Frequently Asked Questions

Find out the answers to all the questions you have about Virtually Local

If you don't find the answer you are looking for here, feel free to call us on 0161 821 1000 or send us a message here where one of our friendly team is ready to help.

Indeed you can! Our platform is ideal for both home and business users alike. If you have any questions or queries, please do contact us.

Absolutely! Select the relevant area code and you will be presented with a comprehensive list of available virtual telephone numbers. Numbers are displayed in groups of standard, gold and platinum. Simply select the virtual number of interest and follow the simple sign up process.

Once your virtual landline order has been placed, the number will be activated instantly. The entire virtual landline order and activation process should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete. The final step is call forwarding, you need to decide where to point your new number.

Yes, in most cases it is possible to "port" your number across to our network. We have a knowledgeable and dedicated team of people that will make the transfer process as easy as possible for you. The only thing we will need you to do is sign an industry standard Letter of Authority, confirming your request. Further information on porting and a copy of our LoA (Letter of Authority) is available on our dedicated porting page.

No! That's the beauty of virtual landline numbers. Calls are seamlessly routed to their destination number. The caller has no way of knowing if they have been diverted to a single number or around a hunt group.

You can have as many virtual landline numbers attached to your account as you want. Some customers have just the one number, whilst other customers who require a presence in many different geographical locations, have hundreds.

Nothing changes! The primary benefit of a virtual landline is the great flexibility it offers. Should your address and STD code change, simply log into My Virtually Local and change the destination number as required.

There is no minimum contract length. If your virtual landline telephone number becomes inactive for a period of six months, its ownership may automatically transfer back to Virtually Local for resale.

No you don't. You can have many numbers on one single account. Each virtual landline number can be easily managed within the My Virtually Local number management portal. Plan upgrades can also be managed using the My Virtually Local portal.

During the signup process, you will choose a plan for your numbers that include bundled minutes and features. Each month we will take payment from your chosen credit or debit card. Payment information is stored securely with our payment processor Stripe.

Your minutes include calls to UK fixed landlines, starting 01 and 02, and calls to the four major UK mobile operators (EE, Vodafone, Three, and O2) only. Calls to other destinations will be charged as per our standard tariff at out of bundle rates.

If you exceed your minutes allowance, we will charge a small "pence per minute" rate which is payble with your next invoice. The charge is 1.5p per minute if you are diverting to a Landline, or 6p per minute if you are diverting to a Mobile. If this happens regularly, we would recommend upgrading your package.

Call recording allows you to automatically record incoming calls to your virtual number. Recordings are stored securely in encrypted, UK-based cloud storage in MP3 format and can be downloaded at any time from the My Virtually Local portal. Retention periods vary by plan — 30 days on Virtually Business and up to 7 years on Virtually Unlimited. Call recording is available on our Business and Unlimited plans.

Voicemail-to-email delivers your voicemail messages directly to your email inbox as an MP3 attachment. This means you can listen to messages wherever you are, without needing to dial into a voicemail system. This feature is available on our Essential+ plan and above.

Time-of-day routing lets you automatically direct calls to different destinations depending on the time of day or day of the week. For example, you could route calls to your office during business hours and to your mobile or voicemail outside of working hours. This feature is available on our Business and Unlimited plans.

Call Whisper plays a short announcement to you before you answer a call, letting you know the caller's number and which virtual number they dialled. Choose to Refuse gives you the option to accept or reject the call based on that information. This is particularly useful if you have multiple virtual numbers and want to know which one is ringing. Available on our Business and Unlimited plans.

Yes! Using our free mobile app for iOS and Android, you can make outgoing calls that display your virtual landline number as the caller ID. This keeps your personal mobile number private and ensures your business calls always appear professional. Outbound calling is available on our Business and Unlimited plans.

Absolutely. You can upload a custom audio greeting or choose from our range of pre-recorded professional greetings. Your callers will hear the greeting before their call is connected, giving your business a polished and professional first impression. Personalised greetings are available on our Business and Unlimited plans.

