Why text from your own number?
Because people answer the number they know. It is on your website, your Google listing, your van and your business cards, and it is already saved in your customers’ phones.
A text from that number arrives as a message from your business, in the thread they already have with you. They reply to it, call it back, and pass it on to a friend.
Your number is also years of goodwill. Changing it to start texting costs you replies, and changing it to switch texting tools means telling every customer twice.
Which numbers can I bring?
US and Canadian business numbers: landlines, VoIP lines and toll-free numbers.
- Landline and VoIP numbers can keep their phone service and add texting.
- Toll-free numbers can do the same, and are verified for texting before they send.
- Mobile numbers can be moved to Textually. They can’t add texting while they stay with a mobile carrier.
- A number that texts through another tool today is moved, so it can text from Textually instead.
How does keeping my number with my phone company work?
Your calls stay exactly where they are. Texting for the same number moves to Textually, usually live in 1 to 2 business days in the US after you sign.
- Enter the number in Texting setup and choose Keep it with your phone company.
- Sign the short authorization form we email you. It confirms you own the number.
- Answer one verification call to the number.
- The carrier switches texting on, and the number joins your registration like any number we set up for you.
Canadian numbers can take a little longer, depending on the carrier. If your line sits behind a phone menu, tell us and we arrange another way to verify it.
How does moving my number to Textually work?
Use this for a number that texts through another provider today. It moves to Textually, and texting keeps working at your old provider until the move is complete.
- Enter the number and choose Move it to Textually.
- Upload a recent bill from your current provider. For a mobile number, add the account number and PIN.
- We submit the move and show its progress in Texting setup.
Typical times: 3 to 5 business days for toll-free numbers, 1 to 2 weeks for US local numbers, and 2 to 3 weeks for Canadian local numbers. Keep your old provider until the move is complete, so nothing stops in between. A moved toll-free number is verified again for texting, and we file that for you.
Is my own number registered for texting?
Yes. It joins the same registration as a number we set up for you, with the same checks on every text.
A local number joins your 10DLC registration. A toll-free number goes through toll-free verification, which is also how Canadian customers are texted. Consent is checked before every send, the opt-out line goes on until the person replies, and STOP ends texts at once, the same as on any Textually number.
Once it is live, it works like the rest: sequences that stop when someone replies, one number per lead, and every reply in the shared inbox.
Can I switch texting tools and keep my number?
Yes. Move the number your leads already text, and they keep the same thread with your business.
Start the move before you cancel. Your current tool keeps sending and receiving until the number arrives, then your sequences pick up from Textually. The switching guide covers what to export first: contacts, consent records and your opt-out list.
What does it cost?
The same as a new number: $10 a month for a local number and $12 for toll-free. Bringing it is free.
Texts and the platform fee are the same as on any plan. See pricing.