Transfer an existing number

Moving a number you already own to Twilio is called porting. It is paperwork, not technology, and the honest summary is that it takes a few weeks and cannot be rushed by us.

What porting is

Your current carrier holds the number. Porting asks them to hand control to Twilio while the number itself stays the same. Nothing about the number changes for your callers. Only who bills you and where the calls are delivered changes.

Taki does not run the port. Twilio does, through their Console. This guide explains the process so the Twilio screens make sense.

Before you start

Gather these. A mismatch on any one of them is the usual reason a port is rejected.

• A recent bill or CSR from your current carrier, showing the number and the account name.
• The exact account name and service address on that account, character for character.
• The current carrier's account number and any PIN or passcode on the account.
• An authorized signer who can sign the letter of authorization.

The steps

1. In the Twilio Console, open Phone Numbers, then Port and Host, then Port a number.
2. Enter the numbers you are porting and upload the bill and letter of authorization.
3. Twilio validates the paperwork and submits the request to the losing carrier.
4. The losing carrier accepts or rejects. Rejections are almost always a name, address, or account number that does not match their records exactly.
5. Once accepted, you get a firm order commitment date: the day and time the number actually moves.
6. On that date the number appears in your Twilio account, and in Taki's Numbers list.

Prepare Taki before the cutover date

Build and publish the flow you want the number to answer with before the port date, so the moment the number lands you can attach it in one click. A ported number arrives with no webhooks set, which means callers hear a Twilio error until you attach a flow.

If you want to be careful, buy a temporary Twilio number first, attach it to the same flow, and test the whole path end to end. Then attaching the real number on cutover day is a formality.

Typical timelines

Twilio publishes per country estimates and these vary a lot. In the United States, a straightforward single line port is often two to four weeks from submission. Complex accounts, hosted PBX lines, and toll free numbers take longer. Treat any date before the firm order commitment as a guess.

Hosted voice as an alternative

Twilio also offers hosting the voice service for a number you keep at your current carrier. That can be a good middle path when the number cannot be ported but you want Twilio to answer the calls. It is a separate application in the Console with its own requirements.