Getting started
Choose or Port a Number
Add a phone number to Waveline by purchasing a new number or transferring a number you already use with another carrier.
Purchase a new Waveline number when you need a number for a teammate, a new business line, or a shared inbox. Port an existing number when you want to keep the business number your customers already know.
Every active number should be connected to an inbox. The inbox determines who receives its calls and messages and which call flow handles incoming calls.
Ready to add a number?
Open Settings → Numbers, then select Buy a number or Port existing number.
Choose the right option
- Buy a new Waveline number when you need a new number for a teammate, shared team, location, or another business purpose. The number is added to Waveline immediately after the purchase succeeds.
- Port an existing number when you want to move a business number from its current carrier into Waveline. Your customers can continue using the number they already know after the transfer is complete.
Buy a new Waveline number
Before you buy
- You must be an organization Owner or Admin.
- Decide whether to connect the number to an existing personal or shared inbox.
- You can select No inbox (assign later), but the number will not route calls or messages correctly until it is assigned.
Review billing before purchasing
Review the billing notice before confirming your purchase. Buying a number may include an acquisition charge and adds a recurring charge while the number remains active.
Buy a new number
Before you begin
Purchase a new Waveline number for a teammate, shared inbox, location, or another business line.
Buy the number
- Open Settings → Numbers and select Buy a number.
- Choose a search type:
- Search by area code: enter a three-digit area code.
- Search by pattern: enter digits or letters, using patterns such as
*123,555*,*555*, orWAVE. - Toll-free numbers: leave Any toll-free prefix selected or choose a prefix from the list.
- Select Search numbers.
- Optionally choose the inbox under Assign to inbox (optional).
- Select Buy beside the number you want.
- Review Confirm phone number purchase and its charges, then select Buy to confirm.
After purchasing
- The number appears in the Numbers list immediately.
- If you selected an inbox, calls and messages route through that inbox.
- If you did not select one, the number appears as Unassigned until you assign it.
Toll-free calling and texting
A purchased toll-free number can be used for calls once it is connected to an inbox. Toll-free numbers do not show a caller name.
Texting requires separate carrier verification. Open Trust Center → Toll-free details and complete the requested texting information. Verification usually takes about three business days, but the time can vary. Do not rely on the number for customer texting until it has been verified.
Port an existing number
Port a number when you want to move a business number from its current carrier into Waveline. Your customers can continue using the number they already know after the transfer is complete.
Prepare the receiving inbox first
Create and configure the inbox that should receive calls to the ported number before starting the port request. Add its members, configure its ring group or call flow, and test the routing.
If you need a phone number to create or test the inbox, purchase a temporary Waveline number and connect it to that inbox. Select the same inbox when submitting the port request. After the port completes and you confirm the transferred number works, you can release the temporary number if it is no longer needed.
Avoid leaving the ported number unassigned. Without an inbox, incoming calls have nowhere to route, which can result in dead air and missed calls.
Before you port
- You must be an organization Owner or Admin.
- Have the latest phone bill, account number, customer name, service address, and authorized representative's name and email ready.
- Enter a carrier PIN only if Waveline requests one.
Plan for the porting transition
Keep your current carrier account and billing active until the port is completely finished.
Before porting, update any accounts that send login or security codes to this phone number. Move those codes to another phone number or use an authenticator app when possible. Text delivery may be temporarily interrupted during the transfer, which could prevent you from receiving a code and signing in to an important account. SMS delivery may also be delayed for up to 48 hours after the port completes.
If you use iMessage with the number, turn it off once the port is complete.
Port an existing number
Prepare for the transfer
Porting moves a number from your current carrier into Waveline. Prepare its receiving inbox first so incoming calls have somewhere to go when the transfer completes.
Port the number
- Open Settings → Numbers and select Port existing number.
- Enter the number in
+1XXXXXXXXXXformat and select Check portability. - If the number is portable, choose the inbox you prepared.
- Select a target port date at least eight days away.
- Optionally enter a time range. If you enter one time, both the start and end are required.
- Enter the current carrier's account, customer, authorized-representative, and service-address information.
- Enter the carrier PIN if Waveline requests it, then select Next: Upload document.
- Upload the latest phone bill as a PDF, JPG, or PNG no larger than 5 MB, then select Upload and continue.
- Review the request and select Start port-in process.
While the port is pending
- The request appears in the Numbers list with its status and target date.
- Continue using and paying the current carrier until the port completes.
- If you are using a temporary number, keep it connected to the prepared inbox during the transition.
- An Owner or Admin can open the pending number and select Cancel port request while more than 72 hours remain before the scheduled port date.
After the port completes
- Confirm the ported number is connected to the intended inbox.
- Test incoming calls, outgoing caller ID, and text messages.
- SMS delivery may take up to 48 hours to stabilize.
- If the number used iMessage, turn off its previous iMessage registration.
- Release the temporary number only after confirming that the ported number works.
Planning to send business text messages?
Buying or porting a number does not complete its texting registration. For local numbers, follow Register for SMS. Toll-free numbers use a separate verification process; follow Toll-free calling and texting.
Is your number active?
Assign it to an inbox, then configure its call flow.
Troubleshooting
I cannot select Buy a number or Port existing number
Only organization Owners and Admins can manage phone numbers. Ask an Owner or Admin to purchase or port the number, or review your role in Waveline.
No numbers match my search
For an area-code search, enter exactly three digits or try another area code. For a pattern search, try a broader pattern such as *123, 555*, or *555*. For toll-free numbers, choose Any toll-free prefix to widen the search, then select Search numbers again.
The number is not portable
Review the reason and code shown by Waveline. Confirm that you entered the full number in +1XXXXXXXXXX format, then contact the current carrier or Waveline Support if you need help with the reported restriction.
The port form will not continue
Complete every required carrier, representative, and service-address field. The target date must be at least eight days away. If you entered a time range, provide both its start and end, with the end after the start. Enter a carrier PIN if Waveline requests one.
The phone bill will not upload
Upload a PDF, JPG, or PNG no larger than 5 MB. Use the latest phone bill and confirm the file opens correctly before uploading it again.
I cannot cancel the port request
Only an Owner or Admin can cancel an active port request. Cancellation requests are accepted only while more than 72 hours remain before the scheduled port date. If the cancellation window has closed, contact Waveline Support. Cancellation may no longer be possible.
Calls or messages are not arriving
Confirm the number is assigned to the intended inbox and that the inbox has the correct members and a published call flow. Test the number again after making changes. After a completed port, SMS delivery may take up to 48 hours to stabilize.