The one story
The phone rang, nobody picked up, so Kai did.
Nothing changes for your customers and nothing changes for your team. A call to your number rings your phones the way it does today. Kai is added behind them for the calls that would have gone to voicemail.
1. A customer calls your number
The same number they have always used, whether you forward it to your phone system today or move it over for good.
2. Your phones ring first
Every cell and desk phone on the team rings at the same time, for the number of seconds you set. On a cell, press 1 to take the call so a personal voicemail never grabs it.
3. Nobody picks up, so Kai does
Kai answers as your business, gets what the caller needs, and handles the next step you have set up — a booking, a message, a transfer.
4. You get the whole story
A text with what the caller wanted and a link to the recording. Calls your team answered are recorded and summarized too.
Setting it up
Hear Kai, choose your phones, point your line at it.
Setup happens in one sitting during signup. If you already have an account, open Phone and follow the same steps from the phone system card.
- 1
Hear Kai answer as your business
Right after signup you get a number to call. Kai greets you as your business. This is the same greeting your callers will hear when nobody picks up. - 2
Answer “Which phones?”
Choose Just my cell or We have an office line / desk phones. Either answer sets up your phone system with your cell in the ring group and Kai as extension 700. - 3
Point your line at it
Dial the short forwarding code for your carrier from the phone that owns the number. An office line forwards to your phone system, so it rings desk phones and cells before Kai. A solo cell forwards straight to Kai. See Connect your business line. - 4
Let your cell ring
Kai calls your line to check the connection. Your cell rings — let it go and don’t press 1. A few seconds later Kai answers, and you get the recap text. That text is what every missed call looks like from now on.
The ring flow — who rings, for how long, and when Kai steps in — can be set on one screen in the dashboard, by describing it in words, or by calling Kai and telling him.
Which phones ring
Cells now. Desk phones arrive pre-configured.
Your cell
Your cell is in the ring group from the first day. It rings with a press-1 prompt, so a call you don’t take falls through to Kai instead of your personal voicemail.
Teammates’ cells
Add a teammate’s cell and it rings in the group too. See Teammates’ cells below.
Desk phones
Bring your own SIP phone and it registers to your phone system, or on the Connected screen (or the phone system card on Phone) enter how many desk phones you need and where to ship them. Confirm the office address first — it is what 911 sees from these phones. They arrive set up: plug them into your router and dial 700 to hear Kai. If callers can't hear you, your router's SIP ALG is on — one toggle, we will walk you through it. Until then your existing phones keep working as they do today. Your plan includes desk-phone connections (Kai Backup: 0 desk phone connections included; more are $29/mo per handset) — see What it costs.
Your existing office phones
While your number is forwarded, your current office phones keep ringing the way they do now. When the number is moved over for good, the pre-configured desk phones take over.
Call 700
Kai is extension 700 on your phone system.
Kai is a line on the phone system like everyone else. Calling him from inside the business opens your secretary, not the customer greeting.
From any office phone
Dial 700. Kai picks up as your secretary: ask what you missed, hear a voicemail, change your hours, add a teammate’s phone.
From your cell
Call your own business number from a registered cell. Kai recognizes the number and opens the same secretary. See What you can do by calling Kai.
Moving your number
Forward it today. Move it for good when you are ready.
Forward today
Forwarding takes about a minute with a carrier code and covers you immediately: your line rings your phones first and Kai answers the miss. Nothing about your current carrier plan changes.
Move it for good
Tap Move my number for good on the Connected screen or under Phone System > Port Numbers (office lines only — a personal cell is never moved). Usually 1–3 weeks. We will need your carrier account number and transfer PIN exactly as they appear on the bill, nothing moves until you approve the date, and we text you the switch morning and test your line with you before lunch. Full steps in How to port numbers.
Keep your old service on until we text you it is done — cancelling early can lose the number. On the switch morning your old carrier drops every feature on the line, including the forwarding that covers you today, so we route your number here before it flips. Both voice and SMS move over to your KaiCalls dashboard once completed.
Teammates’ cells
Add a teammate’s cell and it rings with yours.
- 1
Add the number
On the Connected screen or the phone system card on Phone, use Add a teammate’s cell. Or call Kai and say “add Maria’s cell to the ring group.” - 2
It rings in the group
Their cell rings alongside yours and the desk phones, with the same press-1 prompt. Whoever presses 1 first takes the call. - 3
Kai recognizes them when they call in
A registered teammate calling the business line is recognized by number. What they can ask Kai depends on the role you gave them — see Team members.
What it costs
Included in your plan, with the fees every phone line carries on their own line.
There is no phone-system tier and no per-person fee. Your plan counts a number of phone lines and desk-phone connections in its price; teammate cells join the ring group free. Anything beyond that is itemised beneath the plan price.
Kai Backup — $10/mo
1 phone line and 0 desk-phone connections included, unlimited teammate cells. Plus about $4 in regulatory fees and taxes, on their own line.
Kai Line — $79/mo
1 phone line and 0 desk-phone connections included, unlimited teammate cells. Plus about $4 in regulatory fees and taxes, on their own line.
Kai Office — $349/mo
1 phone line and 3 desk-phone connections included, unlimited teammate cells. Plus about $13 in regulatory fees and taxes, on their own line.
