Troubleshooting: phone numbers
A phone number only works once your subscription is active and the calls actually reach it, which for a forwarded number means via the forwarding at your provider. Most problems sit somewhere in that chain or in the type of number. Below are the most common problems.
Symptoms, causes and fixes
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Number shows no calls | Forwarding at your provider not active, or your subscription isn't active | Test the forwarding code and check your subscription |
| Forwarding works for no answer but not when the phone is off | Only *61* set | Also set *62* (unreachable) |
VoLTE: the *61* code is rejected | Provider doesn't accept the codes over VoLTE | Use the provider's app or portal |
| Caller hears a busy tone | Subscription not active, account suspended, or the caller is blocked | Make sure your subscription is active, get in touch with us if your account is suspended, or turn off Blocked on the contact |
| SMS not possible on this number | Number type and country, or the number is only forwarded or connected over SIP | Buy a number with Voice + SMS |
| Outbound calls fail | Usage is Incoming only, outbound calling isn't in your plan, your subscription isn't active, or outbound calling is blocked | Use a number with Incoming + outgoing, choose a plan with outbound calling, make sure your subscription is active or get in touch with us |
| Porting delayed | Provider rejected the LOA, contract lock, or mismatched details | Get in touch with us and pass on the correct details |
| Caller ID wrong on forwarded calls | Your provider sends its own number | Ask your provider for CLI passthrough |
| Poor audio | Long forwarding chain or VoIP quality | Shorten the chain and test with a direct number |
| Caller waits a long time before the assistant answers | No-answer forwarding delay too long | Set a shorter delay at your provider |
The number shows no calls
Check two things: are the calls actually reaching us, and is your subscription active? A number without an assistant isn't the cause: if Assistant for incoming calls is set to Not assigned, your first assistant answers.
- If you use a forwarded number, re-activate the forwarding to your Yarla number with the code from Connect a phone number. Only registering your existing number isn't enough. If you use a SIP trunk, the number the trunk passes on must be the same as the number on Settings → Phone numbers.
- Check at the bottom of the menu whether your subscription is active. Without an active subscription we reject calls, and they don't appear in the Inbox. With Past due, calls still go through. We also reject calls when your account is suspended, even though this line can still say Active; see The caller hears a busy tone.
- Call your number from another phone and check whether the call appears in the Inbox.
If the wrong assistant answers, choose the right one on Settings → Phone numbers under Assistant for incoming calls. Or open the assistant, go to the Channels tab, expand Phone & SMS and tick Answers incoming. Your choice is saved immediately. With a forwarded number, choose the assistant on the row of your Yarla number: the row of your own number doesn't decide who answers.
Forwarding works for no answer but not when the phone is off
The *61* code only forwards when you don't answer. If your phone is off or has no signal, a separate setting is needed: forwarding when unreachable with *62*. Set both so callers always reach the assistant. To forward when busy as well, add *67*.
VoLTE: the code is rejected
When calling over VoLTE (4G/5G), some providers no longer accept the classic star codes and you get an error. Set up the forwarding in your provider's app or customer portal instead; you'll find the same options there for no answer, unreachable and busy.
The caller hears a busy tone
A busy tone on your Yarla number means we are rejecting the call. That happens in three cases:
- Your subscription isn't active. This applies to every caller. You see the status at the bottom of the menu; an Admin sorts it out on Settings → Subscription & invoices. With Past due, calls still go through, so that isn't the cause.
- Your account is suspended. This also applies to every caller. The top of the page then says "Your account is suspended. Calls, texts and chats are not being handled.", even if the bottom of the menu still says Active. You can't fix this yourself: get in touch with us, see Report a problem.
- The caller is blocked. This applies to that number only. Go to Customers → Contacts, open the contact and turn off Blocked.
A number set to Not assigned, or whose assistant has been deleted, doesn't give a busy tone: your first assistant answers. See Assistants. If you have no assistant left at all, we don't answer the call.
If the caller only hears the busy tone while you are on a call yourself, it comes from your own provider: also set *67* (busy).
SMS is not possible on this number
Whether a number can send and receive SMS depends on the number type and country. A number you have only forwarded and a SIP number can't: SMS then goes through your Yarla number.
An Admin can buy a number via Add number. Under Features, choose Voice + SMS; you then only get numbers that can do it. If nothing turns up, try the type Mobile. The Features column always shows Voice, SMS for a bought number, even if you searched for Voice only.
You don't choose a sending number yourself. SMS actions and appointment messages go through the first number in the list with SMS under Features; a reply in an SMS conversation goes through the number that received the message. If your list has a forwarded number with SMS, register it again with Supports SMS off and assign an assistant again: registering again clears the assignment. See Troubleshooting: SMS and email.
Outbound calls fail
Look at the Usage column on Settings → Phone numbers. If it says Incoming only, this number can't make calls; choose a number with Incoming + outgoing. These are bought numbers and registered numbers that are with our carrier. A forwarded number or a SIP number never calls out.
If you get the message that outbound calling isn't in your plan, check the bottom of the menu first. If your subscription isn't active, you get that message on any plan: an Admin sorts it out on Settings → Subscription & invoices. You also get it when your account is suspended; see The caller hears a busy tone. If it says Starter, the plan is the cause: outbound calling is part of Business, Pro and Enterprise, not Starter.
If the message says "Outbound calling is blocked for this business. Contact support.", get in touch with us through Support in the Help menu. If you don't see Support, check Report a problem for how to reach us. See also Outbound calls.
Porting is delayed
A port stalls when your current provider rejects the letter of authorisation (LOA), when your contract still has a minimum term, or when the name, address or account number don't exactly match what the provider has on file. You don't start or follow a port in the dashboard. Get in touch through Support in the Help menu, mention the number and pass on the correct details. If you don't see Support, check Report a problem for how to reach us. Until the number has been ported, it keeps working at your old provider.
If the ported number shows Incoming only after you register it, our carrier didn't know it yet at that point. Register it again once the port is done and assign an assistant again. See Connect a phone number.
The caller ID is wrong on forwarded calls
If you keep seeing your own number in the Inbox instead of the caller's, your provider is sending its own number along when forwarding. The assistant then doesn't recognise existing contacts. Ask your provider for "CLI passthrough" (passing on the original caller's number); not every provider offers it.
Poor audio
Every link in the chain (desk phone, VoIP PBX, mobile forwarding) can add delay and noise. Test first with a number bought directly from us: if the audio is fine then, the problem is in the forwarding chain. Shorten it where possible and check the internet connection of any VoIP PBX.
The caller waits a long time before the assistant answers
With no-answer forwarding, your provider decides how long your phone rings first, often 20 to 30 seconds. Many providers let you shorten that, for example with *61*<number>**10# for 10 seconds, or in their app. That gets the caller to the assistant sooner.
Still stuck?
Can't find your problem here, or did the fix not help? Let us know via Report a problem and include the number, your provider and the time of a test call.