Setting up your custom voicemail and call forwarding ensures your patients can always get help or schedule appointments, even when your office is closed. This guide will show you exactly how to customize your greetings and forward your lines using ALOHA.
✨ When You Need This Guide
You want to record or upload a custom voicemail greeting for after-hours patients.
You need to forward your office phone lines to ALOHA at the end of the day.
You want to use text-to-speech for your automated answering service.
You need to turn off call forwarding when your office reopens in the morning.
Your recent voicemail updates aren't showing up in the system.
What This Covers (And What It Doesn't)
✅ Covers: Recording greetings by phone, uploading audio files, setting up text-to-speech, and activating or canceling manual call forwarding.
❌ Doesn't Cover: Troubleshooting specific third-party internet phone (VoIP) dashboards or changing your practice's primary phone number.
Prerequisites/You'll Need
An active ALOHA account with administrator access.
Your 10-digit ALOHA phone number.
Access to your physical office landline phone.
An MP3 or WAV audio file under 10MB (if uploading a pre-recorded message).
✅ Customizing Your Voicemail Greeting
You can create two different messages: one for existing patients (Current Contact Message) and one for new patients (New Contact Message).
Option 1: Record by Phone or Use Text-to-Speech
Navigate to settings: Click on the Gear Icon (⚙️) and select Phone.
Find your codes: Look under the Answering Service section to find the phone number and unique code for either your Current Contact Message or New Contact Message.
Reveal hidden fields: If you don't see the phone number field or code right away, click the Help me record a message button to make these details appear on your screen.
Call to record: Dial the listed number from any phone, enter the code, and record your message after the tone. Your recording will automatically save to your account upon refreshing the page.
Alternative (Text-to-Speech): If you prefer not to use your voice, leave the recording fields completely blank. Type your desired message directly into the text field, and the system will read it automatically.
Option 2: Upload a Pre-Recorded Audio File
Go to your phone settings: Click the Gear Icon (⚙️) > Phone.
Select your file: Click the Upload File button next to the specific message type you want to change.
Upload: Choose an MP3 (under 10MB) from your computer (make sure it is under 10MB) and click save.
✅ Activating and Canceling Call Forwarding
Before you turn on forwarding, go to the Gear Icon (⚙️) > Phone and write down your 10-digit Answering Service Phone Number (labeled Review Wave).
Option A: Automatic Forwarding
Many phone carriers allow you to schedule call forwarding automatically through their online customer portal. Check your specific provider's support website to see if this is an option for your business line.
Option B: Manual Forwarding via Office Landline
If you use a traditional landline, often you can control forwarding directly from your office desk phone using standard keypad codes.
Activate Call Forwarding
Pick up your office desk phone and listen for a dial tone. Decide if you want Full Forwarding (sends all calls immediately) or Conditional Forwarding (only sends calls if the line is busy or rings out).Activate the Service
To set up Full Forwarding, dial *72 and enter your answering service number.
To set up Conditional Forwarding, dial *92 (or *68 depending on your provider) and enter your Answering Service Number.
Confirmation Tone
Listen for a successful confirmation tone, then hang up. Your calls are now actively routing!
Test Your Setup
Call your office phone from a personal cell phone. Confirm that the greeting plays correctly and matches what a new or returning patient should hear.Turn Off Forwarding (If Needed)
If you set up Full Forwarding, you can turn it off in the morning by dialing *73.
If you set up Conditional Forwarding, you can leave it on permanently since it will only forward calls if your front desk is busy or doesn't answer! To manually turn off conditional forwarding, dial *93 or *88.
❗ Note: If the *72 or *73 codes do not work on your phone, please contact your specific phone provider directly, as some carriers use different star codes.
💡 Common Questions
What You Might Notice | Why It's Happening | What to Do |
Your updated voicemail message does not appear or play after saving. | The browser needs to be refreshed. | Refresh the page. If that fails, clear your browser cache and refresh the page. |
The system is playing the wrong voicemail message. | The recording may not have been uploaded to the correct section. | Listen to the New Contact and Current Contact audio files by clicking the Play () button. If the wrong one is uploaded, click reset and upload or rerecord the correct voice message for that patient type. |
You hear a busy signal when dialing *72 or *73. | Your phone carrier might use a different code system for call forwarding. | Contact your phone provider directly to ask for their specific manual call forwarding instructions. |
🎉 You'll Know It's Working When
When you call your office number from an outside phone, your custom ALOHA greeting plays seamlessly.
New patients hear your "New Contact" recording, while recognized numbers hear the "Current Contact" message.
💬 Need Help? We're Here!
If you need assistance accessing these features or want help setting up your phone lines, the support team is ready to jump in.
📞 Phone Support: 800-563-0469
📧 Email Support: support@getaloha.com