Adding more
On any plan: extra lines $15/mo, desk-phone connections $29/mo. Adding a cell phone to your ring group is free. Each desk-phone connection beyond your plan costs $29/mo, plus applicable regulatory fees. Use a compatible SIP phone; hardware is separate.
Why there is a fees line
Regulatory fees and telecom taxes depend on your location. We pass them through at cost on a separate invoice line and remit them to the carrier. They apply to the phone-system part of your plan, not the answered-call service. There are no per-minute overage charges.
The fee line reads "about" because the regulatory fees and telecom taxes are set by your address. They apply to the phone-system part of your plan only — never to the answered-call service, and never per minute.
What gets recorded
Every call on your number — not just the ones Kai took.
- Calls Kai answered: recording, transcript, summary, and a lead record.
- Calls your team answered on a cell or desk phone: recording, transcript, and summary, in the same Calls list.
- After a missed call the owner is texted a recap with what the caller wanted and a link to the recording.
- The first time a teammate answers a call, the owner gets a one-time text with that recording so you can see it working.
- Voicemails left with Kai land in Dashboard > Voicemail with a transcript and a text to the owner.
Recording disclosure is your responsibility in the states that require it. Kai’s greeting can include the disclosure; check Compliance for how to turn it on.
The dashboard
Everything is on Phone, if you want a screen.
Most owners run the phone system by calling Kai. The dashboard is there when you want to see it laid out.
Your phone system card
Phone shows status, Kai’s extension, desk phones on the way, and where your number move stands.
Ring flow
Phone System > Call Routing sets who rings, for how many seconds, and when Kai steps in — or describe it in words and Kai sets it.
Activity and recordings
Every call, text, and voicemail is in the Activity Feed on Phone and under Dashboard > Calls. Click any call for the recording and transcript.
Browser phone and checking your setup
Make outbound calls from the browser without your cell. To confirm a routing change, Check where a call would go on Phone. Simulation only — uses your saved settings. No call is placed, no phone rings and nothing reaches the phone network. To actually hear Kai’s current greeting, call your number from your own phone — that is the only check that proves the phone network agrees with your settings.
Honest limits
What is not there yet.
No mobile app yet. Your cell rings in the team group, and you call your own number to reach Kai. That is the mobile experience for now. Answer on your cell and the call is yours — it can't be transferred to the office or put on hold yet.
Texting while forwarding vs. ported numbers. While your line is forwarded, texts to callers go out from your Kai number because carriers only forward voice calls. Once your office number is ported over for good, all calls and texts go through your own number.
No keypad-menu builder for the phone system. The ring flow is set on one screen, in words, or by calling Kai. If your callers need a press-1-for-sales menu, talk to us and we will set it up with you.
Desk phones need your office internet. If it goes down, desk phones will not ring; the call still reaches cells over the cellular network and then Kai. Your number keeps working either way.
Call screening
My cell rings for a second, then stops. Why?
Why it stops
Your phone's call screen can answer before you do. If it does not press 1, your cell does not join the call. This can make your cell's ring stop.
Keep press 1 on. It helps stop your voicemail or call screen from taking the business call.
Other phones in the ring group can keep ringing. Your saved route decides what happens next. If it sends the call to Kai, Kai is next after the ring time. Check your own call route if the result differs.
These calls can show the caller's number on your cell. Saving only your office number will not cover new callers.
Choose what rings on your cell
You can keep call screening on. To let unsaved calls ring, use the steps for your phone. These choices affect personal calls too.
iPhone: if you see Screen Unknown Callers
- Open Settings.
- Tap Apps.
- Tap Phone.
- Tap Screen Unknown Callers.
- Choose Never.
Unsaved calls can now ring. Spam filters use separate settings.
If that menu is missing, use Apple's current iPhone guide.
Google Pixel: options vary by phone
- Open the Phone app.
- Open the More menu.
- Tap Settings.
- Open Spam and Call Screen or Call Screen.
- Tap Call Screen if shown.
Pixel 7 or newer
- Open Protection level.
- Turn off Automatically screen calls.
Pixel 6 or older
Open Unknown call settings. Use Google's Call Screen guide for the choices on your phone.
Labels and features vary by phone, country and app version. If the menu is missing, use Google's current Call Screen guide.
Google warns that screened calls will not be forwarded. If you forward calls from your Pixel, read its forwarding note first.
What happens next
When you take a team call on your cell, answer and press 1. If it still stops, check the call route. Note the call time if you need help from support.
Troubleshooting
When a ring does not go the way you expected.
My cell rang but the call went to my personal voicemail
Press 1 when you answer. Without it, the phone system treats the call as unanswered by you and keeps ringing the others, then Kai. Personal voicemail should never capture the call — if it did, tell Kai or contact support.
Kai answered before anyone could pick up
The ring time is too short for your team. Open Phone System > Call Routing and add seconds, or call Kai and say “ring for 30 seconds before you answer.”
A teammate’s cell does not ring
Check that their number was added on the Connected screen or by asking Kai, and that it is not the same number your office line is forwarded from — that number is never in the ring group, to avoid a loop.
I answered a call and there is no recording
Recording of human-answered calls needs the call to reach your phone system, not just your carrier. While you are forwarding from a cell directly to Kai, only Kai’s calls are recorded. Forward the office line to your phone system, or move the number for good.