As we move into 2026, it is time to highlight the new and innovative features that transformed how we work over the past year. In 2025, RingCentral moved beyond being just a "phone system" to becoming an AI-first powerhouse.
From saving hours in meetings to making sure no lead ever goes unanswered, these are the standout features that dominated customer forums in 2025.
1. RingCentral AI Assistant
This feature became a daily essential by acting as a personal productivity partner across phone calls, SMS, and messaging. It earned its spot because it successfully reclaimed several hours per employee each month by drafting polished messages, translating global chats in real time, and capturing important call details automatically.
- 📖 Deep Dive: Intro to the RingCentral AI Assistant
- 💡 Pro Tip: Use the AI Writer to change the tone of your messages with options to choose from Professional, Friendly, or Casual with just one click.
2. AI Receptionist (RingCentral AIR)
This was the standout solution for businesses needing to maintain a professional front desk 24/7 without the overhead of additional staff. It uses conversational AI to answer FAQs, book appointments, and route calls with human-like discernment, ensuring no revenue-generating lead was ever missed after hours.
- 🛠️ Setup Guide: Setting up your AI Receptionist in the Admin Portal
- 📺 Watch: How AIR handles natural conversations (Demo)
- 🎓 Live Technical Training: Join our Technical Onboarding team for AI Receptionist Technical Onboarding sessions, held every Wednesday, for a step-by-step walkthrough on configuring AIR, best practices, and real-world use cases. This is ideal for customers who already have the feature and want to ensure they set it up correctly.
3. AI Meeting Highlights & Transcriptions
This feature redefined meeting productivity by eliminating the need for manual note-taking. It allows team members to catch up on a 60-minute meeting in just seconds through smart summaries and AI-generated video "highlight reels" that highlight only the most critical action items and decisions.
- 🛠️ Setup Guide: Intro to Advanced Meeting Insights in RingCentral Video
- 📖 Deep Dive: How to use Meeting Insights
- ⏱️ Quick Win: Search your meeting history for specific keywords like "Budget" or "Deadline" to jump straight to those video clips.
4. Workflow Builder
As the leading no-code tool for 2025, this feature allowed non-technical users to put their business processes on autopilot. It seamlessly connects communication triggers like a missed call or a specific SMS keyword to automated actions across 6,000+ apps, effectively ending app-switching fatigue.
- 📖 Guide: Master the Workflow Builder: Step-by-Step
- 📺 Watch: Getting started with Workflow Builder
- 🚀 Popular Trick: Set up an "After-Hours SMS Auto-Reply" to keep customers engaged when the office is closed.
5. SMS Shared Inbox
This long-awaited feature became a game-changer for teams managing high volumes of customer inquiries on a single business number. It allows multiple team members to view, claim, and resolve text threads from a unified dashboard, ensuring fast response times and clear accountability without "double-texting" the customer.
- 📖 Deep Dive: Managing an SMS Shared Inbox
- 🤝 Collaboration Tip: Use the Assign feature to send a specific text thread to a coworker, and use Internal Notes to give them context before they reply.
- 🎥 Coming Soon: There’s an upcoming webinar later this quarter that will take a deeper look at the SMS Shared Inbox and how teams can use it effectively
- 📱💻 Availability: Now available on desktop app, mobile app version coming soon!
Which of these 2025 features had the biggest impact on your daily routine? Are you an AI Assistant power user, or did the Workflow Builder change your life? Drop a comment below and let us know your favorite way to use RingCentral!