Most softphone issues come down to three things: your connection, your microphone permission, or your audio device. This guide walks through the common problems and the quickest fix for each. Work through the steps in order — the first couple resolve the large majority of cases.
Find your way around first
Open the softphone from the Phone button in the top bar. The panel has four tabs so you always know where to look:
- Dialer — the keypad for placing calls.
- Voicemail — your messages.
- History — your recent calls.
- Settings — your microphone, speaker, and other options.
At the top of the panel you'll see a connection status and a Connect / Disconnect button. A green status dot on the Phone button means you're ready to call; a grey dot means you're not connected.
The softphone won't connect
What you see: the status dot stays grey, or the panel shows as disconnected, and you can't make or receive calls.
- Check your internet. Open any other website to confirm you're online.
- Click Connect. In the softphone panel, click Connect and wait a few seconds for the status to turn to connected/ready.
- Refresh the page and let the softphone reconnect.
- Try a supported browser. If one browser won't cooperate, try another current browser — see Browser Requirements for Calling in Your Browser.
- On a company network? A workplace firewall can block calling. Ask your IT team to allow calling traffic to the ReliaRing portal.
"Microphone access required" / no sound at all
If you see a "Microphone access required" message, or callers can't hear you at all, your browser hasn't given the softphone permission to use your mic.
- Allow the microphone. Click the padlock (or site information) icon in your browser's address bar, set Microphone to Allow, then refresh the page.
- Check your audio devices. Open the softphone Settings tab and confirm the correct microphone and speaker are selected — see Softphone Audio: Microphone and Speaker Setup.
- Check your volume. Make sure your computer and headset aren't muted or turned down.
One-way audio
They can't hear you:
- Your browser doesn't have microphone permission (see above).
- The wrong microphone is selected in the Settings tab.
- You're muted — check the Mute button on the call and any physical mute switch on your headset.
You can't hear them:
- The wrong speaker is selected in the Settings tab.
- Your volume is down, or the browser tab is muted (right-click the tab to unmute).
Echo or you hear yourself
- Use a headset instead of your computer's open speakers — echo almost always comes from the speaker feeding back into the microphone.
- Lower your speaker volume.
Choppy, robotic, or breaking-up audio
This is nearly always the internet connection, not your equipment.
- Switch to a wired connection, or move closer to your Wi-Fi router.
- Stop large downloads and video streaming on your device during calls.
- Try a different network to see if the problem follows you.
"Register an emergency location before placing calls"
If the dialer shows a message asking you to register an emergency (911) location and won't let you call, this is a safety step, not a fault. Before you can place calls, your number needs a registered street address so that 911 can find you.
- Add or confirm your address on the Emergency Dialing page (see your Emergency Services articles), then return to the softphone and try again.
- This protects you and is required — it isn't something to work around.
Calls won't connect when you dial
- Confirm the softphone shows connected before dialing.
- Check the number. Include the country code for international numbers and remove any stray characters.
- Confirm you have an extension. If you're not sure, ask your account administrator.
Calls go straight to voicemail
- Turn off Do Not Disturb. If the softphone shows a red Do Not Disturb banner, click it to turn DND off — see Presence and Do Not Disturb in the Softphone.
- Confirm the softphone is connected (green status dot).
- Keep the portal tab open. If your browser fully sleeps the tab, calls may not ring — keep the softphone tab open, or use the pop-out window (Pop the Softphone Out Into Its Own Window).
Can't transfer a call
- Double-check the number or extension you're transferring to is correct.
- Try the other transfer type — blind vs attended — see Handling Multiple Calls in the Softphone.
Still stuck? Contact support
If a problem persists after these steps, open a support ticket and include:
- Which browser you're using (and whether it's up to date).
- What happens, step by step, and any error message you see.
- Whether it affects just you or several people.
Quick answers
It worked yesterday and stopped today. Usually a browser update or a reset permission. Re-allow the microphone and refresh.
Can I use the softphone on two computers? Yes, but only one is active at a time — signing in on a new computer takes over.
The softphone works but the mobile app doesn't (or the reverse). They're separate — see Mobile App Crashing or Not Working for the app.
A grey status dot with no sound is nearly always a connection or microphone-permission issue. Clicking Connect and re-allowing the microphone fixes most reports on the spot.