How to Fix the GoHighLevel 'One-Ring' Inbound Call Bug

Anatomy of the GoHighLevel 'One-Ring' Inbound Call Bug

The "One-Ring" bug is a specific failure pattern within the GoHighLevel (GHL) ecosystem where the system fails to connect a live agent with a prospect. It is not a singular error but a set of symptoms affecting users ranging from boutique agencies to massive call centers using the LeadConnector app or web browser. Understanding the exact profile of this failure is the first step toward fixing it.

The "Ghost Call" Phenomenon

When a prospect dials a GHL-provisioned number, they often hear one ring tone followed by silence and a sudden disconnection or voicemail prompt. On the agent's side, the web app may flash an "Incoming Call" notification for a fraction of a second before vanishing. This leaves the agent with a "Missed Call" alert but no opportunity to click "Answer," creating a "ghost call" experience where the screen failed to activate in time.

The Mobile "Deep Sleep" Paradox

For agents using the LeadConnector mobile app, the issue often manifests as a failure of the application to wake up from a background state. If the phone is locked or the user is looking at a different application, the call fails to trigger a high-priority push notification. The call rings once on the network side and is immediately suppressed by the operating system’s background processing restrictions.

The "487 Request Terminated" & "408 Timeout" Errors

Administrators inspecting SIP logs or Twilio backend logs for these failed calls often find SIP 487 Request Terminated or SIP 408 Request Timeout errors.

• SIP 487: This code often signifies that the server (Twilio/GHL) cancelled the invite because the endpoint (the browser or app) failed to acknowledge the handshake in time.
• SIP 408: This indicates a timeout where the server sent an invite and received silence, which is the hallmark of a "sleeping" browser tab or a "dozing" mobile phone.

The Economic Impact

In lead generation, the odds of qualifying a lead drop by over 80% after just five minutes. When the GHL system fails to ring, the "Speed to Lead" metric is ruined. Relying on "Missed Call Text Back" automations is a safety net, not a fix, as it forces high-intent callers into an asynchronous text conversation. For agencies reselling GHL, this bug creates a narrative that the system is broken, accelerating client churn.

Technical Root Causes of the GoHighLevel 'One-Ring' Inbound Call Bug

The "One-Ring" bug in GoHighLevel is primarily caused by the underlying architecture, as GHL’s phone system is a wrapper around Twilio’s programmable voice API, delivered via WebRTC in a browser or hybrid mobile app. This design conflicts with modern internet browsers and mobile operating systems, which prioritize battery life and memory conservation over real-time connectivity.

The Browser Throttling Mechanism (Chrome & Edge)

On desktop, browsers like Chrome suspend inactive tabs to save RAM.

• Sleeping Tabs: When a user leaves the GHL tab to work elsewhere, Chrome effectively "freezes" the page state. When a call comes in, the browser fails to acknowledge the signal immediately because it must first "wake up" the tab and reload the JavaScript context. This process takes seconds, which is time the caller does not have, often exceeding the carrier timeout and causing the call to drop after one ring.
• Timer Throttling: Background tabs have their JavaScript timers aligned to fire only once per second or minute. For a VoIP application requiring millisecond precision, this delay causes the system to fail the SIP handshake.
• Audio Context Suspension: Chrome may also suspend the audio context if the tab hasn't been clicked recently, suppressing the audible ring even if the visual notification appears.

Mobile OS Battery Optimization (The "Doze" Factor)

On mobile devices, iOS and Android ruthlessly kill background processes to extend battery life.

• Android Doze: Android restricts apps from accessing the network when the screen is off. If the LeadConnector app is not whitelisted, Android treats its constant listening as a battery drain and severs the connection.
• iOS CallKit Restrictions: Apple requires VoIP apps to report incoming calls immediately via CallKit. If a hybrid app like LeadConnector fails to do this promptly due to lag, iOS will terminate the app process in the background.

Carrier Latency and Timeout Conflicts

A "race condition" often occurs between GHL’s internal timeout settings and the carrier’s voicemail. Most carriers (Verizon, T-Mobile) pick up voicemail at 25-30 seconds. If the GHL timeout is set to 30 seconds, the carrier voicemail may grab the call first. GHL interprets this as an "Answered" call because the voicemail picked up, which breaks "Missed Call" automations.

