Frequently Asked Questions

General Information

What are some of the use-cases for Switchboard?

You wish to control when folks can get a hold of you. Switchboard allows you redirect phone calls directly to voicemail (which gets emailed to you) so that you can get back to them at a time that works best for you. You also have the option of forwarding incoming SMS messages to your phone or email.

You have signed up for random service X and they are asking for your cell phone number. It may not be in your best interest to give out your real cell phone number to random services just because they insist on providing 2-factor Auth (2FA) via SMS. For some use cases, a Switchboard-managed number might be a reasonable compromise.

Your folks live in another country and it is prohibitively expensive for them to call you on your cellphone number. Get a hold of a Twilio number from that country and manage it within Switchboard. You can then forward those calls (and SMS messages) to your current cellphone.

You wish to put a phone number on your public resume. For folks who don’t wish to give out their personal cellphone number, Switchboard might work best for them.

You need a “Home Phone Number”. As absurd as this sounds, some places still require a home phone number. Give them your Switchboard-managed number instead!

You work at a place that requires you to use a separate work cellphone. This isn’t that great for convenience as you’re probably stuck lugging around two phones everywhere. Using a Switchboard number could allow you to route your calls and messages to the correct phone.

You change cellphone providers more often than most people. Sometimes there are better deals to be had elsewhere, this is a part of the business. The porting in & out eventually starts to become a hassle otherwise you need to update all your new number with all your contacts. A Switchboard-managed number allows you to change your underlying cellphone provider at will!

You manage a small team of support/sales folks and need oversight into which phone numbers your customers can reach them at. Switchboard can help you route calls and messages for each of your numbers to the correct people, thus freeing you from also managing individual cellphone plans. Switchboard also makes it easy to re-route a number in the scenario one of these employees leave.

What do I need in order to use Switchboard?

You need to have a Twilio account and at least one phone number to manage within your Twilio account. You do not need to have your Twilio account right at signup, you can connect it after you Sign up for Switchboard.

Give me a brief overview on how Switchboard works!

Switchboard is a service you can use to manage your Twilio phone numbers. What this means is that you can configure call/SMS routing and much more. When you use Switchboard, you set the rules for how calls and messages get through to you.

Switchboard uses the webhook functionality of Twilio to dynamically determine where to route your calls and SMS messages. In addition to the dashboard analytics available within your Switchboard account, you also have the ability to audit your raw Twilio Logs and Twilio Usage data.

How does pricing work during the beta period?

You will not be charged your monthly Switchboard subscription fee during the beta period - Twilio usage fees will still apply. Once the beta period is over we will give you additional time to decide if you would like to continue using Switchboard.

Do you have an API I can use?

We do have an API you can use but it is entirely undocumented at this time. If you are interested in this, send us a note at support@goswitchboard.com and let us know.

What web browsers work well with Switchboard?

Switchboard has been verified to work with the following web browsers:

  • Chrome for Android 64
  • Firefox for Android 57
  • Chrome 65
  • Chrome 64
  • Edge 16
  • Edge 15
  • Firefox 59
  • Firefox 58
  • iOS Safari 11.0-11.2
  • Safari 11
  • Samsung Internet 6.2

All this amounts to approximately 71% global browser coverage.

If you would like to see more entries added to this list, send us a note at support@goswitchboard.com. We’re here to help!

Twilio

What is Twilio and why am I required to sign up for it in order to use Switchboard?

Twilio (twilio.com, on wikipedia) is the underlying service used by Switchboard to provide you with virtual phone numbers. Switchboard programmatically makes phone calls and sends text messages using Twilio’s API.

Twilio is a public company (TWLO) used by many well-known companies, like Netflix and Airbnb. Twilio offers email support during business hours in case you have any questions about Twilio billing.

Switchboard uses a feature within Twilio called Twilio Connect to manage on your behalf the virtual phone numbers you purchased with Twilio.

How does the Twilio connection process work with Switchboard?
  • When prompted, click the Connect button. You will be guided through creating a Twilio account.
  • Fill in your payment information for Twilio so you can later buy a forwarding number and pay for its usage. Read more about Twilio billing here.
  • Connect your Switchboard account to your Twilio account by clicking the Authorize button.
  • When you’re sent back to Switchboard, let us guide you through buying your first forwarding number!
What happens to my phone number when I choose to stop using Switchboard?

