How long does it take to transfer a number? It depends on the line. A mobile number moving between carriers usually finishes in minutes to a few hours. FCC rules require a simple landline port within one business day of a valid request, though landlines often take 3 to 10 days. Business, VoIP and toll-free ports take days to weeks.
Key takeaways
- Wireless to wireless: T-Mobile quotes 10 minutes to 3 hours, and the industry's voluntary standard is two and a half hours.
- Simple landline and intermodal ports: one business day under FCC rules, counted from a valid request. T-Mobile quotes 3 to 10 days for landlines.
- Business lines: Twilio quotes 5 to 15 days for standard US ports, up to 4 weeks, and 4 to 6 weeks for more than 50 numbers.
- Keep the old service active until the port completes. A disconnected number cannot be ported.
How long does number transfer take? Timelines by number type
The type of number sets the clock more than the carrier does. These are the published ranges as of September 2026. Each one assumes the details on the request match the old account exactly.
| Number type | Typical time | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile to mobile, one line | 10 minutes to 3 hours | T-Mobile; 2.5-hour industry standard (FCC) |
| Landline, one line (simple port) | 1 business day by rule; 3 to 10 days in practice | 47 CFR 52.35; T-Mobile |
| Into Google Voice | Up to 48 hours; texts up to 3 business days | Google Voice Help |
| Business VoIP or local number | 5 to 15 days, up to 4 weeks | Twilio US porting guidelines |
| Toll-free (800, 888, 877) | 3 to 7 business days | Bandwidth |
| Multi-line or complex business | 3 to 4 weeks; 4 to 6 weeks over 50 numbers | Bandwidth; Twilio |
Sources: T-Mobile, FCC 09-41, 47 CFR 52.35, Google Voice Help, Twilio and Bandwidth.
How long to port a mobile number
Usually under an hour. T-Mobile tells customers a wireless line will typically complete in 10 minutes to 3 hours. You may have service on both phones for up to 24 hours while it settles. Test with a call from someone else before you throw the old SIM away.
Porting vs transferring a number
They are the same thing. Carriers say "transfer" on consumer pages and "port" in the paperwork. Your new provider asks the old one to release the number. The old one checks the request against your account. Then the number is re-pointed to the new network. The FCC's consumer guide confirms you can move a number between wireline, internet and wireless providers if you stay in the same area.
How long does it take to port a number, by the rules?
One business day, for a simple port. 47 CFR 52.35 requires carriers to complete a simple wireline-to-wireline or simple intermodal port within one business day. The FCC set that interval in its 2009 order. The same order notes the wireless industry's voluntary standard: two and a half hours for wireless-to-wireless ports.
The catch is the word simple. The FCC defines a simple port as a single line on the account, with no reseller and no complex switch features such as Centrex, ISDN or remote call forwarding. Most offices with a phone system fail at least one of those. And the clock starts when the old carrier receives a valid request. Days spent gathering documents or fixing a rejected request do not count. The one business day is real. It just starts later than you think.
What you need to transfer a phone number
Get these from your current carrier before you start. The new provider will ask for all of them, and a mismatch on any one is the most common reason a port stalls.
- Account number with the old carrier, from your bill or online account.
- Number transfer PIN. A temporary code most wireless carriers now issue just for porting. Some accounts use the regular account PIN instead.
- Billing name and address exactly as the old carrier has them, suite number included.
- A Letter of Authorization (LOA) for business and VoIP ports, plus a recent bill. RingCentral asks for one no more than 30 days old.
- The Customer Service Record (CSR) for a business line. Bandwidth says carriers use it to check the request, so ask the old carrier for a copy.
How to get a number transfer PIN on Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile
| Carrier | How to get the PIN | Valid for |
|---|---|---|
| Verizon | Dial #PORT from the phone, or My Verizon app or site. Business accounts with 10 or more lines call 1-800-922-0204 | 7 days |
| AT&T | Dial *PORT, or AT&T app or site: Settings, Transfer phone number, Request new PIN | 4 days; 14 days for business |
| T-Mobile | Primary account holder: T-Life app, Account, gear icon, Permission & controls, Transfer PIN. Turn off Port Out Protection first | Not stated |
Sources: Verizon port-out FAQ, AT&T transfer PIN page, T-Mobile transfer page. T-Mobile's app only issues the PIN on the T-Mobile network with Wi-Fi off. Request the PIN close to when you submit the port, since Verizon's and AT&T's expire in days.
Why port requests get rejected
Almost always paperwork. Bandwidth's porting guide lists name, address and ZIP code mismatches first, then wrong PINs, pending orders and carrier freezes. Each rejection sends the request back, and the clock starts again.
- Mismatched details. The name on the LOA must match the account, not the business card.
- A wrong or expired PIN. See the expiry dates above.
- A port lock. Since the FCC's 2023 port-out fraud order, wireless carriers must offer account locks. T-Mobile calls it Port Out Protection and Verizon calls it Number Lock. Both block your own port too.
- Open orders or a contract. A pending plan change blocks the port. Money owed does not: the FCC says the old company cannot refuse to port over an unpaid balance or termination fee.
Porting a business line without missing calls
A business number in the middle of a port is a line where calls can go missing. You listed a unit on Friday. The port is scheduled for Tuesday. Everyone who calls the sign in between has to reach someone. Here is how to keep answering.
- 1
Keep the old service active
Do not cancel anything until the new carrier confirms the port is complete. Verizon Business says the line must stay active until the move is done. Completing the port cancels that line for you. - 2
Pick the cutover date
Business ports get a firm order commitment (FOC) date from the old carrier. Ask for a weekday morning, not a Friday afternoon, so problems surface while support is open. - 3
Forward calls during the window
If the new line is not ready yet, forward the old number to a cell phone or answering service while you wait. On Verizon, *72 plus a 10-digit number forwards all calls and *73 turns it off. - 4
Set forwarding again on the new carrier
Forwarding lives with whichever carrier holds the number. When the port completes, rules set on the old carrier stop working. Recreate them on the new one the same day. - 5
Place a test call
Call the number from an outside phone and let it ring out. Then send a text. Google Voice, for one, says texts can take up to 3 business days to follow the calls.
callflo.ai works on your existing number through call forwarding: always, after hours, or only on the calls you miss. The keep-your-number guide walks through the codes. Porting your number to callflo.ai is possible through support after you sign up, but it is not required to start. The Starter plan is 39 dollars a month on annual billing, or 49 dollars month to month, with 120 minutes included. Details are on the pricing page. For agents who miss calls during showings, the real estate agent page shows how the no-answer setup works. Either way, you keep answering while your number stays put.
Keep answering while your number stays put
Call callflo.ai's own AI agent and ask it anything about your business. When you are ready, pick a plan: no setup fee, no contract, and you do not pay unless you are satisfied.
Starter is $39 a month on annual billing. Live on your line about 5 minutes after you sign up.
How to check the status of a port
Ask the new provider, since it submits the request and sees the responses. T-Mobile has a port-in dashboard in the T-Life app and on its site, and a status line at 1-877-525-5833. Google Voice has a Track your progress link in its account settings. For a business port, ask for the FOC date in writing. If it has not been set within a few business days, the request was probably rejected and is waiting on you. For more on what happens to a call once it reaches the new line, see the call handling guide.