Turn AI answering on or off

One switch controls whether your AI answers forwarded calls or sends them to voicemail. Either way, every call still lands in your Inbox.

You can turn your AI receptionist on or off anytime with one switch. It lives in Settings, under AI Answering.

ON (Live): your AI answers calls that forward to your RankLadder number.
OFF: forwarded calls go to RankLadder voicemail instead. The caller hears your voicemail greeting and leaves a message. We record it, write it out, summarize it, and put it in your Inbox like any other call. Voicemail never uses your voice minutes.

The switch only controls what happens after a call reaches RankLadder. It does not change your carrier forwarding, and it does not make your own phone ring.

Before you begin

If you plan to turn the AI off, set up a voicemail greeting first so callers hear your business, not a generic message. The screen points you to it: your greeting lives in Receptionist, under Identity & Voice.

Steps

Open Settings.
Choose AI Answering.
Flip the switch. The state shows Live when the AI is answering and Off when calls go to voicemail.

What happens next

The change applies to the very next call. Nothing else moves: your number, forwarding, knowledge, and settings all stay exactly as they were, and you can flip it back whenever you like.

Why the switch says "Locked"

Sometimes the switch shows Locked and can't be turned on:

Your trial minutes are used up. The AI turned itself off when your 30 trial minutes ran out. Calls keep arriving as voicemails, so you never lose a message. Choose a plan to unlock it.
Your subscription has ended. Same behavior: calls go to voicemail and your Inbox keeps working. Resubscribe to turn the AI back on.

If it does not work

If the AI is ON but calls aren't being answered, the problem is almost always forwarding, not the switch. See Calls aren't reaching your receptionist.