Setting up your 3CX phone system on a computer

A guide to setting up your 3CX phone system on a computer using the welcome email.

Firstly, open your welcome email. You will see that there are three attachments. 

The PDF is a helpful guide to 3CX, containing lots of information about all of the included features. The second is a QR code that you can use to provision your mobile phone.

Finally, the third attachment is a .3CX configuration file. In order for this to be read by your computer, you'll need to download and install the 3CX Windows Application. You can find this by searching 'Windows 3CX app' on Google. 

Once you are on the correct page, scroll down and select 'Download Windows app' and initiate the installation process. 

Once this has been installed, you can return to the .3CX configuration attachment, double-click and click 'open'. You should now be logged into the 3CX application. 

Now, you can either use 3CX as a softphone - in other words, a computer-operated phone system, perfect for making calls on the go - or as a deskphone. In deskphone mode, you can pair the app with the physical 3CX phone. Click on the phone icon at the top of the pop-up window to change between deskphone and softphone mode. 

Finally, to integrate Outlook with 3CX, close Outlook and then reopen. You'll see a pop-up window asking you to install the 3CX customisation. Click 'Install'.

There are a few adjustments that you might wish to make to your 3CX system. Return to the 3CX window, and click on the gears/settings icon at the bottom of the screen. Then, go to Advanced Settings > Integration > General. 

Uncheck the box entitled 'create new contact if not found' to prevent Outlook from creating a new contact whenever you receive a call from an unknown number. 

Click Save > Microsoft Outlook. Make sure that all of the contacts are checked to complete the integration between Outlook and the 3CX app. Click 'Save' to complete the process.