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Making and Receiving Mobile Phone Calls on Spruce (iOS and Android)

Spruce supports inbound and outbound calling from the mobile app on iOS and Android in two ways: through the cellular network (using your mobile phone minutes) or through softphones (using Wi-Fi or mobile data). Calls placed through Spruce show your practice number as the caller ID, not your personal mobile number. Mobile calls can be transferred to other team members, merged for three-way calling, and used to dial 911 in emergencies. Each user configures which methods their device uses for incoming calls in My Call Settings.

IN THIS ARTICLE

Spruce Mobile Phone Calling Methods

When you use Spruce on your mobile phone, you can receive and make calls in two ways:

  • Cellular Network – Calls will use your mobile phone minutes and will require a cellular network signal. Incoming calls will ring the mobile phone number on your account.
  • Softphones  – Calls will use your phone's internet connection, over either Wi-Fi or mobile data, such as 5G or LTE. Incoming calls will ring on the mobile device you last used to access Spruce.
    • Important: You must download and sign in to the Spruce app on your mobile device to place or receive Softphone calls. Download the Spruce app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

You can choose your preferred method in Settings > My Call Settings. These settings only apply to your account and will not affect your teammates. Learn more about My Call Settings.

Placing Outbound Calls

Using the Dial Pad from Your Inbox

  1. Tap the Plus (+) icon in the lower right corner.
  2. Select Phone Call.
  3. Tap Contacts in the bottom left to choose someone from your Spruce contacts, or enter a phone number using the dial pad.
  4. Select the Spruce number you want to display as your caller ID.

If Calling Over the Cellular Network

  1. Tap the green Call button.
  2. On the next screen, you’ll see your Spruce number. This is part of Spruce’s routing system, which hides your personal number. You’re not calling yourself instead the call is routed through your Spruce number to the recipient, who will see your Spruce number on their caller ID.
  3. Tap the Call button to start the call. 

If Calling Over a Softphone

5. Tap the green Call button to start the call directly in the Spruce app.

Calling from a Conversation

Tip: You can also start from conversation details by tapping the Info (i) icon in the top right.

If you do not see the phone icon, there is no phone number saved for that contact.

  1. Open the conversation with the person you want to call.
  2. Tap the Phone icon at the top.
  3. If the contact has more than one number, choose the one you want to call.
  4. Select the Spruce number you want to display as your caller ID.

If Calling Over the Cellular Network

5. Tap the green Call button.

6. On the next screen, you’ll see your Spruce number. This is part of Spruce’s routing system, which hides your personal number. You’re not calling yourself — the call is routed through your Spruce number to the recipient, who will see your Spruce number on their caller ID.

7. Tap the Call button to start the call. 

If Calling With Softphones

5. Tap the green Call button to start the call directly in the Spruce app.

Calling from a Contact Card

  1. Open the contact card for the person you want to call.
  2. Tap the blue Phone icon under their name, or tap a specific number from their details.
  3. Select the Spruce number you want to display as your caller ID.

If Calling Over the Cell Network

4. Tap the green Call button.

5. On the next screen, you’ll see your Spruce number. This is part of Spruce’s routing system, which hides your personal number. You’re not calling yourself — the call is routed through your Spruce number to the recipient, who will see your Spruce number on their caller ID.

6. Tap the Call button to start the call. 

If Calling With Softphones

4. Tap the green Call button to start the call directly in the Spruce app.

Receiving Inbound Calls 

When someone calls your Spruce number, all users, phone numbers, and VoIP desk phones in the ring list will ring at the same time. The first person to answer will connect with the caller.

Example: If both your account and a medical assistant’s account are in the ring list, both phones will ring simultaneously. The first person to answer will take the call.

Learn more about managing your phone number’s ring lists.

Managing Your Personal Inbound Call Settings

For full details on managing My Call Settings, see this article. 

You will only receive inbound calls if both of these are true:

These settings apply only to your account and control:

  • Whether you receive inbound calls from a phone number or a saved ring list.
  • Which platforms and devices ring when you get an incoming call.
    Answering Incoming Calls

Inbound Cellular Network Calls

When you have Cellular Network calling enabled, incoming calls to your mobile phone will show your Spruce number on the caller ID. This helps you recognize work-related calls right away.

When you answer, you will:

  • Hear an audible prompt with the caller’s name or phone number, so you can screen the call before connecting
  • Press 1 to connect, or hang up to send the call to Spruce voicemail

To ensure seamless call handling and recognition, we strongly recommend saving your Spruce phone number as a contact on your mobile device.

Inbound Softphone Calls

When Softphones are enabled, incoming calls display caller ID based on your Softphone Settings in My Call Settings.

With softphone calls, you don’t need to press 1 to answer. You can turn it on if you prefer, for example, when using Do Not Display Caller ID and want extra screening before connecting.

Caller ID Display Options for Softphones

  • Display Full Name – Saved contacts show the full name (e.g., Jane Doe). Unsaved contacts show the full phone number (e.g., (415) 555-1234). Recent calls do not appear in your device’s call history to keep sensitive information private.
  • Display Partial Name – Saved contacts show a partial name (e.g., J••• D••). Unsaved contacts show only the area code (e.g., (415) •••-••••).
  • Do Not Display Caller ID – No caller details are shown, and the caller ID displays your Spruce phone number. If you choose this option, we recommend enabling Press 1 to Answer for extra screening.

How to Change Your Softphone Caller ID Display

  1. Go to Settings > My Call Settings.
  2. Tap Edit on the Mobile Phones card.
  3. Set your Mobile Calling Preference to Softphones.
  4. Under Softphone Settings, tap Mobile Caller ID Display.
  5. Choose your preferred display option.

