Phone and texting

Get a local phone number and forward your existing line

Add a local number inside Ringvance, then forward your current business line to it so your calls reach Ringvance too. Forwarding moves calls, not texts.

How long it takes

About 10 minutes

What you'll need

Your existing business phone number
Access to that phone's carrier settings
A credit card on file (usage is billed from your prepaid balance)

Part 1: get a local number

Open Settings, then Phone System, then the Phone numbers tab.
Click Add Number, choose your country, and use the filter to search by area code so your new number looks local to your customers.
Pick a number from the list and confirm the purchase. The number is $2.50 a month, billed from your prepaid usage balance, so add funds to that balance first (see "Add funds and understand usage charges" in this help center).
If this is the first phone number on your account, you may be asked to complete a quick one-time identity check before the purchase finishes. This only happens once per account.
Once purchased, the number appears in your Phone numbers list and is ready to receive calls and, once texting registration is approved, texts.

Part 2: forward your existing business line

If you want to keep answering on your current phone while every call also reaches Ringvance, forward your existing number to the new Ringvance number instead of switching customers over to a new number right away.

Decide whether you want all calls forwarded, or only calls that go unanswered (conditional forwarding, sometimes called "forward on no answer" or "forward on busy"). Most shops prefer conditional forwarding, so a call still rings on the phone in your hand first.
Open your phone's own settings (on an iPhone or Android, look under Phone settings or Call settings for "Call forwarding"), or check your carrier's app or account portal. Many carriers also support a short code dialed directly from the phone, such as a star code, for turning forwarding on or off.
Set the forwarding number to your new Ringvance number, and choose the condition (always, or no-answer/busy) you picked in step 1.
Call your old business number from a different phone to confirm the call reaches your Ringvance inbox the way you expect.

Call forwarding moves calls only. Texts that customers send to your current number keep arriving on that phone, not in Ringvance. To get texts in your Ringvance inbox, customers need to text your Ringvance number, for example after you text them from it once texting registration is approved.

The exact menu or star code for conditional forwarding depends on your specific carrier and phone, and carriers change these from time to time. If you're not sure which option your carrier uses, your carrier's support line can set it up for you in a couple of minutes; just give them your new Ringvance number.

A word of caution

Don't forward two numbers to each other (your old number to Ringvance, and Ringvance back to your old number). That creates a loop where the call never actually rings through.
Test with a real call before you rely on forwarding for live customers.

If it doesn't work

Can't find your preferred area code? Try a nearby area code, or widen the search filter; availability changes as numbers get taken.

Forwarding doesn't seem to be working? Confirm you entered the Ringvance number correctly (including area code), and that you chose the forwarding condition you intended. If it still doesn't work, call your carrier directly, since forwarding itself is set up on their network, not inside Ringvance.

Still stuck? Email hello@ringvance.com. We reply within 1 business day.