You have full control over your phone number (through your Twilio account). You can move the number to another Twilio application, port it to another provider, or just let it be. In other words, your relationship with your phone number does not end with Switchboard.

What are my options for buying and managing other kinds of phone numbers? (1-800, regional, etc)

The Buy Number utility was designed to be simple and to get people going quickly. The phone number search it performs on the backend is constrained in the following ways:

  • Has to be a local number (excludes toll-free, national, etc)
  • Has to have Voice and SMS capability
  • Additionally constrained by the user-supplied search term

What this translates to is that there are not very many options available in some countries. So here is how to work around it:

  1. Buy a phone number directly from Twilio. The only Switchboard requirement is that this number needs to have Voice and SMS capability.
  2. Transfer that Number to your Switchboard account.
How do I stop managing a phone number in Switchboard?

Under Settings, expand the option related to the phone number you would like to reconfigure. Click on the settings dropdown-cog (top right), and then select the Remove number from Switchboard option. This option will only be available for phone numbers currently managed in Switchboard.

At this point Switchboard will no longer handle incoming calls, messages, etc related to this number. Your phone number will still be available to you in your Twilio account and you will continue to be charged the monthly fee (by Twilio). You will need to explicitly delete the number if you no longer wish to use it.

How do I disconnect my Switchboard account from Twilio?

While logged in to your Twilio account, head over to your Authorized Apps page and click the Revoke Access button.

After you disconnect your Switchboard account:

  • The settings for all your managed numbers (in Switchboard) will be deleted.
  • Webhooks still configured on previously managed numbers will no longer work. In other words, you will not be able to receive phone calls or SMS messages until you re-configure your Twilio numbers.
  • Your Switchboard billing plan will be automatically downgraded to the Free plan (starting in the next billing cycle).
How do I delete my Switchboard-managed phone number in Twilio?

Under Settings, expand the option related to the phone number you would like to delete. Click on the settings dropdown-cog (top right), and then select the Delete Phone Number option. This option will only be available for phone numbers not managed in Switchboard.

If you would like to delete a number currently managed in Switchboard, you will need to first stop managing the number in Switchboard and then the delete option will be available to you.

If you made a mistake in deleting a phone number, you will need to open up a support ticket with Twilio to see if it is possible to restore the number for you. This number will probably not be available to you after deletion so be sure before going down this path.

Can I re-connect my Switchboard account after disconnection?

Absolutely. You can either re-connect your Switchboard account through the Twilio Authorized Apps page or on your Switchboard Settings page. Any phone numbers present in your Switchboard sub-account (within Twilio) will be available for you to manage in Switchboard.

For the most part assuming you haven’t moved your phone numbers to another Twilio account, you should be able to continue right where you left off.

Can I manage a Twilio phone number I already own using Switchboard?

You can! We have created a Transfer Number utility to make this easier for you. This utility runs entirely in your browser and your Twilio master credentials are never transmitted to the Switchboard back-end.

You also have the following options if you would rather not use the Transfer Number utility:

Account & Billing

What happens if I change or cancel my Switchboard plan?

You can upgrade, downgrade to another plan, or cancel at any time in your Billing panel. Once cancelled, you will no longer be charged.

What currency do you charge in and what payment methods do you accept?

We use Stripe as our payments provider and charge your credit card in US Dollars. We currently accept Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.

How much does it cost to use Switchboard?

The current cost is listed on our Pricing page.

How do I get a refund?

Switchboard accounts are fully refundable within three days of payment. Send us an email at support@goswitchboard.com and we will issue you a refund through the payment provider, and also close your account.

How do I close my account?

Send us an email at support@goswitchboard.com from the address you used to sign up and we will close your account for you.

Does my monthly Switchboard cost also cover usage charges? (voice minutes, SMS messages, etc)

Your monthly Switchboard cost does not include the cost related to your monthly phone number (pay-as-you-go) usage. You are charged for this directly by Twilio - this cost breakdown is available on the Twilio Pricing page.

Switchboard uses Twilio’s Connect mechanism to manage your phone numbers which results in you having full control over your account. You can find more information about Twilio Connect and how it works here.

Do you offer a trial period?

We do! All new accounts are automatically put into a 30-day trial period and you can manage as many numbers as you would like during this time.