LC Phone in HighLevel

Updated: February 6, 2026  | 
Author: Bill Stilwell

This post covers what LC Phone is, what it provides within HighLevel, the different number types available, how to provision numbers, the A2P registration requirement, cost structure, and how LC Phone underlies all of HighLevel’s communication features.

Reading time: about 6 minutes.

What Is LC Phone in HighLevel?

LC Phone – short for LeadConnector Phone – is HighLevel’s native telephony infrastructure. It is the system that provides phone numbers, handles SMS and MMS messaging, processes inbound and outbound voice calls, manages voicemail, and supports call recording within HighLevel sub-accounts.

Every phone-based communication feature in HighLevel runs on LC Phone: two-way SMS, automated text sequences, voicemail drops, call recording, call tracking, IVR menus. LC Phone is not a feature – it is the underlying infrastructure that enables all of those features.

Manage LC Phone numbers at Settings, then Phone Numbers in any sub-account.

What LC Phone Replaced

HighLevel originally required users to connect their own Twilio account to enable SMS and calling capabilities. Twilio is a third-party communications API that HighLevel used as its telephony backbone.

Users had to create a separate Twilio account, configure the Twilio integration in HighLevel, and manage Twilio billing separately from their HighLevel subscription.

LC Phone replaced this model. HighLevel built its own telephony layer – eliminating the need for a separate Twilio account for most users.

LC Phone is built into HighLevel, managed within HighLevel, and billed through HighLevel’s LC credits system. Most new HighLevel accounts use LC Phone exclusively.

The practical difference for the average user: there is no separate account to create, no third-party settings to configure, and no separate bill to manage. Phone numbers are provisioned directly in HighLevel’s settings and work immediately.

Number Types Available

LC Phone supports three types of phone numbers, each suited to different use cases.

Local 10-digit numbers are standard 10-digit phone numbers with a local area code – the format most people recognize as a typical business phone number. They appear as local numbers to recipients, which improves answer rates for calls and engagement rates for SMS compared to toll-free or out-of-area numbers.

Local numbers require A2P 10DLC registration for reliable SMS delivery at scale in the US.

Toll-free numbers (800, 855, 866, 877, 888 prefix) are suitable for national businesses or for businesses that want a number that does not appear tied to a specific geographic area. Toll-free numbers have their own registration requirements (Toll-Free Verification) for SMS in the US.

They can carry higher per-message costs than local numbers but have different carrier treatment for some use cases.

Short codes are 5 or 6-digit numbers designed for high-volume SMS campaigns. They have faster throughput – sending large volumes of messages quickly without the rate limits that apply to standard 10-digit numbers.

Short codes require a separate application and approval process that takes several weeks and involves higher monthly costs. They are appropriate for enterprise-level SMS campaigns rather than the typical HighLevel agency use case.

Provisioning a Number

Provisioning an LC Phone number takes under two minutes. Go to Settings, then Phone Numbers.

Click Add Phone Number. Select the number type.

For local numbers, choose the area code – type the area code in the search field to see available numbers in that area code. Select a number from the results.

Confirm the provisioning.

The number is assigned to the sub-account immediately after provisioning. No setup delay, no configuration required before the number can send and receive SMS.

The number is ready to use from the moment it appears in the phone numbers list.

Each provisioned number in HighLevel carries a monthly line fee that is billed through the LC credits or billing system. Check current HighLevel pricing for the specific monthly cost per number type.

What LC Phone Numbers Can Do

An LC Phone number is not just an SMS line – it is a full communication channel. Each provisioned number can handle the complete range of phone-based communication that HighLevel supports.

On the messaging side: two-way SMS (send and receive text messages), MMS (send and receive picture and media messages), automated SMS through Workflow Builder, bulk SMS campaigns, SMS templates, personalization merge fields in messages, and automatic STOP/opt-out compliance.

On the voice side: inbound call receiving, outbound call placing (from the HighLevel interface or mobile app), call recording (when enabled), voicemail greetings (a greeting that plays when calls are unanswered), voicemail message storage, call forwarding, IVR configuration, and voicemail drops (pre-recorded messages delivered to contact voicemail inboxes).

Inbound Call Handling

When a call comes in to an LC Phone number, HighLevel handles it according to the call action configured for that number. The most common configurations: forward to a specific HighLevel user (their phone rings), play a voicemail greeting and record a message, or route through an IVR menu.

IVR (Interactive Voice Response) allows callers to navigate options – “Press 1 for scheduling, Press 2 for billing, Press 3 to leave a message.” Each option can route to a different team member, a different voicemail box, or a different action. IVR is configured in the phone number settings.

