Buying your first phone number
Pick a local or toll-free number for Milo to answer on.
You need at least one phone number for Milo to answer. You can buy a local or toll-free number directly inside Dial Milo — it's provisioned instantly and assigned to your receptionist automatically.
Local vs toll-free
Local numbers have a geographic area code (for example, +971 4 for Dubai landlines, or +1 212 for New York). They feel familiar and trustworthy to callers in your area. If your business is community-focused — a salon, a restaurant, a trades company — a local number usually works better.
Toll-free numbers (800, 888, 877, and similar prefixes) work from anywhere and signal a larger, more established operation. They're a good choice if you serve customers across a region or country, or if you just want the credibility of a 1-800 number.
Both types work identically with Milo. The difference is purely how callers perceive your business.
Pricing
Numbers are billed monthly, at a flat rate per number. The first month is prorated from the day you buy. You'll see the exact cost in the purchase flow before you confirm — there are no surprises.
Call usage (minutes) and SMS are billed separately from the number itself. See the billing article for a full breakdown.
Searching for a number
- 1
Go to Numbers
In the left sidebar, click Numbers, then click Get a number.
- 2
Choose local or toll-free
Select the type of number you want. For local, you'll also pick an area code or city.
- 3
Browse available numbers
You'll see a list of available numbers. Some have patterns that are easier to remember (like repeating digits) — pick whichever looks best for your business.
- 4
Confirm and pay
Click Buy this number. The cost is deducted from your prepaid balance, and the number is active within seconds.
If you're planning to print the number on physical materials (business cards, signage), take a moment to find one that's easy to read aloud. Avoid numbers with ambiguous patterns where callers might mishear a digit.
Assigning to your receptionist
After purchase, the number is automatically assigned to your active receptionist. If you have more than one receptionist set up, you can reassign numbers from the Numbers page at any time — just click the number and choose a different receptionist from the dropdown.
You can buy as many numbers as you need. Each one can point to a different receptionist, which is useful if you run multiple brands or locations.