What Is a Softphone?
A softphone is a software application that lets you make and receive phone calls over the internet using your computer, tablet, or smartphone. Unlike a traditional desk phone that requires dedicated hardware, a softphone runs entirely on a device you already own. It connects to your VoIP phone system just like a physical phone would, giving you access to the same extensions, features, and call routing.
How Is It Different from a Desk Phone?
A desk phone is a piece of hardware that sits on your desk and connects to the phone system through a network cable or Wi-Fi. A softphone does the same thing entirely through software. The experience is similar: you can make calls, transfer calls, check voicemail, send messages, and see who is available on the system. The main difference is that a softphone travels with you. If you have your laptop or mobile device and an internet connection, your work phone goes with you.
What Can You Do with a Softphone?
Most business softphone applications support the same features as a physical VoIP phone, including:
- Making and receiving voice calls using your business extension
- Transferring calls to other extensions or external numbers
- Checking and managing voicemail
- Sending and receiving SMS messages
- Viewing real-time availability of colleagues through BLF (Busy Lamp Field)
- Accessing call history and recent activity
- Sending voice messages and file attachments through the messaging interface
What Do You Need to Use a Softphone?
To get started with a softphone you need:
- A computer, tablet, or smartphone running a supported operating system
- A stable internet connection. Wi-Fi works for most situations, but a wired connection is more reliable for uninterrupted calls
- A microphone and speakers, or a headset. A headset is strongly recommended for better audio quality and to reduce background noise
- Your VoIP account credentials, typically your extension number, domain, and portal password
Once installed and logged in, a softphone registers to your phone system the same way a desk phone does. Calls to your extension will ring on both your desk phone and softphone simultaneously, or on whichever device your answering rules are configured to ring.