Call forwarding sends the call to an external phone number – the business’s landline, an owner’s cell phone, or a service desk. The forwarded call appears to the recipient as coming from the LC Phone number (or a version of it), not from the original caller’s number.

HighLevel’s caller ID handling for forwarded calls follows standard carrier practices.

A2P 10DLC Registration

A2P 10DLC registration is a mandatory step for any HighLevel sub-account sending SMS to US mobile phone numbers at meaningful volume through local 10-digit LC Phone numbers. Without registration, mobile carriers filter and block messages – resulting in significantly lower SMS delivery rates.

The registration involves two steps. First, registering the business brand – the company name, business type, EIN or tax ID, and other identifying information.

Second, registering the specific SMS campaigns – what types of messages will be sent (lead follow-up, appointment reminders, transactional notifications) and what the messages will contain.

Registration is completed through HighLevel’s settings – there is a guided registration process that walks through both the brand and campaign steps. Approval typically takes several business days.

HighLevel recommends completing A2P registration when the sub-account is first set up, before any significant SMS volume is sent.

Do not delay A2P registration. The consequences of unregistered sending – carrier filtering – are invisible at first but increasingly damaging over time.

Messages appear to send from the HighLevel interface but are blocked or filtered before reaching the recipient’s phone. The business is paying for SMS that is not being delivered.

LC Phone Cost Structure

LC Phone costs are usage-based. There is a monthly fee per provisioned phone number.

There is a per-message cost for each SMS segment sent. MMS messages have a higher per-message cost than SMS.

Voice calls are billed per minute for both inbound and outbound. Voicemail drops are billed per delivery.

These costs are tracked in HighLevel’s LC credit system. Sub-accounts draw down from their LC credits balance as they use SMS, calls, and other LC Phone features.

When the balance runs low, it is refilled either automatically (if auto-recharge is configured) or manually.

For agencies using Rebilling, these usage costs are passed to clients at a configured markup. The agency pays the LC rate and charges the client the rebilled rate.

The markup between the two is the agency’s revenue from usage.

Opt-Out Compliance

LC Phone handles SMS opt-out compliance automatically. When a contact replies STOP to any SMS from an LC Phone number, HighLevel immediately sets that contact’s SMS DND (Do Not Disturb) status to active.

Automated workflows no longer send SMS to that contact on any LC Phone number in the sub-account.

HELP replies also receive automatic handling – HighLevel sends a pre-configured response with the business name and opt-out instructions, as required by carrier guidelines.

This automatic compliance handling is not optional and cannot be disabled – it is a carrier-level requirement built into how LC Phone operates. Businesses cannot override the STOP opt-out, nor should they attempt to.

Any attempt to message a contact who has replied STOP is a compliance violation regardless of the business’s intent.

Number Porting

Number porting allows an existing business phone number – one the business has had for years and that customers already know – to be moved to LC Phone so it can be managed within HighLevel. The porting process transfers the number from the current carrier to HighLevel’s LC Phone infrastructure.

Porting requires a Letter of Authorization from the current account holder, the account information from the current carrier, and the current carrier’s name and account number. HighLevel submits the port request to the carrier and monitors the transfer.

Porting typically takes one to two weeks depending on the current carrier’s process.

During the porting process, the number continues to work on the current carrier. There is a brief transfer window when the number switches to LC Phone.

After the port is complete, the number is managed within HighLevel and carries all LC Phone capabilities.

What Can You Do With It?

• Provision a business phone number for SMS and calls without a separate account: LC Phone is built into HighLevel – provision a number in under two minutes with no external account required. The number is ready to send SMS and receive calls immediately.
• Run all business communication through one platform: SMS, MMS, calls, voicemail, call recording, and call tracking all run through LC Phone within HighLevel. No separate SMS tool, no separate call platform – one system, one inbox, one record.
• Automate SMS sequences with full two-way capability: Workflow Builder sends SMS through LC Phone automatically. Contacts reply to the same number – the replies appear in the Conversations Inbox. The two-way infrastructure enables both sending and receiving as part of the same automated workflow.
• Handle inbound calls with IVR routing and call recording: Configure inbound call handling – greetings, IVR menus, user routing, recording – without a separate phone system. LC Phone handles the entire call infrastructure within HighLevel.
• Attribute marketing calls to their source with tracking numbers: Provision multiple numbers – one per marketing channel – to track which sources are generating inbound calls. The call attribution data flows into HighLevel’s CRM and reporting automatically.

Key Definitions

Use Cases by Industry

Home Services – Single Unified Communication Number

A plumbing company provisions one LC Phone number as their primary business number. The number is displayed on the website, in Google Ads, and on business cards.