How to Fix the GoHighLevel Inbound Call Bug on the Native System

For users who must stay within the native GoHighLevel (GHL) phone system, there are specific configuration protocols that can mitigate the "One-Ring" bug. These steps attempt to force browsers and mobile operating systems to maintain connections they would otherwise close to save energy.

Browser Configuration for Desktop Users

To prevent Chrome from "sleeping" the GHL tab:

1. Disable Memory Saver: Go to chrome://settings/performance and toggle Memory Saver to OFF. This prevents Chrome from discarding inactive tabs.
2. Whitelist Domain: Alternatively, add app.gohighlevel.com to the "Always keep these sites active" list.
3. Advanced Discard Settings: Power users can visit chrome://discards/ and uncheck the "Auto Discardable" box for the GHL tab, though this resets when the browser closes.
4. Keep Window Focused: Agents should keep the CRM window on a separate monitor and focused, as minimizing the window signals the OS to deprioritize the process.

Stabilizing the Mobile Experience

To improve connectivity on the LeadConnector app:

• Android: Go to Settings > Apps > LeadConnector > Battery and select "Unrestricted" (or "Don't Optimize"). Additionally, lock the app in the "Recent Apps" view to prevent garbage collection.
• iOS: Ensure Background App Refresh is toggled ON in settings. Users also report that logging out and back in periodically can refresh the VoIP push token, temporarily restoring connectivity.

Calibrating Timeout Settings

To fix the race condition between GHL and carrier voicemails:

• Set Timeout to 20 Seconds: In GHL settings, set "Incoming Call Timeout" strictly to 20 seconds.
• Rationale: Most carriers pick up at 25-30 seconds. A 20-second timeout ensures GHL handles the "No Answer" event before the agent's personal voicemail does, preserving "Missed Call" workflows.
• Disable Call Connect: Disabling the "Press 1 to Connect" feature reduces friction and latency, though it requires strict timeout management.

Architectural Fixes for the GoHighLevel 'One-Ring' Inbound Call Bug

Troubleshooting the native GoHighLevel (GHL) dialer often amounts to applying "hacks" to a system not designed for enterprise voice reliability. The fundamental issue is that GHL relies on browser-based WebRTC, which means call quality is tied to the state of the user's computer rather than a dedicated hardware or software switch.

The WebRTC Vulnerability

When a sales rep uses a browser-based dialer, resource contention becomes a major failure point. If the user opens a heavy spreadsheet or video tool, the browser will deprioritize the VoIP socket, resulting in packet loss and jitter. Furthermore, "jank" (interruptions in the rendering pipeline) can cause audio packets to drop because the phone system is not operating independently of the browser's visual rendering process.

The "Wrapper" Latency Problem

GHL acts as a wrapper for Twilio, which adds a layer of API calls between the carrier and the user.

• Webhook Bottlenecks: Every call involves GHL receiving a webhook from Twilio and sending instructions back. During peak usage, this processing can introduce latency.
• Latency Accumulation: A dedicated provider focuses solely on voice traffic, ensuring SIP signaling takes priority. In the wrapper model, hops accumulate latency, leading to "dead air" or the "One-Ring" bug.

The Limits of Generalist Mobile Apps

The LeadConnector app is a container for the entire CRM, managing contacts, calendars, and pipelines alongside voice. Expecting a heavy app to maintain a lightweight, always-on VoIP connection is technically demanding. Dedicated VoIP apps are optimized specifically for voice, utilizing SIP-specific wake-locks that general CRM apps often struggle to implement across the fragmented Android ecosystem.

Enter Kixie – A Dedicated Fix for the GoHighLevel 'One-Ring' Inbound Call Bug

For businesses requiring higher reliability than the native GoHighLevel (GHL) dialer can provide, Kixie offers a "Skyscraper" solution by integrating a dedicated Voice over IP (VoIP) platform on top of the GHL foundation. This approach decouples voice from the unstable browser environment while keeping data synced.

