Zoom Phone Mobile Options

Authored by Nate Raper

Introduction

Zoom Phone provides flexible ways to stay connected wherever you work — on Wi-Fi, cellular data, or cellular voice networks.

This guide outlines the available cellular options, from the simplest call-forwarding setup to advanced hybrid and fallback solutions. Each section includes call scenarios, configuration steps for admins and users in the Zoom web portal, and how users can use each solution in the Zoom Workplace desktop or mobile app.

Throughout this article, “mobile dialer” refers to your phone’s native dialer through your cellular carrier. It does not refer to a Zoom Phone call in the Zoom Workplace app, which uses your carrier’s data connection.

In this article:

Call Handling Settings – Add an External Phone Number
Switching a call to your cellular carrier
Call Me On
Cellular Companion

Availability of each depends on your Zoom Phone license, calling plan, and region.

Call Handling Settings – Add an External Phone Number

Zoom Phone allows users and admins to add external phone numbers as part of call handling. This lets calls ring your mobile dialer directly — great for when you’re away from your desk or working in an area with limited data coverage. You can add your personal cellular phone as an external phone number during business, closed, break, or holiday hours.

Call Scenario

Marcus (external caller) dials Emma’s Zoom Phone direct phone number from his phone.
Zoom receives the inbound call and checks Emma’s call handling order.
Emma’s Zoom Workplace desktop app is online, but she also has an External Number (cellular phone) listed to ring simultaneously.
Zoom rings Emma’s Zoom Workplace desktop app and forwards the call to Emma’s cellular number at the same time.
Emma’s mobile dialer rings. Because she has “Press 1 before connecting” enabled, she presses 1 to accept.
Emma answers the call normally.
The call maintains Zoom Phone call logs, recordings, and AI Companion functions.

Call Flow Details

User setup in the Zoom web portal

Sign in at https://zoom.us/signin.
Go to Personal → Phone → Settings.
Under Business Hours or Closed Hours, click Edit next to Call Handling.
Click Add Phone Number.
Select External Number, enter your cellular number (e.g., +1 533-987-1234), optionally enter a description, and check the I acknowledge box.
Click Save.
(Optional) Enable Require to press 1 before connecting the call.
Note: When enabled and you answer the Zoom Phone call via your mobile dialer, you will hear a prompt to press 1 to accept the call. Until you press 1, all other Zoom Phone devices in your Call Handling Settings will continue to ring. This helps prevent calls from going to your mobile dialer’s voicemail.
Review the Call Handling Ring Mode to confirm it meets your requirements. The two options are:
- Simultaneous — Rings all devices in your Call Handling section at the same time.
- Sequential — Rings the devices in order, from the first to the last item.
  - With Sequential, you can also select how long (10–60 seconds) to ring each device before moving to the next one using Ringing Duration for Each Device.

Your cellular phone will now ring alongside your Zoom Workplace apps based on your call handling ring mode.

Note

If a call is answered on your mobile dialer (not inside the Zoom Workplace app), that call may be subject to metered charges. This depends on your Zoom Phone calling plan and the country code of your cellular phone.

Example: If you have a Zoom Phone US/CA Unlimited Calling Plan and you call a U.S.-based cellular phone, there will be no charges.

Admin setup in the Zoom web portal

Administrators can set up Call Handling for users if the user needs assistance or it's easier for the administrator to set it up.

Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an administrator.
Navigate to Phone System Management → Users & Rooms.
Click the name of the user you want to configure.
Select the User Settings tab.
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Under Business Hours, Closed Hours, or Holiday Hours, click Edit next to Call Handling.
In the pop-up, click Add Phone Number.
Enter the user’s cellular number in full international format (e.g., +1 533-987-1234).
Note: If a call is answered on a mobile dialer (not inside the Zoom Workplace app), that call may be subject to metered charges. This depends on the user’s Zoom Phone calling plan and the country code of their cellular phone. Example: If the user has a Zoom Phone US/CA Unlimited Calling Plan and is calling a U.S.-based cellular phone, there will be no charges.
(Optional) Check Require to press 1 before connecting the call to prevent calls from going to personal voicemail.
Note: When enabled and you answer the Zoom Phone call via your mobile dialer, you will hear a prompt to press 1 to accept the call. Until you press 1, all other Zoom Phone devices in your Call Handling Settings will continue to ring. This helps prevent calls from going to your mobile dialer voicemail.
Click Save.

Optional Admin Controls:

Use policy settings to restrict external forwarding, if required. This can be set at the user, site, group, or account level.
- Setting to Low Restriction or higher will reduce the likelihood of free-form external phone numbers from being added by users.
- To control which specific phone numbers users can forward to, the Zoom Phone admin can add those phone numbers as External Contacts and then set the setting below to Low Restriction. Users can then forward to an External Contact, but they will not be allowed to enter a free-form phone number.
Confirm the user has a Direct Number (DID) assigned or a caller ID with a PSTN DID assigned; extension-only users with no enabled PSTN caller ID cannot place any type of outbound call.

Switching a call to your cellular carrier

You can manually switch an ongoing Zoom Phone call to your mobile dialer (cellular carrier). This lets you keep your conversation active when the cellular or Wi-Fi data connection degrades. This feature uses your carrier’s minutes for the remainder of the call.