All inbound calls come through the LC Phone number – recorded, logged to the contact’s timeline, and forwarded to the owner’s cell phone. All automated follow-up SMS is sent from the same number.

The customer always sees one consistent business phone number across every touchpoint.

The owner receives an SMS notification when a new lead calls. The call recording is automatically saved to the lead’s contact record.

The automated follow-up SMS sequence fires from the same number. Everything – call, recording, and text follow-up – is tracked in one contact record.

Result: The business operates from a single professional phone number that handles all communication functions. The owner’s personal cell phone is protected from being the business contact, the call history is organized in HighLevel, and the automated follow-up runs from the same number the customer originally called.

Marketing Agency – Multi-Client Number Management

An agency with 20 clients has 20 sub-accounts, each with its own provisioned LC Phone number. Each client’s SMS, calls, and automated sequences run through their sub-account’s dedicated number.

Client A’s leads receive SMS from Client A’s number. Client B’s leads receive SMS from Client B’s number.

The data never crosses between sub-accounts.

When a new client onboards, the agency provisions an LC Phone number as part of the standard onboarding checklist. A2P registration is completed for each new client before any SMS automation goes live.

The per-sub-account number management is clean and isolated.

Result: Each client has dedicated communication infrastructure managed within their sub-account. The agency’s clients never share phone numbers or data. The A2P registration per sub-account ensures each client’s SMS is delivered reliably rather than filtered by carriers.

Real Estate – Dedicated Numbers for Different Buyer Types

A real estate agent provisions two LC Phone numbers: one for buyer lead outreach and one for seller lead outreach. Each number’s automated workflows are configured specifically for the lead type.

The buyer number’s sequences discuss property searches, mortgage questions, and available listings. The seller number’s sequences discuss home valuations, listing timelines, and market conditions.

Leads who call the buyer number are tagged as buyer leads. Leads who call the seller number are tagged as seller leads.

The agent’s CRM automatically organizes leads by type from the moment of first contact – no manual sorting needed.

Result: Separate numbers for separate lead types create automatic CRM segmentation. Each lead enters the appropriate workflow for their type from the first interaction. The agent’s follow-up sequences are relevant from day one.

SaaS Agency – Per-Subscriber Number Management

A SaaS Mode agency that resells HighLevel includes one provisioned LC Phone number as part of each subscriber’s platform. When a subscriber signs up, the Snapshot deploys their account configuration, and the agency’s onboarding process provisions their dedicated LC Phone number.

Each subscriber communicates with their contacts through their own dedicated number – isolated from all other subscribers.

The agency monitors LC credit balances across subscriber sub-accounts and uses Rebilling to pass SMS and call usage costs to subscribers at a markup. The per-subscriber number provisioning is a core part of the product offering – subscribers are paying for a complete marketing platform, and the phone number is a central component.

Result: Every subscriber has dedicated telephony infrastructure as part of their subscription. The agency’s LC Phone cost per subscriber is rebilled at a markup, making the phone infrastructure a revenue contribution rather than a cost center.

Who Is This For?

How to Set Up LC Phone

Step 1: Navigate to Phone Numbers in Settings

In the sub-account, go to Settings, then Phone Numbers.

Step 2: Provision a local number

Click Add Phone Number. Select local number.

Enter the target area code. Choose a number from the results.

Confirm provisioning.

Step 3: Configure call handling

Open the number’s settings. Set the incoming call action – forward to a user, play a voicemail greeting, or run an IVR flow.

Enable call recording if desired. Configure the voicemail greeting if using voicemail.

Step 4: Complete A2P 10DLC registration

Navigate to the A2P registration section in Settings. Complete brand registration (business information, EIN).

Register the SMS campaign(s). Wait for approval – typically several business days.

Step 5: Test SMS

Go to Conversations. Find a contact with your personal phone.

Send a test SMS via the LC Phone number. Verify receipt.

Reply from your phone. Verify the reply appears in HighLevel.

Step 6: Test inbound call

Call the provisioned number from a personal phone. Verify the call is handled according to configuration.

Check the contact’s activity timeline for the call record.

Step 7: Connect to workflows

In Workflow Builder, confirm SMS actions are configured to use the provisioned LC Phone number. Run a test workflow to verify SMS delivery through the number.

Step 8: Monitor LC credit balance

Check the LC credit balance in the account settings. Configure auto-recharge to prevent the balance from running out and interrupting SMS delivery.

Set a comfortable minimum threshold for the recharge trigger.

Step 9: Enable Rebilling if applicable

If the account is a client sub-account managed by an agency, configure Rebilling in the agency settings to pass LC Phone usage costs to the client at a markup.

How Does It Connect to HighLevel?

