Glossary

What is a ring group?

A ring group is a set of phones or users that ring together from a single number or extension, so an incoming call reaches the first available person in the group. Instead of a call landing on one desk and going to voicemail if that person is away, it rings the whole team — sales, support, the front desk — until someone picks up.

It is one of the most common building blocks of business call routing: a way to make sure a call gets answered by someone without the caller needing to know who.

Ring strategies

A ring group’s behavior is set by its ring strategy:

Simultaneous (ring all) — every phone in the group rings at once; first to answer takes the call. Fastest pickup, best for small teams.
Sequential (linear) — phones ring one after another in a fixed order until someone answers. Good when there’s a clear first-responder, then a backup.
Round-robin (rotating) — the starting phone rotates each call, spreading load evenly across the group so the same person isn’t always first.
Longest-idle — rings whoever has been off calls the longest, balancing workload by availability.

If no one in the group answers within the timeout, the call follows a fallback: voicemail, another group, an auto attendant, or a queue.

Ring group vs. hunt group vs. queue

These overlap and vendors use the terms loosely:

A ring group is the general “ring several phones” concept (often used for simultaneous ringing).
A hunt group emphasizes hunting through members in sequence until one answers.
A call queue adds a waiting line with hold music when everyone is busy — the right tool for higher call volumes, where ring groups alone would just hit voicemail.

For low volume, a ring group is enough. For consistent volume where calls back up, a queue is the better fit.

Where ring groups are used

Front desk / reception — ring every receptionist so no call is missed.
Small sales or support teams — first available rep answers.
Departments — one published number for “Billing” rings the whole billing team.
After-hours / on-call — sequential ringing through an on-call list before an AI receptionist takes a message.

Common questions

What is the difference between a ring group and a hunt group?

They describe the same idea with different emphasis. A ring group rings a set of phones from one number — often all at once. A hunt group specifically “hunts” through members in sequence until one answers. In most modern cloud phone systems the two are configured in the same place, and the ring strategy (simultaneous, sequential, round-robin) is just a setting on the group.

When should I use a ring group vs. a call queue?

Use a ring group when call volume is low enough that someone is almost always free — the call rings the team and gets answered. Use a call queue when calls regularly arrive faster than they can be answered: the queue holds callers in line with hold music and position, instead of sending overflow straight to voicemail like a ring group would.

How many phones can be in a ring group?

That depends on the platform, but practically a simultaneous ring group works best with a handful of phones — ringing 20 desks at once is chaotic. For larger teams, a queue with skills-based routing is the better structure. Most business systems let one user belong to several ring groups (e.g., their own team plus the front desk).

Can a ring group ring mobile phones?

Yes. On a cloud phone system, group members can ring desk apps, desktop and mobile apps, or forwarded numbers — so a ring group can reach staff on their cell phones wherever they are. This is common for after-hours and field teams, often combined with sequential ringing through an on-call order.

See DialPhone call handling

AI business phone system → · Call routing → · Pricing →

Hunt group — sequential ringing through members
Call queue — when volume needs a waiting line
Call routing — the broader rules engine
Auto attendant — menu routing into ring groups