Prison calls not coming through?
The calls have stopped, or the number has stopped working. Check your own phone first. Then work down six reasons it happens. The first two are quick to rule out.
Checked against HMPPS policy and the helpline’s site.
If the calls never ring at all
A setting on your phone can stop a call from ringing. Check it first. It takes a minute.
- On an iPhoneGo to Settings, then tap Apps, then Phone. Find Screen Unknown Callers. Apple says Silence sends calls from numbers you haven't saved to voicemail. Never lets them ring like any other call.
- On the Phone app by GoogleOpen the Phone app. Tap More options, then Settings, then Caller ID and spam. Look at Filter spam calls. Google says filtered calls give you no missed call alert. They still show in your call history. Found a missed call there? You can turn Filter spam calls off.
- Do Not DisturbDo Not Disturb can stop a call ringing. Check it's off at the times they usually get through.
We read Apple’s page on unknown callers and Google’s page on caller ID and spam on 4 October 2026. Other phones name these settings in their own way.
Six reasons
Work down the list
Each one says what to do. Most of the checks cost nothing.
- A digit is wrongIt's easy to do and easy to miss. Nothing comes back as an error. The wrong number went on the list, so their calls never reach you.What to do: Check the number with them, digit by digit. Do it by letter, on a visit, or through family.
- It was never approvedA number sits on the list before it is cleared. If it has never once connected, it may still be waiting. No published HMPPS policy sets a deadline for that check.What to do: They should ask the wing if the number is live on their list yet. Getting on their phone list
- It was refused, or looked at againApproval isn't permanent. A number can be checked again after a move, a change of category, or new information. Neither of you is told when it happens.What to do: They should ask the wing directly. A refusal isn't always explained. They can ask for it to be looked at again. Number refused?
- They've moved prisonTheir list goes with them. The new prison may check it again.[3, 5.15] Until it does, a number that worked for a year can go quiet.What to do: If they've moved recently, start here. They can ask the wing if your number is on the list yet. If they move prison
- The number passes the call onCall-forwarding services take the call on one number, then send it on to a mobile. That's the kind of number prisons are told to restrict.[3, 7.9] So it can stop working months after it was approved.What to do: Ask your provider, in writing, if your number forwards calls.
- The account lapsedA failed card or empty credit can stop the number with no warning. The person inside can't see why. To them, a dead number can feel like being cut off by family.What to do: Log in to your provider. Check the plan or the credit balance. A ringyard line doesn't stop over a failed card. We email you and keep it running while we retry.
Reason 5
Numbers that pass the call on
The rule covers England and Wales.
HMPPS policy tells prisons to restrict 0800 numbers as social contacts. It also covers numbers linked to call diversion and re-routing services.[3, 7.9] The worry is a call passed on to someone the person inside must not contact.
Of the services whose pages we've read, Cellphone Rocks, FoneSavvy, Call From Prison, BluePhone, PhoneSavvy, NeatPhone, Second Ring, Prison Phone, Prison Calls, Locked Talk and Prison Phone Calls pass the call on. We read that on their own sites, between 20 August 2026 and 9 October 2026. We don't know why any one number stopped.
ringyard sells a landline number too. Ours is a real landline on your phone. Nothing is passed on, so it isn't the kind of number this rule is about. The prison checks it, like any number.
If you get nowhere
Talk to someone who does this every day
The Prisoners’ Families Helpline is free. It isn't selling you anything.
Prisoners’ Families Helpline
Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm. Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 3pm.[5]
Common questions
Why has the number stopped working?
Start with the simple causes: a wrong digit, or a number that was never approved. Other causes are a refusal after a review, a move to another prison, or a lapsed account. If a number worked for months and then stopped, ask about a review or a move first.
Can a prison block a number after approving it?
Yes. Approval isn't permanent. HMPPS policy tells prisons to restrict numbers linked to call diversion and re-routing services. A number can be looked at again at any time, for example after a move or a change of category. The policy allows exceptions. They're in a manual we haven't been able to read.
Why are prison calls not coming through to my phone?
If the number is live on their list, check your own phone first. Do Not Disturb can stop it ringing. On an iPhone, check Screen Unknown Callers. On the Phone app by Google, check Filter spam calls. If that isn't it, work down the six reasons on this page.
How do I find out which it is?
Only the person inside can ask. They should ask wing staff what has happened to that number on their phone list (the PIN list). We haven't found a way for a family to ask from outside. There's no form for you to fill in.
Do I still get charged?
That depends on your provider, not the prison. A monthly plan keeps billing whether or not the number works. Prepaid credit usually sits unused. Check the terms before you assume either.
Anything else? Email us. A person replies.
Check us
- Interception, monitoring and security of prisoner communications policy framework. HM Prison and Probation Service / Ministry of Justice, issued 11 August 2026. Read 26 August 2026. Paragraph 7.9 points to a separate operations manual for exceptions. We have not read it. Read it yourself
- Prisoners' Families Helpline. prisonersfamilies.org, opening hours read from the site. Read 23 August 2026. Read it yourself