Decoupling Voice from the Browser

Kixie operates via a Chrome Extension that maintains a persistent background connection, unlike the native GHL dialer which lives inside a tab.

• Persistent Connectivity: The extension uses "keep-alive" mechanisms and Service Workers that remain active even if the CRM tab is closed or sleeping, eliminating the "One-Ring" bug caused by tab suspension.
• Multi-Tab Functionality: Agents can browse other sites or work in Google Sheets while the Kixie dialer remains visible and active as a sidebar.

Native Mobile Reliability (CallKit Integration)

Kixie’s mobile app utilizes iOS CallKit and Android ConnectionService to integrate with the phone’s native dialer.

• True Wake-Up: When a call arrives, Kixie takes over the native phone screen like a regular cellular call, rather than just sending a push notification.
• Push Reliability: The infrastructure is optimized to send high-priority VoIP pushes that wake devices from deep sleep instantly.

ConnectionBoost™ and Multi-Device Ringing

Kixie actively combats "Spam Likely" labeling using ConnectionBoost, which automatically rotates through a pool of numbers with high reputation scores. Additionally, Kixie supports "Find Me / Follow Me" logic, ringing the desktop app, mobile app, and a physical cell number simultaneously. Whichever device answers first takes the call, providing redundancy that prevents dropped calls if one device fails.

Comparing Fixes for the GoHighLevel 'One-Ring' Inbound Call Bug

When GoHighLevel (GHL) users experience the "One-Ring" bug, they often look for third-party alternatives. To understand the value of a dedicated solution, it is helpful to compare Kixie against the native GHL dialer and other market competitors like RingCentral, JustCall, and Aircall.

Feature Comparison Table

Competitive Analysis

• Vs. RingCentral: RingCentral is a legacy provider. While reliable, its integration with GHL often requires middleware or Zapier to log calls, whereas Kixie offers a tighter native data sync focused on sales engagement.
• Vs. JustCall: JustCall is a direct competitor, but Kixie’s ConnectionBoost technology offers a distinct advantage in "answer rates" due to intelligent local presence dialing.
• Vs. Aircall: While Aircall has a strong UI, it lacks the multi-line "Power Dialing" features of Kixie, making Kixie a stronger choice for high-volume outbound teams using GHL.

Implementation Guide to Fix the GoHighLevel Inbound Call Bug with Kixie

Integrating Kixie with GoHighLevel (GHL) allows agencies to replace the unstable native dialer while keeping all marketing automation and data within GHL. The integration is bi-directional, meaning data flows seamlessly between the two platforms.

Step-by-Step Integration Protocol

1. Account Setup: Create a Kixie account, preferably at the Professional tier to access Local Presence features.
2. Connect to GHL: In the Kixie Dashboard, go to Settings > Integrations and select GoHighLevel (LeadConnector).
   • Crucial Detail: Log in with the specific sub-account credentials you wish to link, not the agency admin account, as the integration maps users 1:1, so the Kixie user email must match the GHL user email.
3. Sync Data: Enable "Sync Contacts" to ensure leads created in GHL instantly appear in Kixie, and call activities, such as recordings and dispositions, are logged back to GHL.
4. Configure Workflows: Use Kixie call outcomes to trigger GHL automations. For example, marking a call "Demo Booked" in Kixie can trigger an "Appointment Confirmation" workflow in GHL.

Replacing the Native Dialer

To fully solve the connectivity issues:

• Click-to-Call: Kixie turns phone numbers in GHL into clickable links. Agents simply click the red Kixie icon to dial.
• Inbound Routing: Port business numbers to Kixie and configure Ring Groups to route calls to available agents. If no one answers, Kixie’s IVR can route the caller to a voicemail that triggers a GHL automation.

Cost-Benefit Analysis

While Kixie is an additional cost, the ROI is clear when calculating lost leads. If an agency generates 100 leads a month at $50/lead and loses 10% to the "One-Ring" bug, that is $500/month in wasted ad spend. Kixie eliminates this technical failure point and typically increases answer rates by 20-30% via ConnectionBoost.