Meow

Getting started with Meow

Go from install to your first call in under 5 minutes.

1

Install Meow

Download the installer for your platform from the Download page.

Windows

Run meow-setup.exe and follow the installer prompts.

Linux

# AppImage (any distro)
chmod +x meow.AppImage
./meow.AppImage

# Debian / Ubuntu
sudo dpkg -i meow.deb

# Fedora / RHEL
sudo dnf install ./meow.rpm
2

Configure Your SIP Account

On first launch, Meow opens the Setup Wizard. Enter the credentials from your SIP provider:

  • SIP Server: Your provider's domain or IP (e.g., pbx.example.com)
  • Username: Your SIP extension or account ID
  • Password: Your SIP authentication password
  • Display Name: A friendly label for the account, shown only to you inside the app
3

Make Your First Call

Once registered (green status indicator), use the dialer to enter a number and press the call button. During a call you can:

  • Send DTMF tones via the keypad (for IVR menus)
  • Mute/unmute your microphone
  • View call duration in real time

Try calling your PBX's echo test extension (commonly *43 on FreePBX) to verify audio works in both directions.

4

Audio Setup

Go to Settings to select your preferred audio devices:

  • Choose your speaker (output device) and microphone (input device)
  • Use the "Test" button to play a test tone through the selected speaker
  • Hot-plug is supported. Plug in a headset and it appears automatically.
5

Turn on what your PBX offers

Calling works with nothing more than the account above. Several other features are things your PBX does, so Meow hides them until you say it is there:

  • See who is free: list your colleagues' extensions under Settings → Accounts → Team and they appear above your call history with a lamp each: green free, amber ringing, red on a call. Click one to call them.
  • Park a call: fill in your PBX's parking lot and its slots and a Park button appears during calls. A parked call can be picked up from any phone in the office.
  • Forward at the PBX: enter your forwarding feature codes and you can turn forwarding on and off from Call Settings. Unlike Auto-Forward, it keeps working after you close Meow.
  • Hide your number, voicemail and a backup server are all configured on the same account screen.

PBX Setup lists what each one needs and where FreePBX keeps it.

Moving to a new computer?

Your license counts the computers it is activated on. If the old one is gone or you can't open Meow on it, remove it on the Manage your license page: enter your purchase email and license key, and we email you a sign-in link. Then activate Meow on the new computer with the same key.

On your phone

The Android app is coming soon to Google Play; the iPhone app follows. Your administrator sets each phone up, so there is no server or password to type. What it can do: Meow on your phone.

  1. 1

    Get a setup code

    Ask your administrator. They make it in the license portal, and it holds your license and usually your phone line too. It works once and expires, normally after a day.

  2. 2

    Scan it

    Install Meow and open it. In the menu, tap Set up with a code, then Scan QR code (or Paste code if you were sent the text). The line appears in the menu and turns Registered within a few seconds.

  3. 3

    Let it ring

    Calls reach a closed app as a notification, so allow what Meow asks for. Settings → Ringing on this phone shows each check, and tapping one fixes it: Notifications, Call screen when locked, Microphone and Battery. Battery is done when Meow is set to Unrestricted with background use allowed; on Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, Honor, OPPO, OnePlus, realme and vivo phones its Fix also opens the maker's own battery screen, where Meow must be kept out of sleeping or auto-closed apps. Contacts is optional: with it, your phone's own contacts name your callers.

  4. 4

    Test it

    Close Meow, lock the phone and have someone call your extension: you hear ringing in about a second. For audio, call your PBX's echo test (*43 on FreePBX). If calls ring only while the app is open, your PBX is not set up to wake phones yet: send your administrator to PBX Setup.

A new phone?

Each phone takes a seat on the license, like a computer. Ask for a new setup code for the new phone, and have your administrator remove the old one in the license portal so its seat is free again.

Need more help?

Read the FAQContact Support