Video calls
Prison video calls: how they work
If you are scared for someone inside, call Prisoners’ Families Helpline on 0808 808 2003.
A booked visitYour own deviceNot a phone call
A video call from prison is a visit on a screen. It is booked. It is not a number they can ring when the wing is open. Here is what it needs, and why the phone still matters.
Checked against the published rates.
What a video visit is
GOV.UK treats video as a way to visit, not as a phone call.[9] You book a slot. You sit at your own device. They sit at the prison’s. The prison sets who can book and how often.
You cannot FaceTime the wing. You cannot WhatsApp them. Those apps are not on the phones they use.[1]
Some prisons offer social video visits. Some do not. The booking page for that establishment is the only honest answer. We will not print a list we cannot keep current.
What it needs from you
A device
A phone, tablet or computer with a camera. Old phones struggle. Shared family phones get booked up.
A connection
Broadband that holds a picture. Public wifi is a gamble. Data on a weak signal drops the visit.
A quiet room
Children, shift work, and a small flat make this the hard part. A visit needs you to be still for the slot.
Confidence
Logins, browsers, and a test call the day before. The households least used to this are the ones most likely to miss the slot.
That is the digital divide in one list. A service that only works on a smartphone and a booking leaves out the people holding a family together on a basic handset. Calling without an app.
Beside the phone, not instead of it
A video visit shows a face. That matters. A phone call can happen on a Tuesday when association opens, with no booking and no camera. Families who can do both, do both.
Free help still sits with the same charities GOV.UK lists.[4] They will talk you through a first video visit if you ask.
Common questions
How do prison video calls work in the UK?
They are booked visits, not a number you can ring. You use your own phone, tablet or computer. The prison sets the slots. GOV.UK explains how to book a visit, including video where the prison offers it.
Are video calls free?
Social video visits are part of the visit system. Rules and any charge sit with the prison and the visit service, not with a phone tariff. We will not invent a price. Check the booking page for that prison.
Do video calls replace phone calls?
No. A video visit needs a device, a booking, and a quiet room. A phone call can happen on a Tuesday when association opens. Families who have both use both. The households with the least kit are the ones a video-only setup leaves out.
Can I use a video app they already know?
No. You cannot FaceTime or WhatsApp a prison. The visit runs on the prison's own system. Personal video apps are not allowed on the wing.
Sources
[9]Visit someone in prison
GOV.UK — current guidance. Read 2026-08-30.
https://www.gov.uk/prison-visits[1]Staying in touch with someone in prison
GOV.UK — current guidance. Read 2026-08-23.
https://www.gov.uk/staying-in-touch-with-someone-in-prison[4]Support for families and friends of prisoners
GOV.UK — current guidance. Read 2026-08-23.
https://www.gov.uk/support-for-families-friends-of-prisoners
The phone still works when a visit cannot.
A landline number rings the phone you have. No app. No booking. No broadband on your side. Video visits are still worth having when you can make them.
No term. Stop in one tap.