or uses a configured SIP endpoint.
• Call Screening controls are available for numbered inboxes. A saved screening preference remains inactive while an inbox has no number and becomes available again if a number is assigned later.

Choose Call Screening for each inbox

Use the Call screening section to choose screening for each inbox you work in:

• Shared inboxes begin with screening enabled.
• Personal inboxes begin with screening disabled.
• You can change screening independently for each inbox.
• Changing your setting does not affect another teammate's screening preference.
• A numberless inbox cannot use screening until an active number is assigned.

Screening changes how your personal phone accepts a Direct to Cell call. It does not change the inbox's ring order or determine whether you should receive the call.

Receive a screened call

When screening is enabled:

1. Answer the incoming cellular call.
2. Listen for the prompt identifying the Waveline caller.
3. Press any digit to accept.
4. Wait for Waveline to connect you to the caller.

If you do not press a digit within the available time, Waveline treats the attempt as unanswered. The inbox's routing can then continue to another teammate or destination.

Why screening matters

With screening enabled, answer and press a digit to accept the business call.

When screening is disabled

With screening disabled, answering the cellular call connects you directly without requiring you to press a digit.

This can feel faster for a personal inbox, but your personal voicemail may also answer if you do not pick up in time. We recommend keeping screening enabled for shared inboxes so your personal voicemail cannot take a call that another teammate could have answered.

Make an outgoing call

1. Start the call from the Waveline mobile app.
2. Choose an inbox with an active Waveline number and confirm the business number customers should see.
3. Select the customer, teammate, or number to call.
4. Allow Waveline to open the phone's native calling interface.
5. Complete the call from the native phone app.

Availability and inbox routing still apply

Direct to Cell changes how your phone connects to a call. It does not add you to an inbox, place you in a ring group, or override your availability.

To receive an inbox's calls, you must still:

• Have working access to the inbox: your personal inbox, or a Member or Manager role in a shared inbox.
• Be included in the applicable ring order.
• Have Web/Mobile enabled as a calling method in that ring group.
• Be set to Available.

Allow Concurrent Calls under Settings → Preferences determines whether eligible devices can ring while you are busy. During a Direct to Cell call, use your phone's own controls to manage another cellular call. See Controls during a Direct to Cell call.

Review Availability and the Default Ring Order for more information.

Direct to Cell versus Move to Cell

See Mobile Call Controls for instructions on using Move to Cell.

Controls during a Direct to Cell call

Because the conversation uses the phone's native calling interface, use the phone's normal controls for audio, mute, keypad, hold, and ending the call.

Waveline-specific active-call controls are not displayed in the mobile app during that cellular call. Automatic inbox recording settings may still apply, but the mobile Record, Transfer, and Bridge controls are not available from the native cellular screen.

Turn Direct to Cell off

1. Open Settings → Direct to Cell.
2. Turn the main setting off.
3. Confirm that future Waveline calls return to the app when your configured Web/Mobile method rings.

Turning Direct to Cell off does not remove you from any inbox or ring order. Your per-inbox screening preferences remain available if you enable Direct to Cell again later.

Best practices

Direct to Cell is most useful when you regularly work somewhere with poor or inconsistent internet service. When your internet connection is reliable, the Waveline app provides the more complete calling experience, including Waveline-specific transfer, recording, and other active-call controls.

• Use Direct to Cell where cellular service is more reliable than internet service.
• Verify the cell phone you actually carry and answer.
• Keep screening enabled for shared inboxes.
• Confirm that the inboxes you want to use have active Waveline numbers.
• Start outgoing business calls from Waveline.
• Select the correct inbox or business number before calling.
• Keep your availability accurate.
• Test incoming and outgoing calls after enabling the feature.
• Confirm that unanswered screened calls continue to the intended backup routing.
• Avoid using personal voicemail as a shared-inbox fallback.

Change the mobile number that rings

Direct to Cell uses your verified personal mobile number. To change it, follow Change Your Sign-in Phone Number, then review Direct to Cell and test an incoming call.

Troubleshooting

Related pages

• Availability
• Receiving calls
• Making calls
• Mobile Call Controls
• Default Ring Order
• Call quality
• App connection issues
• Notifications