Sometimes you want to pick up the phone yourself. Maybe you’re at the front desk for the next hour, expecting an important call, or just having a quiet afternoon. Pausing puts Clara on break for a set amount of time: while she’s paused, callers ring straight through to you, and she comes back automatically when the time is up.
How to pause Clara
- Open the Clara app
- Go to Receptionist settings
- Under Availability, tap Pause

Choosing how long to pause
Pick one of the preset durations, or set your own:
- For 1 hour, when you’re covering the phones yourself
- For 2 hours or For 4 hours, for longer stretches
- Until tomorrow, for the rest of the day
- Custom, to choose exactly when Clara should come back

Choose a duration and Clara pauses right away. There’s nothing else to set up: she comes back on her own when the time is up.
While Clara is paused
The Pause row in Receptionist settings shows that Clara’s paused and exactly when she’ll be back, so you always know how long you’re on duty.

While paused:
- Calls ring straight through to you instead of Clara answering
- Missed calls are not answered by Clara, so keep your ringer on
- Your call history, inquiries, and settings are untouched
Turning Clara back on early
Changed your mind? Open Pause in Receptionist settings and tap Turn Clara Back On. She’s back on the phones immediately.
Still need help?
If pausing or resuming Clara isn’t working the way you expect, reach us at [email protected] and someone from our team will help you out.