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Porting moves an entire phone number to MessageDesk. MessageDesk becomes the carrier of record, and the number leaves your current provider. You can submit the request yourself in-app, including signing the Letter of Authorization.

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Porting is not the same as hosting

Most teams who ask about porting actually want hosting. Read this before you start. Full detail on the hosting path: Host a number.
MessageDesk doesn’t offer full voice service. After a port, texting runs through your Inbox, but MessageDesk can’t act as your phone system. You have to set up call forwarding to a number that can answer calls, or inbound callers will have nowhere to land.If you need full voice features on the number, port it to a VoIP provider instead and let MessageDesk host it for texting.
MessageDesk shows a warning banner when you choose the port option, and a final confirmation before the request is submitted. Both are there because porting is difficult to reverse.

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Before you start

US numbers need an approved carrier registration campaign first. If your workspace has no campaign, or your campaign hasn’t been approved yet, MessageDesk blocks the port request and prompts you to finish carrier registration.
Canadian numbers are the exception. Numbers with a Canadian area code can be ported without an approved campaign. Canada doesn’t run on the A2P 10DLC registration system that US numbers require.A Canadian number added this way can only text Canadian recipients until you complete carrier registration and associate it with an approved campaign.
Have this ready:
  • The phone number you want to port
  • Your current provider account details, exactly as they appear on your bill
  • The name and title of someone authorized to sign on behalf of the account holder
  • A call forwarding destination for inbound calls after the port completes

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How to port a number to MessageDesk

2

Click Phone Management

  • From the left-hand navigation, select “Phone Management” under Workspace Settings
    • If you don’t see Phone Management you may not have access. Speak with your account administrator for more details.
3

Click Add Phone Number

  • Click Add Phone Number button in the top right corner of the Phone Management screen
  • Select Port existing phone number
  • Read the warning banner explaining that porting moves voice as well as texting
4

Enter the number and account details

  • Enter the phone number you want to port
  • Fill in your current provider’s account information
  • Details that don’t match your provider’s records are the most common cause of a rejected port
5

Fill out and sign the Letter of Authorization

  • Complete the authorized-signer fields
  • MessageDesk generates a PDF Letter of Authorization from what you enter
  • Sign it using the signature field
6

Confirm and submit

  • A confirmation dialog appears summarizing what porting changes
  • Confirm to submit the request to the carrier
You can add at most 2 numbers per day through porting, hosting, or purchase combined, per workspace. This is a fraud-prevention limit against number-rotation scams. If you need to port more numbers in a day, contact support.

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After you submit

Track progress from the Status column in Phone Management. Ports take longer than hosting requests because the losing carrier has to release the number. Once the port completes:
  1. Set up call forwarding so inbound calls reach a number that can answer them.
  2. Confirm the number shows an active status and a campaign association.
  3. Name the line so your team can identify it in the Inbox.
Don’t cancel your old service until the port completes. Cancelling early releases the number back to the carrier pool and the port will fail.

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FAQ

How long does a port take?
Longer than hosting, and the timeline depends on your losing carrier’s release process. Plan for several business days and don’t schedule campaigns against the number until it’s active. Can I port a mobile or Google Voice number?
You can port a number out of a mobile carrier or Google Voice into MessageDesk. See Move a Google Voice Number to MessageDesk for that path specifically. What happens to texts during the port?
Texting continues with your current provider until the port completes, then moves to your MessageDesk Inbox. Can I undo a port?
Not directly. You’d submit a new port request with your new provider to move the number again. This is why MessageDesk asks you to confirm before submitting. How do I port a number away from MessageDesk?
That process runs in the opposite direction and is driven by your new provider. See Port your number away from MessageDesk.