Aptly makes it easy to call and text your customers—without exposing your personal phone number. By connecting a Twilio phone line to Aptly, you can:
- Make outbound calls directly from the Aptly Inbox
- Send SMS messages to any contact
- Keep your personal phone number private
- Track, log, and record all communication automatically
Aptly handles the connection to Twilio behind the scenes so you can work from one platform without switching apps or devices.
How Phone Calls Work in Aptly
When you place a call from Aptly, you’re not calling from your personal phone number. Instead, Aptly uses your Twilio phone line (provided by your company) as the caller ID.
Here’s what happens behind the scenes:
- You click Call in Aptly.
- Aptly tells Twilio to start the call.
- Twilio first calls your personal device—this is your Agent Number.
- You pick up the call on your device.
- Twilio then connects you to the customer using your Twilio phone number as the caller ID.
🔒 Your personal phone number is never visible to the customer.
Twilio settings and configuration live directly inside Aptly under:
- Settings → Personal Phone Numbers
- Settings → Shared Phone Numbers
Shared vs. Personal Phone Numbers
Personal Phone Numbers
These are Twilio phone lines assigned just to you. They do not appear as shared inboxes, and only you can make calls or send texts from them.
Shared Phone Numbers
Teams can share Twilio phone lines—for example:
- Leasing
- Maintenance
- Resident Services
- Accounting
- After-hours emergency lines
Shared phone lines appear as inboxes in your Inbox folder list. Any team member assigned to the line can access calls, voicemails, and SMS conversations.
👉 Many customers also create unique phone numbers for different lead sources (Zillow, Zumper, Apartments.com, etc.) so they can track call performance by source.
Making a Phone Call in Aptly
Before placing a call, make sure:
- A Twilio line is connected in Aptly
- You have a working phone device (mobile, landline, or VoIP number) that Twilio can call to reach you
📌 Note: Twilio charges different rates for international calling. See Twilio Pricing for details.
Step-by-Step: How to Make a Call
- In the Inbox, click the plus icon, then choose the Phone 📞 option.
- Use the search bar to find the contact you’re calling.
- Select the phone number inbox (Twilio line) you want to call from.
- Choose your Agent Number (the number Twilio will call to reach you).
- This is the phone number set in your profile.
- To use a different phone, choose Custom Number and type any phone number.
- Click the Phone icon at the bottom of the dialer to start the call.
Aptly → calls your device → then connects you → to the customer.
Your customer sees your Twilio number, not your personal number.
Your agent number cannot be the same as the Ring To number set for the phone.
Sending an SMS Message in the Inbox
Sending SMS is just as easy as making a call.
Once your Twilio number is set up and registered for A2P 10DLC, you can send texts directly from the Aptly Inbox.
How to Send an SMS
- Click the plus icon at the top.
- Select the SMS to open the SMS composer window.
- Type your message and send.
Aptly logs all sent and received messages in the conversation thread automatically.
Bulk SMS
If you need to send SMS messages to a group of contacts—such as residents, owners, or leads—you can use Aptly’s Bulk SMS feature.
A separate guide for bulk SMS is linked under Related Articles.