---
title: "Can I use a third-party softphone with 3CX?"
topic: "SIP Providers"
updated: 2026-05-04
canonical: https://acrobits.net/resources/knowledge-base/can-i-use-a-third-party-softphone-with-3cx/
summary: "Yes. 3CX is a SIP-standards PBX and supports any third-party SIP client. Groundwire (one-time $9.99, iOS/Android) registers against 3CX as a standard SIP extension using TLS + SRTP. Features requiring 3CX's proprietary protocol (presence BLF, 3CX chat, web meetings) are not available in Groundwire."
---

# Can I use a third-party softphone with 3CX?

> Yes. 3CX is a SIP-standards PBX and supports any third-party SIP client. Groundwire (one-time $9.99, iOS/Android) registers against 3CX as a standard SIP extension using TLS + SRTP. Features requiring 3CX's proprietary protocol (presence BLF, 3CX chat, web meetings) are not available in Groundwire.

# Can I use a third-party softphone with 3CX?

Yes — 3CX is a standards-based SIP PBX and supports third-party SIP clients. **Groundwire** ($9.99 one-time, iOS and Android) registers against 3CX as a generic SIP extension, alongside desk phones, the 3CX mobile app, or any other SIP device on the same system.

## How to connect Groundwire to 3CX

  - In your 3CX Management Console, open the extension you want to use and locate the SIP credentials: server/proxy address, extension number, and password.

  - In Groundwire, add a new SIP account with those credentials. Use [TLS](/voip-glossary/tls/) as the transport (3CX supports TLS on port 5061) and enable [SRTP](/voip-glossary/srtp/) for media encryption.

  - Groundwire will register and ring via push — you do not need to keep the app open in the background.

## What works with Groundwire on 3CX

  - Inbound and outbound calls on your 3CX extension

  - Attended and blind call transfer

  - Three-way conferencing

  - DTMF (for IVR menus and voicemail)

  - TLS signaling + SRTP media encryption

  - Call recording (where enabled by 3CX)

## Limitations

Groundwire does not use the 3CX proprietary protocol stack — it connects via standard SIP only. Features that require 3CX's own client (presence via 3CX BLF, the 3CX web meeting, or the 3CX desktop app chat) are not available in Groundwire. For those features, you would need the official 3CX client.

## For operators deploying at scale with 3CX

If you're a 3CX partner or MSP and need a branded white-label mobile app for your customers, [Cloud Softphone](/cloud-softphone/) also connects to 3CX as a SIP endpoint and adds server-side provisioning, custom branding, and push infrastructure at operator scale.

**Ready to try?** [Download Groundwire](/sip-client-ios-android/) and connect it to your 3CX extension today. For the broader question of [connecting employee iPhones to any office phone system](/resources/knowledge-base/can-i-connect-my-employees-iphones-to-our-office-phone-syste/), the same SIP-extension approach applies.

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity": [
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "Can I use a third-party softphone with 3CX?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Yes. 3CX is a SIP-standards PBX and supports any third-party SIP client. Groundwire (one-time $9.99, iOS/Android) registers against 3CX as a standard SIP extension using TLS + SRTP. Features requiring 3CX's proprietary protocol (presence BLF, 3CX chat, web meetings) are not available in Groundwire."
      }
    }
  ]
}