Modify Calls In Progress with PHP

In this guide we'll show you how to manipulate live phone calls using PHP. We'll also cover how to retrieve information about in progress and completed calls from your Twilio account.

We'll use Twilio's PHP SDK in these examples to interact with the Twilio REST API's Calls endpoint.

Modifying Twilio phone calls in progress with PHP

The simplest way to control the flow of a Twilio phone call is with TwiML itself.

You can use the "action" parameters of verbs like <Gather> and <Record> to tell Twilio to get new instructions from your applications during a call. You can also use the <Redirect> verb to explicitly tell Twilio to fetch new TwiML.

But sometimes you need to change a live phone call outside of Twilio's normal request-response cycle. For those cases you can update the Call to tell Twilio to immediately change the TwiML it's using in a phone call.

Update an in progress Call with new TwiML instructions

PHP


_21<?php
_21
_21// Update the path below to your autoload.php,
_21// see https://getcomposer.org/doc/01-basic-usage.md
_21require_once '/path/to/vendor/autoload.php';
_21
_21use Twilio\Rest\Client;
_21
_21// Find your Account SID and Auth Token at twilio.com/console
_21// and set the environment variables. See http://twil.io/secure
_21$sid = getenv("TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID");
_21$token = getenv("TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN");
_21$twilio = new Client($sid, $token);
_21
_21$call = $twilio->calls("CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX")
_21               ->update([
_21                            "twiml" => "<Response><Say>Ahoy there</Say></Response>"
_21                        ]
_21               );
_21
_21print($call->to);

Output


_37{
_37  "account_sid": "ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
_37  "answered_by": null,
_37  "api_version": "2010-04-01",
_37  "caller_name": null,
_37  "date_created": "Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:36:28 +0000",
_37  "date_updated": "Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:36:44 +0000",
_37  "direction": "inbound",
_37  "duration": "15",
_37  "end_time": "Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:36:44 +0000",
_37  "forwarded_from": "+141586753093",
_37  "from": "+14158675308",
_37  "from_formatted": "(415) 867-5308",
_37  "group_sid": null,
_37  "parent_call_sid": null,
_37  "phone_number_sid": "PNXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
_37  "price": "-0.03000",
_37  "price_unit": "USD",
_37  "sid": "CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
_37  "start_time": "Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:36:29 +0000",
_37  "status": "completed",
_37  "subresource_uris": {
_37    "notifications": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Notifications.json",
_37    "recordings": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Recordings.json",
_37    "payments": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Payments.json",
_37    "events": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Events.json",
_37    "siprec": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Siprec.json",
_37    "streams": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Streams.json",
_37    "user_defined_message_subscriptions": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/UserDefinedMessageSubscriptions.json",
_37    "user_defined_messages": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/UserDefinedMessages.json"
_37  },
_37  "to": "+14158675309",
_37  "to_formatted": "(415) 867-5309",
_37  "trunk_sid": null,
_37  "uri": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.json",
_37  "queue_time": "1000"
_37}

In order to update the call you will need to use the CallSid. Twilio returns this when you initiate an outgoing call, and also includes the CallSid in its request to your application for an incoming call's initial TwiML.

As an alternative to updating your call with TwiML directly, you may also redirect a Call to a new URL that responds with your requested TwiML.

Redirect an in progress Call to a new URL

PHP


_22<?php
_22
_22// Update the path below to your autoload.php,
_22// see https://getcomposer.org/doc/01-basic-usage.md
_22require_once '/path/to/vendor/autoload.php';
_22
_22use Twilio\Rest\Client;
_22
_22// Find your Account SID and Auth Token at twilio.com/console
_22// and set the environment variables. See http://twil.io/secure
_22$sid = getenv("TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID");
_22$token = getenv("TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN");
_22$twilio = new Client($sid, $token);
_22
_22$call = $twilio->calls("CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX")
_22               ->update([
_22                            "method" => "POST",
_22                            "url" => "http://demo.twilio.com/docs/voice.xml"
_22                        ]
_22               );
_22
_22print($call->to);

