Set Up the Dialer to Make Calls on Apollo

Overview

The dialer allows you to make and receive calls to prospects without leaving Apollo, so you can reach contacts faster. After you get an Apollo phone number, set your personal dialer preferences like how to make and receive calls. If you're an admin, you can set team dialer preferences, including location based recording rules that determine when calls are recorded based on prospect location.

Check out the following sections to set dialer preferences.

Set Personal Dialer Preferences

You can configure how you make outbound calls, receive inbound calls, and record calls on Apollo:

Outbound calls

To configure how you make outgoing calls:

Launch Apollo and click Settings > Phone numbers.
From the outgoing call dropdown, choose how you want to make outgoing calls:

Bridge	Bridge is only available for US phone numbers. Bridge allows you to make calls from your mobile device while retaining the ability to log and record the calls in Apollo. If you enable bridge, enter a personal phone number. When you place a call in Apollo, you receive a call to your phone from your Apollo number, prompting you to complete the bridge. The contact then receives the call from your Apollo number.
VoIP	VoIP allows you to place calls in your browser with your Apollo phone number. Apollo uses your default system sound settings for call audio.

Bridge

Bridge is only available for US phone numbers. Bridge allows you to make calls from your mobile device while retaining the ability to log and record the calls in Apollo. If you enable bridge, enter a personal phone number. When you place a call in Apollo, you receive a call to your phone from your Apollo number, prompting you to complete the bridge. The contact then receives the call from your Apollo number.

VoIP

VoIP allows you to place calls in your browser with your Apollo phone number. Apollo uses your default system sound settings for call audio.

All Things Considered

Wondering which to choose? If you have a non-US Apollo phone number, you must use VoIP. If you have a great mic, a solid internet connection, and like making calls at your desk, VoIP is also the right choice. However, if you prefer to make calls over your phone, are on the go, or sometimes experience internet connection issues, use bridge.

When finished, click Save Changes.

You have now set your outgoing call preferences, and you're ready to make outbound calls. You can edit your preferences at any time.

Continue to the next step.

Inbound calls

To configure how you receive inbound calls:

Launch Apollo and click Settings > Phone numbers.
From the incoming call dropdown, choose how you want to make incoming calls:

Bridge	Bridge is only available for US phone numbers. Bridge allows you to receive calls from contacts to your mobile device while retaining the ability to log and record them in Apollo. If you enable bridge, enter a personal phone number that you have access to. For incoming calls, contacts need to call your Apollo phone number for the call to be bridged to your personal phone number. Voicemails can be left on your personal phone voicemail if you have configured it.
VoIP	VoIP allows you to receive calls in your browser with your Apollo phone number. Apollo uses your default system sound settings for call audio. There is no voicemail feature.

Bridge

Bridge is only available for US phone numbers. Bridge allows you to receive calls from contacts to your mobile device while retaining the ability to log and record them in Apollo. If you enable bridge, enter a personal phone number that you have access to. For incoming calls, contacts need to call your Apollo phone number for the call to be bridged to your personal phone number. Voicemails can be left on your personal phone voicemail if you have configured it.

VoIP

VoIP allows you to receive calls in your browser with your Apollo phone number. Apollo uses your default system sound settings for call audio. There is no voicemail feature.

Dialer Dilemma

Wondering which to choose? If you have a non-US Apollo phone number, you must use VoIP. Additionally, if you prefer to catch calls at your desk in browser, VoIP is the right choice. If you want to take calls on the go, or let incoming calls go to voicemail, use bridge.

When finished, click Save Changes.

You have now set your incoming call preferences, and you're ready to receive calls. You can edit your preferences at any time.

Continue to the next step.

Call Recording

You can record calls you make from the dialer. Use call recording to log conversation outcomes and improve your communication over time. Apollo AI generates call transcripts and summaries for you.

Recording Roadblocks

If an Apollo admin at your organization enables location-based recording rules, calls you place to prospects in certain locations may not be recorded.

Some US states and some countries require that all call participants consent to recording calls. Obtain this consent before using call recording. Check out Cold Calling Best Practices to learn more.

To configure call recording:

Launch Apollo and click Settings > Phone numbers.
Check Record All Voice Calls.

Voicemail Caveat

If a call goes to voicemail and you use a voicemail drop, Apollo doesn't record the call.

When finished, click Save Changes.

You have now set your call recording preferences. Apollo will record and save your future calls in Apollo. You can edit your preferences at any time.

You can access and manage calls to review call recordings, transcripts, and AI analysis.

In Beta

Apollo is busy launching AI analysis for call recordings. While this feature is in beta, some functionality might change. Stay up to date with all the latest happenings at Apollo by joining the Apollo community.

Set Team Dialer Preferences

Location based recording rules govern how your teams record calls in certain locations. Because call recording regulations vary by country and US state, you can define a recording rule for each region where your team makes calls. You can create multiple rules to cover all relevant areas. These rules apply to all users in your Apollo account and can't be overridden unless you change the rule in settings.

To help you get started, Apollo applies some default location based recording rules for you. These rules aren't exhaustive and are not legal guidance. Review these rules, and consult outside legal counsel to determine the best recording practices to meet your team's compliance needs.

Permission Required

To set team dialer preferences, you need permission to add, edit, and delete recording rules.

To configure a location based recording rule:

Launch Apollo and click Settings > Team dialer > Recording.
Click New rule.

Select a country from the dropdown.
If you select United States, select one or more states, or one or more area codes. Alternatively, check Select all states.

For inbound recording, select who should be recorded on calls:

Both parties	Agent only	Prospect only	None
Both your team member and the prospect are recorded.	Only your team member is recorded.	Only the prospect is recorded.	No one is recorded.

Check Play an announcement to play a recorded announcement before each inbound call.

Recording in Progress

The default recording announcement is a male voice that says the following at the beginning of each call:

Your call will be recorded for quality purposes.

Repeat these steps to set outbound recording preferences.
When finished, click Save rule.

You have now created a location based recording rule. Repeat these steps to create additional rules for other locations. When your teams make or receive calls, your location based recording rules determine whether and how their calls are recorded.

You can also set up call dispositions and purposes so you can understand call outcomes across the team.

Cover the Bases

With the dialer, Apollo attempts to detect a contact's location, but even the best platform can't guarantee accuracy. For this reason you should obtain consent whenever you're unsure of a prospect's location. Alternatively, adopt a policy of always asking for consent to record calls. Learn more about cold call best practices.

Call Debugging

Call debugging may be helpful for diagnosing individual call connection errors.

If you enable debugging and a call fails, take a screenshot of any error message and reach out to Apollo support to share it.

To enable call debugging:

Launch Apollo and click Settings > Phone numbers.
Check Show call connection errors.

When finished, click Save Changes.

You have now enabled call debugging. You can deactivate at any time. For more troubleshooting tips with the dialer, check out Troubleshoot the Dialer.

Excuse the Noise

Call debugging could result in some noise on your calls. Feel free to turn off debugging once you've resolved any call connection errors.

Next Steps

Keep up the momentum with these next steps:

Make Outbound Calls	Follow step by step guidance on how to place outbound calls using the dialer to reach prospects efficiently.
Receive Inbound Calls	Learn how to answer incoming calls on Apollo.
Cold Call Best Practices	Discover tips on compliance, consent, and effective outreach in Apollo's Cold Calling Best Practices.
Access and Manage Calls	Review your call recordings, transcripts, and AI generated summaries when you access and manage calls.
Troubleshoot the Dialer	Find solutions for call connection errors and debugging tips to troubleshoot the dialer.