How to use TalkTool
Pick what you are trying to do and follow that section. Each guide uses the same names and buttons you will see in your dashboard.
Updated August 2026 · You only need to read the task you are doing
Choose what you want to do
Start with the call you need to make.
You do not need to learn every TalkTool feature. Pick the situation that matches what you are doing right now.
Not sure where to begin? Use Call from the dashboard. The customer answers a normal phone call and does not install anything.
How TalkTool works: translator mode and interpreter mode
TalkTool is an AI translator that joins ordinary phone calls. You speak English, the other person speaks their language, and TalkTool speaks for both of you. Nobody installs anything — the other person just answers a normal call.
Every TalkTool call runs in one of two modes, and a single thing decides which one you get: who owns the call. If TalkTool places or receives the call, you get translator mode. If you merge TalkTool into a call that already exists on your phone, you get interpreter mode. Read this section once and everything you hear on a call will make sense.
Translator mode — each side hears only their own language
When TalkTool owns the call — you dialed from the dashboard, pressed 1 to dial out, or a customer called your TalkTool number — each person is on their own line with TalkTool in the middle, so TalkTool controls what each ear hears. You hear the entire conversation in English, spoken by a natural voice, with the other person's real voice quietly underneath. They hear the same thing in their language. Both directions translate at the same time: while your translation plays to them, their reply is already being translated for you. Nobody sits through a language they don't understand, which makes calls roughly twice as fast as working through a human interpreter.
What to expect: speak one thought at a time — a sentence or two — then pause. The translation starts about two and a half seconds after you stop. Short thoughts and clear pauses are the whole technique; long monologues make the other person wait through a long translation.
Interpreter mode — everyone hears everything
When you merge TalkTool into a call that already exists on your phone — three-way calling, add-call/merge, or speakerphone — your carrier delivers us one audio stream with every voice already mixed together. Splitting that stream so each person hears only their own language is not technically possible — for TalkTool or for any service. The phone network combined the voices before we ever heard them.
So in a merged call, TalkTool works exactly like a human interpreter on speakerphone: you speak, pause, and the translation plays to everyone on the call; the other person replies, and their translation plays to everyone too. Hearing both languages take turns is interpreter mode working correctly — it is not a glitch, and no setting changes it. It's still dramatically faster than scheduling a human interpreter; just expect the back-and-forth rhythm.
| Translator mode | Interpreter mode | |
|---|---|---|
| How the call started | TalkTool dialed them, or they dialed TalkTool | You merged TalkTool into an existing call |
| What each side hears | Only their own language (other voice quietly underneath) | Everything — both originals and both translations |
| Pace | Both directions at once — no waiting | Turn-based: speak, pause, translation plays to all |
| How to talk | Naturally, in short thoughts, with pauses | One thought at a time; wait for the translation to finish |
| Where you get it | Dashboard calls, your TalkTool number, press-1 dial-out | Add-call/merge, three-way, press-2 connect |
Call someone from the dashboard
- 1
Open Browser Call and pick their language
In the dashboard, go to Browser Call. Choose the language the other person speaks — you can also pick the voice gender used for each side. You speak your own language the whole time.
- Your 10 free minutes work here immediately
- On the free plan, your caller ID is your org's shared TalkTool number
- 2
Type the number and press Call
Enter any phone number — mobile or landline, anywhere TalkTool supports. The other person answers a completely normal phone call; there's nothing for them to install.
- Leave “start translating immediately” on unless you want to open the call untranslated
- 3
Just talk — both sides hear their own language
This is translator mode: speak naturally and pause when you finish a thought; the translation plays to the other side a moment later. They hear a natural voice in their language, with your real voice quietly underneath — and you hear them the same way in English. A live transcript of both languages scrolls on screen.
- Speak in short thoughts and pause — the translation starts about 2.5 seconds after you stop
- The full transcript is saved to your Calls page automatically
Call a customer from any phone
Use the conference line when you are away from the dashboard or need to call from a cell phone, desk phone, or landline. It is one shared number for your whole organization, it works from any phone on any carrier, and it is included with every account.
The flow is four keypad entries: dial the line, enter your organization's 6-digit code, enter a 2-digit language code, then choose how to connect. Every step is spoken to you on the call — you don't need to memorize anything except your org code.
Make an outgoing call from any phone
- 1
Dial +1 (213) 753-2845 and enter your org code
Every organization gets a 6-digit code, shown on your dashboard home and on the Translation Agents page. Enter it on the keypad when prompted.
- Works from any phone — including landlines and desk phones
- All entries are keypad presses; a trailing # is optional
- 2
Enter the 2-digit language code
Codes like 01 for Spanish, 02 for Mandarin, or 06 for French pick the language to translate with. The full code list is on your dashboard next to your org code.
- 3
Press 1 to dial out, or 2 if they're already on the line
Press 1 and enter a 10-digit number to have TalkTool call your customer — that's translator mode, so each of you hears only your own language, translated in parallel. Press 2 to connect instantly, then use your phone's add-call/merge to bring TalkTool into a call you already have going — that's interpreter mode, and everyone on the call hears everything.
- Starting the call? Always press 1 — dial-out gives each side their own language
- In a merged call, hearing both languages take turns is interpreter mode working correctly
- 4
Talk, pause, and let the translation play
Speak a thought, pause briefly, and the translation plays about two and a half seconds later. In dial-out mode a soft marimba tap confirms each translation was delivered.
Give staff an interpreter speed dial
Auto Connect is for employees who translate calls often. They dial one dedicated number and skip the organization and language codes.
- 1Create an Auto Connect line
Go to Translation Agents → Set Up Agent → Auto Connect line. Choose one language or add a short language menu for your staff.
