How to Make and Receive Calls
Phound makes it easy to place and receive phone calls using any of your second phone numbers. Whether you are reaching out to a client from your business persona or returning a personal call, the process is designed to feel familiar and straightforward.
This guide walks you through every step — from selecting which number to call from, to handling incoming calls, managing missed calls, and integrating with your device's contacts.
Before You Start
To make and receive calls with Phound, you need:
- The Phound app installed on your iOS or Android device
- An active Phound account with at least one persona and phone number set up
- An internet connection — Wi-Fi or cellular data
- Notification permissions enabled for the Phound app (required to receive incoming calls)
If you have not set up the app yet, start with our getting started guide and then come back here.
Tip: Make sure Phound has permission to send notifications and to use your microphone. Without these permissions, you may not hear incoming calls ring or be able to speak during a call. Check your device's settings under the Phound app permissions.
Making a Call
Placing a call from Phound takes just a few taps. Here is the process step by step:
Step 1: Open the Dialer
Tap the phone icon in the bottom navigation bar of the app. This opens the Phound dialer, which looks similar to your device's native phone app.
Step 2: Select Your Persona
Before you dial, make sure you are calling from the right number. At the top of the dialer screen, you will see the currently active persona. Tap on it to open the persona selector and choose which number you want to use for this call.
This step is important if you manage multiple numbers. Calling a business contact from your personal persona — or vice versa — can cause confusion. Always double-check the active persona before placing a call.
Step 3: Enter the Number
You can enter the phone number in three ways:
- Type it on the keypad — Tap the digits on the on-screen number pad just like you would on a regular phone.
- Select from contacts — Tap the Contacts icon to browse your device's contact list. Phound integrates with your phone's native contacts so you can call anyone in your address book.
- Select from Recents — Tap Recents to view your recent call history for the active persona. Tap any entry to call that number again.
Step 4: Place the Call
Tap the green Call button to dial. The app will display a call screen showing the number you are calling, the persona you are calling from, and a timer that starts once the call connects.
During the call, you have access to familiar controls:
- Mute — Tap to mute your microphone so the other party cannot hear you.
- Speaker — Tap to switch to speakerphone mode.
- Keypad — Tap to bring up the keypad for entering touchtone digits (useful for navigating automated phone menus).
- Record — Tap to start recording the call (see our call recording guide for details and legal considerations).
- End Call — Tap the red button to hang up.
Note: Phound-to-Phound calls — calls between two Phound users — are completely free and unlimited on all plans. These calls are routed over the internet and do not count toward any usage limits.
Tip: If you frequently call the same contacts from a specific persona, save those contacts with a label or note so you remember which persona you use for each relationship. This saves time and prevents accidentally calling from the wrong number.
Calling from Your Contacts
Phound integrates with your device's native contact list, so you do not need to recreate your address book inside the app. When you open the contacts tab within the Phound dialer, you will see all the contacts stored on your device.
To call a contact:
- Open the Phound dialer.
- Tap the Contacts tab.
- Search for or scroll to the contact you want to call.
- Tap their name, then tap the phone number you want to dial.
- Confirm the persona you are calling from and tap Call.
The call will be placed from your currently selected Phound persona. The contact will see your Phound number on their caller ID, not your real phone number.
Saving New Contacts from Phound
If someone calls your Phound number and you want to save them, tap the number in your call log and select Add to Contacts to save it to your device's address book.
Receiving an Incoming Call
When someone calls one of your Phound numbers, the app notifies you with an incoming call screen. Here is what to expect:
How Incoming Calls Appear
When a call comes in, you will see a notification that includes the caller's phone number (or their name if they are in your contacts), which persona is receiving the call, and Answer and Decline buttons. This is especially useful if you have multiple numbers, so you know whether to answer with a personal or professional greeting.
Answering a Call
Tap the green Answer button (or swipe, depending on your device) to pick up the call. The call screen will appear with the same controls available during outgoing calls — mute, speaker, keypad, and end call.
Declining a Call
Tap the red Decline button to reject the call. The caller will be routed to voicemail for that persona (if you have voicemail set up). If voicemail is not configured, the caller will simply hear that the call could not be completed.
Sending to Voicemail
If you are busy but do not want to outright decline the call, you can let it ring until it naturally rolls to voicemail. The default ring time before voicemail picks up is approximately 25 seconds, giving the caller enough time to leave a message if they choose.
For information on setting up and managing voicemail greetings, see our voicemail setup and management guide.
Warning: If Phound does not have notification permissions on your device, you will not receive incoming call alerts. Go to your device's settings and make sure notifications are enabled for Phound. On iOS, also verify that Phound is allowed to use background app refresh.
Managing Your Call History
Every call you make or receive is logged in the Recents tab within the Phound dialer. The call history is organized by persona, so you can see a clean record of communication for each number.
Each entry in your call history shows:
- The phone number or contact name
- Whether the call was incoming, outgoing, or missed
- The date and time of the call
- The call duration (for completed calls)
Filtering by Persona
To view call history for a specific persona, select that persona from the persona switcher at the top of the Recents screen. This filters the list to show only calls associated with that number.
Returning a Missed Call
If you see a missed call in your history, tap on it and select Call Back. The return call will be placed from the same persona that received the original call, so the other person sees the number they originally dialed.
Switching Personas During Use
If you need to switch which number you are calling from, you can do so at any time from the dialer screen before placing a call. Tap the persona indicator at the top of the dialer and select a different persona from the dropdown list.
You cannot switch personas during an active call. If you need to call someone back from a different number, end the current call first, switch personas, and then dial again.
Tip: Get in the habit of checking the active persona indicator before every call. It takes just a second and prevents the awkward situation of answering or calling from the wrong identity.
Tips for the Best Calling Experience
Here are some practical tips to get the most out of Phound calls:
- Use Wi-Fi when possible for the most stable call quality, especially for longer conversations.
- Close bandwidth-heavy apps during calls to avoid audio quality issues from competing data usage.
- Use headphones or earbuds to improve audio quality for both parties, especially in noisy environments.
- Keep the app updated to benefit from the latest call quality and reliability improvements.
- Check your Do Not Disturb settings if you are missing incoming calls — verify your persona's settings under Settings > Personas.
For more detail on the technology behind Phound calls, see our guide on how calling works in Phound.
Still Need Help?
If you are having trouble making or receiving calls, here are your next steps:
- Troubleshoot call issues — Visit our troubleshooting section for solutions to common calling problems.
- Contact Support — Reach our team directly from the app via Settings > Help & Support.
- Check your connection — Switch between Wi-Fi and cellular data to see if the issue is network-related.
You are all set to start making and receiving calls with Phound. Pick a persona, dial a number, and enjoy the freedom of a second line.