What if I've already cancelled my landline?

Move fast. Ofcom's rules let you keep your number free if you ask within one month of cancelling. Start the move today and tell us the line has been cancelled. After that month, the number can be given to someone else, and then nobody can get it back.

Is call forwarding a way to keep my number?

It works, but you keep paying for the old line. The line rental carries on, plus forwarding on top, forever, just to catch calls. Moving the number ends the old bill, and the number is properly yours at its new home.

Can I keep a number I've had for decades?

Yes. It makes no difference how old the number is. A number your customers have known for thirty years moves just the same as a new one, and it stays yours.

Will callers notice anything?

No. They dial the same number they always have. The only change is where it rings, and after the move that's your mobile instead of a socket in the wall.

Does my landline stay on during the move?

Yes. Your phone works as normal for the whole 4 to 6 weeks. The switch happens right at the end, usually within a day, so there's no gap where callers hear nothing.

Do I need to tell my old provider I'm leaving?

No, and it's safer not to. The move itself tells them, and it closes your old account when the number leaves. Handing in your notice before the move is finished is how numbers get lost.

Cancel landline but keep number: how it works

Yes, you can cancel your landline and keep your number. Your phone company has to let it go when you move it, and even if you've already cancelled, you have about a month to save it, free. Moving it is called porting and takes 4 to 6 weeks. There's just one rule: don't cancel anything until your number has safely moved.

Keep my number

What happens to your number if you cancel first?

The moment your account closes, your number stops being yours. Ofcom's rules give you about one month to ask for it back, free. After that, it can be given to someone else, and nobody can get it back for you. Not you, not your new provider, not BT. The number on your van, your website, your shop window, the one your customers have dialled for years. Gone.

There's a safe way to do this, and it's easy. Move your number to its new home first. Your phone keeps working while it happens, and once your number has arrived, your old account closes on its own. You never have to cancel anything.

Start the port before you touch your contract

Tell us your number and who bills you for it. We'll be in touch today, and your number stays live and safe the whole way through.

Keep your numberStep 1 of 5

How does porting a landline number work?

Four steps, and we do three of them:

1
Tell us your number
Fill in the short form: your number, who bills you for it, the name and postcode on the bill, and your email.
2
Sign one letter
We email you the same day with one letter to sign. It gives us permission to move your number. Keep a recent bill handy, because your old provider checks the details match.
3
We do the rest
We deal with your old provider for you. Your phone works as normal the whole time. You don't need to ring anyone or cancel anything.
4
Your number moves
It takes 4 to 6 weeks. Then your number goes live at its new home, your old account closes on its own, and your callers never notice a thing.

Can I keep my landline number without a landline?

Yes. Your number can live on a virtual landline instead, and ring the mobile you already own. No wall socket, no line rental, no engineer, and you don't need broadband either. People dial the number they've always known, and your mobile rings. If your number is painted on a van or printed on years of business cards, it keeps working exactly as it always has.

Can I keep my landline number if I leave BT?

Yes. BT has to let your number go when the move request arrives, whether you're on an old copper line or already on Digital Voice. If BT has been writing to you about the switch to digital, we've covered BT Digital Voice costs and changeover dates separately. Just start the move before you hand in any notice.

Can I keep my number if I switch from Sky?

Yes. Sky numbers move the same way. Sky contracts have a notice period, so don't hand your notice in first: if the account closes before your number has moved, the number can be lost. Start the move, and the old account will close on its own when it's done.

What about Virgin Media?

Yes, Virgin Media numbers can move too, even though Virgin runs its own cable network. Same steps, same timing. Just don't agree a switch-off date with Virgin until your number is safely at its new home.

How long does it take, and what does it cost?

Moving your number takes 4 to 6 weeks from the signed letter to the number going live. That's because your old provider is part of the process, and each one moves at its own speed. We'll get back to you the same day you ask, the paperwork is usually done within a week, and after that the wait sits with the providers, not with you. Keeping your number costs you nothing with Solofone, and Ofcom's number portability rules mean every provider has to let your number go. Your phone works as normal all the way through, so there's no gap and no rush. And if you're wondering when your area loses its old copper lines, our landline switch off postcode checker will tell you in a minute.

Where your number ends up

With Solofone, the number you've spent years giving out rings the mobile you already carry. WhatsApp Business works on the same number, and smart answering picks up the calls you can't take. One phone for client calls and messages, and your number never again depends on a socket, a box or a switch-off deadline. From £10 a month, no contract, keep your number.

FAQ

Keep-your-number questions, answered

Keep the number your customers know.

Move it to the phone you already own. Start free for 7 days, no contract, keep your number.