Enabling Messenger calls allows teammates to initiate voice, video, or screen sharing calls from Messenger chats.
You also have the option to provision a phone number so teammates can make and receive phone calls straight from the Help Desk. This can be done using your existing number or by adding new phone numbers to your workspace.
To set up Intercom Phone on your workspace, you need Can manage workspace data permission.
Set up Messenger calls
Go to Settings > Channels > Phone to turn on Messenger calls.
Messenger calls use a Messenger app. If your workspace hasn’t used Messenger apps and your website that hosts the Intercom Messenger sends CSP headers, you’ll need to add intercom-sheets.com to frame-src
directive of the CSP header. Learn more.
You’re now ready to start using Messenger voice, video and screen sharing! 👌 Learn how to make Messenger calls from the Help Desk.
If you don’t want to make or receive phone calls from the Help Desk, you don’t need to set up anything else. Setting up recordings and transcripts is also optional.
Set up inbound/outbound phone calls
Port existing phone number
If you’d like to keep your existing phone number, you can!
To do so, head over to Settings > Channels > Phone and under Phone calls, click on Port existing phone number 👇
This feature is only for phone calls, not SMS. Learn more on setting up SMS here.
You will then be prompted to enter the following information before the number is checked for portability:
Once this is done, you'll need to enter details regarding your phone number with the current provider and select your preferred porting date.
We’ll also need to collect some additional information from you to allow us to port your number.
Before porting a number:
We only support porting phone numbers in countries that we have native support for (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, US, and UK). See restrictions on porting here.
From your set porting date it takes a week for most phone numbers. Some numbers can take 6 or more weeks if additional documents are required. During this process, consider forwarding calls from your current provider to a phone number in Intercom Phone for a smooth transition, you can do this after submitting the port request.
Once a porting date is set, changing it can be difficult and cause potential issues. Don't initiate ports until you are ready.
You'll need to message your current provider to ask them to approve the transfer.
Add new phone number
If you want to use Intercom Phone with a new number, go to Settings > Channels > Phone and open the Phone calls section. Then click + New phone number.
Select a country and number type
Now select the country and number type. The available options are:
Australia (local, toll-free, mobile)
Austria (local)
Belgium (local)
Canada (local and toll-free)
Denmark (local)
Finland (local)
France (local and toll-free)
Germany (local, mobile, and toll-free)
Ireland (toll-free)
Luxembourg (local)
Netherlands (local)
New Zealand (local)
Norway (local)
Switzerland (local)
Sweden (local and toll-free)
US (local and toll-free)
UK (local, toll-free and mobile)
Porting of toll-free numbers in France is currently not supported. However we do support toll-free numbers purchasing.
Local - Local numbers are numbers which are tied to a specific geographic region.
Toll free - Toll free numbers are numbers which businesses use to cover the cost of calls for their customers.
Mobile - Mobile numbers are often the only phone number type in a country that can be used for both phone calls and messages.
Complete business information
Depending on your selection, you may need to add addresses and other information to meet regulatory requirements for that country.
Some numbers require you to upload a regulatory bundle before proceeding to the next step. Where regulatory bundles are required, you’ll see the option to select or add a new bundle from the dropdown menu.
Choose a phone number
Choose a number by simply selecting one from the list of options. You can enter the starting numbers to filter by a specific area code, and click See more numbers to show alternative options.
Once you’ve selected your new phone number, click Activate number.
There's no way to change the phone number we provide.
Phone number masking is currently not supported.
Phone number purchasing
The number types offered are private, meaning that the numbers are not available via an API.
You will see a ‘Create purchase request’ button to begin the purchasing process and a ticket will be created with our team where you can track the process of your request.
Configure phone number settings
After you’ve ported an existing number into Intercom, or activated a new number, you’ll need to configure the phone number settings found in Settings > Channels > Phone under Phone calls (scroll across to the end of the row).
Give the phone number a name. This name is internal only (not visible to customers) and teammates will be able to select it when they’re making a phone call from the Help Desk.
Inbound/outbound calls
Choose whether this number should have inbound and outbound capabilities by toggling these options on:
Outbound phone calls - allows teammates to place phone calls to a customer’s phone number from the Help Desk.
Inbound phone calls - allows customers to place phone calls to this number which will be routed to teammates on the Help Desk.
Welcome greeting
If you turn on Inbound phone calls, you’ll have the option to enter a welcome greeting. This message will be played when a customer calls the number, before they are routed to the configured workflow or team.
Routing
Then select how you want calls to this phone number to be routed:
Configure with a workflow (you'll set this up later).
Assign to a specific team.
Assign to Workspace (all available teammates).
If you’re on the Essential plan, you’ll only be able to assign to workspace (all available teammates).
Voicemail
When using the "Configure with a workflow" routing option, voicemail greetings and triggers will need to be setup within a "When a customer calls" workflow as detailed in this article.
For the remaining routing options - "Assign to..." and "Assign to Workspace" - you can set up voicemail for those instances where teammates are unavailable. Voicemails will appear in the inbox just like recordings and transcripts for completed calls.
Simply select “Go to voicemail when teammates are unavailable to take a call” and provide a voicemail greeting which will be played when a customer is transferred to voicemail.
Then decide when voicemail should be triggered:
Out of office hours
When queue is longer than (x) calls
When there are no teammates to take the call
Once you’ve finished configuring the phone number settings, click Save changes.
All saved phone numbers will be shown in the Settings > Phone > Phone calls section. You can edit phone number settings any time by clicking on the Edit icon next to a number.
Wrap up time
If you’d like to give teammates time to wrap up after a call before they can receive another call, go to Settings > Channels > Phone and open the Phone calls section.
Then select the checkbox under Wrap up time and set the number of seconds or minutes you want to allow after a call ends.
Scroll down and click Update to save your changes.
While on wrap up time, the teammate status will be updated to Away with reason: “Call wrap up”. Teammates will see a banner message from the Help Desk saying they’re on wrap up time. They can select Switch to active and end early if they wish.
User identity
To identify users based on their phone number for inbound calls, go to Settings > Channels > Phone and open the Phone calls section.
Then choose between:
Remember to click Update to save your changes.
If a User and Lead exist with the same phone number in your workspace, when they call, the last updated contact will be the account associated with the number.
Regulatory bundles
Australia, Austria, Germany, Netherlands, and New Zealand require approved regulatory information before it’s possible to purchase a phone number. You’ll need to submit regulatory bundles and wait for approval in these countries.
Each country has different requirements for you to complete. See Twilio’s guidance for specific requirements for each country.
Where regulatory bundles are required, you’ll see the option to select or add a new bundle from the dropdown menu.
Give the regulatory bundle a friendly name, then click Next.
Add business information (e.g. name, address).
Now see the information required and acceptable supporting documents you’ll need to submit (e.g. proof of address). Click + Add supporting document to upload the required documents.
Once you’ve added all the necessary information, click Submit to send your regulatory bundle for approval and monitor the status.
Approval usually occurs within 2 business days and you’ll receive email notifications about status changes.
Once your local regulatory bundle has been approved, you can return to Phone settings to add a new phone number and select this bundle from the dropdown to move on to the next step.
Allow Twilio IP Addresses through Firewall
You must allow all of Twilio's IP address ranges and ports on your firewall, otherwise, you can run into issues with audio not coming through for customers and teammates.
The full list of required IP address ranges and ports can be found in Twilio's documentation here.
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