Advanced Call Distribution allows you to route incoming calls to multiple destination numbers, either sequentially (one after another) or simultaneously (all at once). This is sometimes known as a hunt group and is ideal for businesses where several team members need to be able to answer calls. It's available on our Essential+ plan and above.

Our mobile app is available for both iOS and Android devices. You'll need iOS 9.3 or later, or Android 4.3 or later. The app is free to download from the App Store and Google Play and is included with our Business and Unlimited plans.

My Virtually Local is your online control centre for managing everything about your virtual numbers. From the portal you can view call history, download call recordings, update call forwarding destinations, configure time-of-day routing, manage greetings, view invoices, and add or remove users. It's accessible from any web browser and is included with all plans.

Yes. You can add multiple users to your account through the My Virtually Local portal, each with their own login credentials and permission levels. This is ideal for businesses where several team members need to manage calls or access recordings.

Yes, calls can be forwarded to international destinations. Calls to international numbers are not included in your bundled minutes and will be charged at our standard international tariff rates. Please contact us for details on specific destination charges.

The porting process typically takes around 7 working days from the point we receive your signed Letter of Authority. During this time, your existing number will continue to work as normal. Once the port is complete, calls to your number will seamlessly route through our network. Visit our porting page for full details.

Research shows that customers are 4 to 6 times more likely to call a local landline number than a mobile number. A local landline conveys trust, permanence, and professionalism — it signals that your business is established in the area. This is especially important for tradespeople, professional services, and any business that relies on local customers.

Absolutely. With over 600 UK area codes available, you can select numbers for as many locations as you need — all managed from a single account. This allows you to appear local in multiple cities without the cost of physical offices, making it ideal for businesses expanding into new areas.

Having a local phone number that matches your target area can improve your relevance in local Google searches. A consistent local number on your website and Google Business Profile signals to search engines that your business serves that area, which can help improve your visibility in local search results.

Yes. Our Virtually Unlimited plan includes call recording with up to 7 years of secure, encrypted storage — meeting the requirements of MIFID II and other regulatory frameworks. This makes it ideal for financial advisors, solicitors, and other professionals who need to maintain detailed records of client communications.

The UK's traditional analogue phone network (PSTN) is being switched off by January 2027. This means all traditional landline services will cease to operate. Virtual phone numbers like those from Virtually Local already run over the internet, so you won't be affected by the switch-off. If you currently rely on a traditional landline, now is the ideal time to port your number to our service for a seamless transition.

Standard numbers are included free with any plan. Gold and Platinum numbers are memorable or premium numbers featuring easy-to-remember patterns — for example, numbers ending in 0000 or 1234. These numbers are available at variable pricing depending on the pattern. You can browse all available number types when selecting your area code during sign-up.

Yes. All call recordings are encrypted and stored in UK-based cloud infrastructure. Payment information is handled securely by Stripe, which is PCI DSS compliant, meaning we never store your card details directly. We are fully GDPR compliant and take data protection seriously. Full details are available in our privacy policy.

It is best practice to let callers know that their call may be recorded, and this is typically done via a short announcement before the call connects. Requirements can vary depending on your industry and how recordings are used. We recommend reviewing the relevant regulations for your sector, and our personalised greetings feature makes it easy to add a recording notification.

Yes. There are no lock-in contracts, so you can upgrade or downgrade your plan whenever you need to. Plan changes can be managed directly through the My Virtually Local portal. If you're unsure which plan is right for you, feel free to contact us and we'll be happy to help.

No. There are no setup fees, no activation charges, and number selection is completely free. The only costs are your monthly plan fee and any out-of-bundle call charges if you exceed your included minutes. We believe in transparent, straightforward pricing with no surprises.

Let's Get Started

Choose your area code and our wizard will guide you through the sign-up process. Your number will be ready to use straight away.

Simply choose your preferred area, select your call plan, and configure where calls should be forwarded using the My Virtually Local management portal.

  • FREE setup and instant activation on all standard numbers
  • Packages starting from just £4.95 per month
  • Choice of phone numbers in all towns and cities across the UK
  • Monthly rolling contract, you can cancel at any time
  • Make outbound calls from your virtual number
  • Keep your BT landline number by bringing it with you