Output


_37{
_37  "account_sid": "ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
_37  "answered_by": null,
_37  "api_version": "2010-04-01",
_37  "caller_name": null,
_37  "date_created": "Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:36:28 +0000",
_37  "date_updated": "Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:36:44 +0000",
_37  "direction": "inbound",
_37  "duration": "15",
_37  "end_time": "Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:36:44 +0000",
_37  "forwarded_from": "+141586753093",
_37  "from": "+14158675308",
_37  "from_formatted": "(415) 867-5308",
_37  "group_sid": null,
_37  "parent_call_sid": null,
_37  "phone_number_sid": "PNXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
_37  "price": "-0.03000",
_37  "price_unit": "USD",
_37  "sid": "CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
_37  "start_time": "Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:36:29 +0000",
_37  "status": "completed",
_37  "subresource_uris": {
_37    "notifications": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Notifications.json",
_37    "recordings": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Recordings.json",
_37    "payments": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Payments.json",
_37    "events": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Events.json",
_37    "siprec": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Siprec.json",
_37    "streams": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Streams.json",
_37    "user_defined_message_subscriptions": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/UserDefinedMessageSubscriptions.json",
_37    "user_defined_messages": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/UserDefinedMessages.json"
_37  },
_37  "to": "+14158675309",
_37  "to_formatted": "(415) 867-5309",
_37  "trunk_sid": null,
_37  "uri": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.json",
_37  "queue_time": "1000"
_37}

Hanging up a call in progress

Twilio will end phone calls for you when it encounters a <Hangup> verb or when it runs out of TwiML to process. But you can also end phone calls whenever you like by passing a "completed" status to a CallSid in progress.

Terminate a Running Call

PHP


_18<?php
_18
_18// Update the path below to your autoload.php,
_18// see https://getcomposer.org/doc/01-basic-usage.md
_18require_once '/path/to/vendor/autoload.php';
_18
_18use Twilio\Rest\Client;
_18
_18// Find your Account SID and Auth Token at twilio.com/console
_18// and set the environment variables. See http://twil.io/secure
_18$sid = getenv("TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID");
_18$token = getenv("TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN");
_18$twilio = new Client($sid, $token);
_18
_18$call = $twilio->calls("CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX")
_18               ->update(["status" => "completed"]);
_18
_18print($call->to);

Output


_37{
_37  "account_sid": "ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
_37  "answered_by": null,
_37  "api_version": "2010-04-01",
_37  "caller_name": null,
_37  "date_created": "Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:36:28 +0000",
_37  "date_updated": "Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:36:44 +0000",
_37  "direction": "inbound",
_37  "duration": "15",
_37  "end_time": "Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:36:44 +0000",
_37  "forwarded_from": "+141586753093",
_37  "from": "+14158675308",
_37  "from_formatted": "(415) 867-5308",
_37  "group_sid": null,
_37  "parent_call_sid": null,
_37  "phone_number_sid": "PNXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
_37  "price": "-0.03000",
_37  "price_unit": "USD",
_37  "sid": "CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
_37  "start_time": "Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:36:29 +0000",
_37  "status": "completed",
_37  "subresource_uris": {
_37    "notifications": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Notifications.json",
_37    "recordings": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Recordings.json",
_37    "payments": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Payments.json",
_37    "events": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Events.json",
_37    "siprec": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Siprec.json",
_37    "streams": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Streams.json",
_37    "user_defined_message_subscriptions": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/UserDefinedMessageSubscriptions.json",
_37    "user_defined_messages": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/UserDefinedMessages.json"
_37  },
_37  "to": "+14158675309",
_37  "to_formatted": "(415) 867-5309",
_37  "trunk_sid": null,
_37  "uri": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Calls/CAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.json",
_37  "queue_time": "1000"
_37}

Check out Modifying Live Calls in the reference docs for more details.

Modify Calls In Progress with PHP

Modifying Twilio phone calls in progress with PHP

Update an in progress Call with new TwiML instructions

Redirect an in progress Call to a new URL

Hanging up a call in progress

Terminate a Running Call

Where to next?