- 2Turn on dial-out
With dial-out enabled, the employee presses 1 and enters the customer's number. TalkTool places the call — translator mode, so each person hears only their own language and the call runs at full speed.
- 3Save the number in your team's contacts
Give the line a clear name such as Spanish interpreter. Staff can call it whenever they need translation without opening the dashboard.
If the customer is already on the line, press 2 (or just wait) and merge TalkTool into the call with your phone's add-call/merge — that's interpreter mode, so everyone hears the originals and the translations take turns. Auto Connect lines are included with the Starter plan, and you can restrict which phone numbers are allowed to call each line.
Get a number your customers can call
A TalkTool phone number answers your customers in their language: a keypad language menu, live translated conversation with your team, and voicemail they can leave in their own words. You choose whether calls ring your current phone or the TalkTool dashboard.
Set up a number for incoming calls
- 1
Go to Translation Agents → Set Up Agent
Every TalkTool line is a translation agent — a number plus the rules for how it joins calls. The two-step wizard configures the agent first and connects it to a phone number at the end, so you can safely explore the whole thing before paying.
- 2
Choose “Incoming number”
An incoming-number agent is for customers calling you: they dial your number and you answer with live translation. (The other type, an Auto Connect line, is for your own team — covered below.)
- 3
Decide what happens when someone calls
Pick “Callers choose a language” for a short keypad menu (each option is spoken in its own language), “One language for every caller” to connect straight through, or “Voicemail only” for a translated take-a-message line. You can also choose “I'll decide later” and set routing up after purchase. Then give the agent a name — that's how it appears across your dashboard.
- For live routing, calls ring your available teammates in the dashboard or forward to your phone
- If nobody answers, the fallback tries your phone and then takes a translated voicemail
- 4
Connect a phone number and go live
Step 2 connects the agent to a real number: search by area code, pick from the available local numbers, and confirm. The configuration you built is applied the moment the purchase completes — callers can dial it immediately.
- Dedicated numbers and incoming calls are included with the Starter plan (two numbers)
- Everything is editable later from the agent's Manage page
Forward calls to your existing business phone
The most popular way to use TalkTool: keep answering on the phone you already use. Your TalkTool number sits in front of your existing line — customers call it in their language, your current phone rings like any normal call, and you answer in English.
Nothing about your current setup changes. No app on your phone, no new hardware, no porting — your existing number keeps working exactly as before. The TalkTool number is simply the one you give to customers who speak another language.
Set up forwarding
- 1
Create an incoming agent
Translation Agents → Set Up Agent → choose “Incoming number”. This is the same wizard as above — forwarding is just a choice inside it.
- 2
Pick how callers are greeted
Choose “One language for every caller” and pick the language your customers speak — calls connect straight through with live translation. (If you serve several languages, pick “Callers choose a language” instead for a short keypad menu.)
- 3
Choose “Forward to my phone” and enter your business number
Under “Where should calls ring?”, pick “Forward to my phone” and type the number you already answer — your cell, front desk, or existing business line. A green check confirms the number is valid.
- Works with any phone — cell, landline, or desk phone on any carrier
- Nothing to install on the phone that receives the calls
- 4
Pick your TalkTool number
Step 2 shows available numbers — search your area code and select one. The review card confirms the whole setup before you pay: which language callers speak, and that calls ring your business phone with live translation. Press “Get this number” and it goes live immediately.
- 5
Answer like any normal call
A customer dials your TalkTool number and hears a short disclosure in their language. Your existing phone rings — a completely ordinary incoming call. Answer it and just talk: you hear them in English, they hear you in their language. TalkTool owns this call, so it runs in translator mode — the good one. If you miss the call, they leave a voicemail that's transcribed and translated for you.
- Your existing number keeps working exactly as before — this adds a language line, it replaces nothing
- Change the forwarding number any time from the agent's Manage page
Already advertise one number everywhere? You can also do the reverse: use your carrier's call-forwarding to send your existing number's calls to your TalkTool number, and every caller gets the language menu before the call reaches your phone.
Answer customer calls in the dashboard
- 1
Set yourself Available
Use the availability switch in the dashboard to go available for your numbers. Your browser (and phone, if you use the mobile app) will ring for incoming calls.
- 2
Answer the ring
When a customer calls, they first hear a short disclosure in their own language while your dashboard rings. Answer in one click — if several teammates are available, the first to answer takes the call.
- 3
Talk in your language
You hear the caller translated into your language and they hear you in theirs, with the live transcript on screen. If no one answers, the call follows your fallback: forward to a phone, then translated voicemail.
Transcripts, voicemail, and summaries
Every call lands on the Calls page with its duration, language pair, recording, and the full bilingual transcript — what was said and how it was translated. On Starter plans and up, an AI summary is generated shortly after each call: key points, action items with owners, and sentiment.
Voicemails live on the Voice Messages page. Each one keeps the caller's original audio and adds a translation you can read — or listen to, re-spoken in your language — plus the detected language and a short summary.
What each plan includes
| Plan | Minutes / month | Dedicated numbers | Incoming calls & language menus | Translated voicemail | AI summaries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay As You Go (free) | 10 free minutes to start | — | — | — | — |
| Starter | 300 | 2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Growth | 1,500 | 10 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scale | 4,000 | 25 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Minutes are prepaid and shared across every surface — browser calls, the conference line, and dedicated numbers all draw from the same balance. Top up any time, or let a monthly plan replenish them. Growth and Scale add priority support, and Starter comes with a 7-day free trial for business email accounts. Current prices are always on the pricing page.
Common questions
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Deeper guides for specific setups