Why it matters
Phone channels let your team receive and send calls and SMS from a shared inbox instead of individual devices. Each phone channel is tied to a specific phone number and can be used by multiple users, which keeps communication centralised, trackable, and easier to route to the right team.
Key Concepts
Channel: A shared inbox where customer conversations are managed. A channel can be tied to a phone number, email address, or other messaging source.
Phone Channel: A channel that uses a phone number to handle calls and SMS. Often used for support, sales, or location specific lines.
Channel Provider: The telecom provider that powers the phone number for calls and SMS. Examples include Whippy Phone, Twilio, Vonage, Telnyx, Sinch, and Bandwidth.
Channel Sender: The actual phone number used to send and receive calls and SMS for the channel. This can be purchased through Whippy or added manually.
Business Address and Google Place ID: Required location fields for a channel. The business address can be used to automatically populate the Google Place ID from Google Maps. Both are required to proceed when creating a channel.
Capabilities: The types of traffic supported by the phone number, such as fax, MMS, SMS, and voice. These are selected when adding a number manually.
Step-by-Step: Set up a phone channel
Open the Channels settings.
Go to Organisation Settings and click Channels to see the list of all channels in your organisation.
Start creating a new channel.
Click the Add channel button in the top right corner. This opens a five step setup flow.
Step 1 of 5: Enter basic channel details.
In the Channel name field, enter a clear name, for example a team or location name.
Click the emoji picker to select an icon that represents the channel.
Add a short Description that explains what this channel is for.
Enter the Business address.
Use the Google powered suggestions under the address field to select the correct address so the Google Place ID is auto populated, or paste the Google Place ID directly.
You must provide both a business address and a Google Place ID to move to the next step. Click Next when complete.
Step 2 of 5: Select the channel type.
On the channel type screen, select Phone.
Phone channels are used for calls and SMS.
Click Next to continue.
Step 3 of 5: Choose the communication provider.
In the Communication provider dropdown, choose the provider you want to use for this phone channel: Whippy Phone, Twilio, Vonage, Telnyx, Sinch, or Bandwidth.
If you select Twilio, choose the Authentication type:
Managed by Whippy: Whippy manages the credentials, no extra fields required.
Custom: Enter your own Twilio credentials. You must fill in Account SID and Auth token.
Click Next when the provider and any required authentication fields are complete.
Step 4 of 5: Configure the channel sender (phone number).
On the sender screen, you decide which phone number this channel uses. You have two options:
Option A: Buy a new phone number
Select Buy new phone number.
Choose the Provider account from the dropdown (for example Meta or Whippy, depending on configuration shown in your workspace).
In the Search phone number by area code field, enter the relevant area code for your business.
Review the list of available numbers returned under the search.
Click to select one of the available phone numbers.
Click Next to continue.
Option B: Add a phone number manually
Select Add manually.
Enter the Phone number in the required format.
Enter the Phone number SID provided by your telephony provider.
Under Capabilities, select all applicable options from the dropdown: fax, MMS, SMS, voice.
If the number is only hosted by the provider, select the checkbox Phone number is only hosted by the provider.
Click Next when all required fields are complete.
Step 5 of 5: Review and create the phone channel.
Review the summary, which includes:
Channel name
Symbol (emoji)
Description
Channel address
Sender phone number
Confirm that all details are correct.
Click Complete to create the phone channel.
Confirm the channel appears in the list.
After saving, you return to the Channels list. The new phone channel appears with its name, emoji, description, sender number, and last updated information.
Tips and Best Practices
Use a clear channel name that matches how your team routes work, for example by team, location, or function.
Choose an emoji that is easy to recognise in the inbox and channels list.
Make sure the business address matches Google Maps so the Google Place ID can be found and populated correctly.
Decide on the provider and authentication type before starting. If you do not manage your own Twilio credentials, use Managed by Whippy where available.
When buying a new number, search by an area code that makes sense for your customers and business location.
When adding a number manually, collect the phone number SID and capability details from your provider in advance to avoid blocking the setup.
Double check the phone number on the Review step. Phone numbers cannot be changed after the channel is created.
After creation, use the Configuration and Business hours / Autoresponses / Call flow tabs to finish tailoring how the phone channel behaves.
Troubleshooting
Issue | Possible Cause | Fix |
Cannot click Next on Step 1 | Required fields are missing | Make sure Channel name, Business address, and Google Place ID are filled. Select the address from the Google suggestion so the Place ID is populated. |
Twilio Account SID and Auth token fields are showing but I do not use custom credentials | Authentication type is set to Custom | Change Authentication type to Managed by Whippy on the provider step, then continue. |
Asked for SID and capabilities when I expected to buy a new number | Add manually was selected instead of Buy new phone number | Go back to the sender step, choose Buy new phone number, and search by area code instead. |
Need to change the sender phone number for a channel | Phone numbers cannot be edited once the channel is created | Create a new phone channel with the correct phone number, then in Organisation Settings → Channels use the more options menu to Disable the old channel. |