• Two-Way SMS: Two-Way SMS is the primary SMS capability built on LC Phone. Every inbound and outbound text message in HighLevel runs through LC Phone infrastructure.
• SMS Marketing Automation: SMS Marketing Automation – automated sequences, campaigns, and bulk sends in Workflow Builder – all use LC Phone as the sending infrastructure. LC Phone is what delivers those automated messages.
• Call Recording: Call Recording is a feature enabled per LC Phone number. The recording capability is built into the LC Phone infrastructure – it only works on calls through LC Phone numbers.
• Call Tracking: Call Tracking uses multiple LC Phone numbers – one per marketing source – for attribution. LC Phone’s number provisioning flexibility makes tracking number setup fast and manageable.
• Rebilling: Rebilling passes LC Phone usage costs – per SMS, per call minute – to clients at a markup. LC Phone’s usage tracking per sub-account is what makes Rebilling possible.

Common Questions

What is LC Phone in HighLevel?

HighLevel’s native telephony infrastructure – provides phone numbers, SMS, MMS, calls, voicemail, recording, and call tracking within sub-accounts. No external Twilio account required.

How do I get a phone number through LC Phone in HighLevel?

Settings, then Phone Numbers, then Add Phone Number. Select number type, choose area code, provision.

The number is ready to use immediately.

What can LC Phone numbers do in HighLevel?

Send and receive SMS and MMS, make and receive calls, record calls, play voicemail greetings, store voicemail messages, forward calls, handle IVR menus, and serve as tracking numbers for marketing attribution.

What is the difference between LC Phone and Twilio in HighLevel?

LC Phone is HighLevel’s own telephony layer – no separate Twilio account needed. Previously HighLevel required a Twilio integration.

LC Phone replaced that dependency for most users.

What is A2P 10DLC registration and why is it required for LC Phone?

US carrier registration for businesses sending SMS from local 10-digit numbers. Required for reliable delivery – without it, messages are filtered and blocked.

Complete through HighLevel’s registration settings before sending at scale.

What does LC Phone cost in HighLevel?

Monthly fee per number, per-message cost for SMS and MMS, per-minute cost for calls. Usage-based, billed through LC credits.

Check current HighLevel pricing for specific rates.

Can I use LC Phone for inbound call handling and IVR in HighLevel?

Yes. Configure inbound call actions – forward to user, voicemail, or IVR – in the phone number settings. IVR menus route callers to different team members or options.

Can I port an existing business phone number to LC Phone in HighLevel?

Yes. Number porting is available – transfer an existing number from the current carrier to LC Phone.

Requires a Letter of Authorization and carrier account information. Takes one to two weeks typically.

How does LC Phone handle STOP and opt-out messages?

STOP replies automatically set SMS DND on the contact. Automated workflows no longer send SMS to that contact.

Mandatory carrier-level compliance built into LC Phone – cannot be disabled.

To Wrap It Up

LC Phone is not a feature to turn on – it is the infrastructure that makes HighLevel’s phone-based communication possible. Every SMS, every automated text sequence, every inbound call, every call recording, every call tracking number runs on LC Phone.

Understanding what it is and how it works is foundational to understanding everything HighLevel does with communication.

The two setup tasks that have the most operational impact are provisioning the right numbers and completing A2P registration. Getting the right numbers in place before campaigns launch means communication is ready to go when leads start coming in.

Completing A2P registration before SMS campaigns start means those messages actually reach their recipients – rather than being silently filtered by carriers.

Everything built on top of LC Phone – the automation, the tracking, the recording, the rebilling – only works as well as the LC Phone foundation is set up. A properly configured LC Phone setup is invisible because it just works.

A poorly configured one shows up as missed messages, failed call routing, and delivery problems that trace back to something fixable in the phone number settings.

Here is how to get started:

1. Go to Settings, then Phone Numbers in the sub-account
2. Click Add Phone Number and provision a local number in the appropriate area code
3. Configure the number’s call handling – forwarding, voicemail, or IVR
4. Enable call recording if needed and configure the recording disclosure
5. Navigate to A2P registration in Settings and begin the brand and campaign registration process
6. Test SMS by sending and receiving from the provisioned number
7. Test call handling by calling the number from a personal phone
8. Configure LC credits auto-recharge to prevent balance outages
9. Enable Rebilling in the agency settings if this is a client sub-account

Complete A2P registration when the sub-account is first created – not after the first SMS campaign has failed to deliver. The registration approval process takes several business days.

A sub-account that is configured and ready to go but waiting on A2P approval cannot reliably send SMS at scale. Starting the registration immediately on sub-account creation means it is approved before it is needed.