Managing In-Progress Calls

Managing Cellular Network Calls

When you are on a Cellular Network call, the way you manage an in-progress call depends on your phone's default phone calling application. 

Managing Softphone Calls

While you are on a Softphones call, you will have several options for interacting with the call: 

  • Hold – Places the call on hold. The caller will hear hold music, and you will not hear the caller.
  • Mute – Mutes your microphone so the caller cannot hear you. You can still hear the caller.
  • Keypad – Use the on-screen keypad or type numbers on your keyboard to enter a PIN or navigate a phone menu.
  • Audio – Opens your mobile device’s audio options to choose which speaker and microphone are used for the call. You can check out our troubleshooting article for detailed tips.

Call Quality and Call State Indicators

  • Call Quality – The bars in the upper-right corner show your current connection strength. Tapping on the bars opens a view with more details about your call connection and the option to rate the quality of your call.
  • Call State – In the top center, you will see the current stage of your call such as Connecting, Active, On Hold, or Ended.

Multiple Calls

If you have more than one call in progress:

  • A second call will appear in a card below your current call.
  • Only one call can be active at a time.
  • Tap the second call card to switch calls; the current call will be placed on hold.

Transferring Calls

Transferring Cellular Network Calls

If your mobile calling preference is set to Cellular Network, Spruce only supports warm transfers for inbound calls. A warm transfer lets you speak to the person you’re transferring to before connecting them with the caller.

Example: You’re on the phone with Alice and want to connect her to Bob. You speak to Bob first, set context, then complete the transfer so Alice and Bob are connected.

Note: You cannot transfer directly to voicemail. If the person is unavailable to take the call and the call goes to voicemail, the transfer cannot be completed.

Inbound Call Transfers

To transfer inbound calls from your cell phone:

  1. Press * to start the transfer and put the caller on hold.
  2. At the menu, press 1 to transfer, or 2 to return to the caller.
  3. If transferring, dial the 10-digit number or Spruce desk phone extension, then press #.
  4. Speak to the recipient to set context.
  5. Press * again.
  6. Press 1 to complete the transfer, or 2 to cancel and return to the original caller.

Outbound Call Transfers

You cannot transfer an outbound call if your mobile calling preference is set to Cellular Network. Spruce only supports outbound call transfers for mobile softphones. 

Transferring Softphone Calls

When Softphones is enabled, you can make cold or warm transfers for both inbound and outbound calls. 

Cold Transfer

A cold transfer sends the caller directly to another person without you speaking to them first. This is useful when you simply want to pass the call along without an introduction.

To place a cold transfer:

  • Tap the Transfer button.
  • Select Cold Transfer as the transfer type.
  • Enter the transfer destination (name, extension, or phone number).
  • Tap the green Transfer button to complete the transfer.
  • If you change your mind before completing the transfer, click Cancel to stay on the current call.

Warm Transfer 

A warm transfer allows you to speak to the person receiving the call before connecting them with the caller. This gives you the chance to explain the reason for the call or confirm they are ready to take it.

To place a warm transfer:

  • Tap the Transfer button.
  • Select Warm Transfer as the transfer type.
  • Enter the transfer destination.
  • Tap the green Place Call button to connect with the transfer destination.
  • When ready to connect them with the caller, click the green Complete Transfer button.
  • If you decide not to continue, click Cancel to return to the original caller.

Adding and Merging Calls

Adding and Merging Cell Network Calls

When Cell Network calling is enabled, the steps for adding and merging calls into one conversation can vary based on the type of phone you are using.

Adding and Merging Softphone Calls

With Softphones enabled, you can add and merge calls to create a group call where all participants can hear and speak to each other. 

To add and merge a call:

  • Tap the Add Call button.
  • Enter the number for the call you want to add and place the call.
  • When ready to merge the calls, click the green Merge button to combine them into a single group call.

Note: You can only merge calls that are added during an in-progress call. Two separate calls cannot be merged.

If an inbound call is merged with another call, the original caller can hang up, allowing the other callers to continue.

911 Calls on Mobile Phones

You can call 911 from the Spruce app, but the process is different from calling other numbers.

How It Works

When you dial 911 from the Spruce app:

  • You will see a pop-up prompting you to dial 911 from your phone’s native dialer, not from within Spruce. We do this so your device’s location can be shared with emergency services.
  • Follow the prompt to open your phone’s native dialer and place the call.
  • The call will go through your personal number, not your Spruce number.
  • The call will not be logged in Spruce.

What the 911 Operator Sees

  • The operator will see your personal cell phone number.
  • Wireless 911 calls route to the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) that serves your current physical location, using Enhanced 911 (E911) data from your carrier and device.
  • If your location cannot be determined, the call may route to a default emergency center, which will then transfer you to the correct PSAP.
  • Location and routing are handled entirely by your mobile carrier, not Spruce.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make a call on the Spruce mobile app?

Open a contact or conversation, tap the phone icon, and select your calling method (cellular or softphone). Calls placed through Spruce show your practice number as the caller ID, not your personal mobile number.

Does Spruce use my cell phone minutes when I make calls?

It depends on the method. Cellular network calls use your mobile carrier minutes; softphone calls use Wi-Fi or mobile data and do not count toward your carrier's voice minutes.

Can I transfer a Spruce call to another team member from my mobile?

Yes. During an active call on the Spruce mobile app, tap Transfer to send the call to a teammate or another inbox.

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