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Manage connected phone lines, naming, and call forwarding

Connect new phone lines, rename existing ones (with emojis for easy ID), set up call forwarding, and keep everything organized for your team.
  1. Go to Account → Settings → Workspace Settings → Phone Management.
  2. You’ll see every connected phone line with options to Add and Edit.
Permissions. You’ll need the right role to manage numbers (Manager = Editor, Operator = Viewer by default). See Roles & permissions if you don’t see controls.
Settings Phone Management

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Add a new phone line / number to MessageDesk

  1. In Phone Management under Workspace Settings, click + Add phone number.
  2. Choose the type you want to connect or purchase:
To add additional non-Twilio phone lines, complete Carrier Registration first (10DLC for local, verification for toll-free).

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Name/label phone lines (and add emojis)

Clear names make routing and triage faster, especially with multiple lines.
  1. Go to Settings → Phone Management.
  2. Click Edit next to a phone line.
  3. Enter a Line name (“Support – West” or “Dispatch 🚚”).
  4. (Optional) Add an emoji for quick visual scanning in the Inbox.
  5. Click Update.
Settings Phone Management Edit
You can also edit the name of a phone line from your inbox. Hover over a phone line, click the three dots (more) icon, and then click Rename.
Settings Phone Management Inbox

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Move a phone number between workspaces

If your tenant has multiple workspaces, you can move a connected phone number from one workspace to another. Contact support to initiate the move.
You’ll lose the conversation history on that number. To move a number, MessageDesk first removes it from the source workspace. This also removes every conversation tied to that number from that workspace. After the move, the destination workspace starts fresh, and neither workspace can view the previous conversation history.
No fee to move the number itself, but workspace seats are billed per user, per workspace. If a teammate needs access to both workspaces after the move, they’re billed in each. Confirm seat impact before requesting the move.
If your only goal is to limit which users see a specific phone line, you usually don’t need to move the number to a separate workspace. Use Roles & permissions to grant per-line access inside your existing workspace. See Tenant management for the full decision guide.

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Port your number away from MessageDesk

To move your phone number to a different provider:
  1. Submit a Letter of Authorization (LOA) to your new provider.
    Your new provider needs an LOA to start the hosting or porting process.
  2. New provider starts the port/host request.
    Once they have your LOA, your new provider begins managing your number configuration. The process typically takes up to 48 hours.
  3. Wait for the transfer to finish.
    During the transfer period, MessageDesk can’t take any action. The new provider handles the entire process.
Carrier registration campaigns aren’t transferable. You can’t move a carrier registration campaign completed with MessageDesk to your new provider. You’ll need to complete a new carrier registration with your new provider before you can text.
No porting PINs or account numbers required. Moving your texting services out of MessageDesk doesn’t require any porting PINs or account numbers. MessageDesk doesn’t need to take any action to release your number.
Contact your new provider before starting the porting process to understand their specific porting and hosting requirements.

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Remove a phone number from MessageDesk

Removing a number is a support-only action. There’s no in-app button to remove a phone line. Our dev team processes the request manually and cleans up the associated data.
Removing a number permanently deletes every conversation tied to it. All message history associated with the number is deleted from the workspace and can’t be recovered. If you want to keep a record, export the message history for that phone line before you submit the request.

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Before you request removal

  1. Export the message history for the phone line you’re removing. See Data Center → Export your text message history to CSV or PDF.
  2. Decide whether you actually want to remove the number or port it away to a different provider. Porting preserves the number itself; removal releases it.
  3. If you want to keep the number but reassign it to a different workspace under the same tenant, see Move a phone number between workspaces instead.

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How to request removal

Email support@messagedesk.com with the following:
  1. Send from an admin email associated with your workspace.
  2. Workspace name and tenant (if you have more than one).
  3. The phone number(s) you want removed, in E.164 format (for example, +13802101240).
  4. Confirmation that you’ve exported any message history you need to keep.
Our dev team will process the request and confirm once the number has been removed.

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Call forwarding

Route inbound calls to any phone number you choose. Voice calls to your MessageDesk lines reach the right person, while texts stay in the Inbox.
  1. Go to Settings → Workspace Settings → Phone Management.
  2. Click the phone number you want to configure to open its Phone Profile page.
  3. Enter a Call Forwarding number and save.
Inbound calls to that line now forward to the destination number you set.
Settings Phone Management Call Forwarding
Call forwarding works on most MessageDesk-connected phone lines. You can’t configure call forwarding in-app for Twilio-connected numbers today. The setup process is different for Twilio numbers. If you need forwarding, contact support@messagedesk.com and we’ll configure it manually on a per-number basis.

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Call logs

Each phone number’s Phone Profile page includes a Call Logs table. It lists every inbound call MessageDesk forwarded, along with the forwarding details for that call.
Settings Phone Management Call Logs

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Call forwarding events in message threads

When MessageDesk forwards an inbound call, it adds a Call Forwarded event to the matching conversation thread in the Inbox. Your team gets full context on voice activity alongside the SMS history.
Call Forwarding Note

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Best practices

  • Use a naming pattern. Team – Region (“Sales – East”), or Use-case (“Reminders 📅”).
  • One line per purpose. Keep support, sales, and dispatch on their own lines for cleaner reporting and routing.
  • Complete carrier registration. Finish 10DLC (local) or toll-free verification before sending messages or connecting phone lines.

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FAQ

How many phone lines can I connect?
Most workspaces can connect up to 48 phone lines to MessageDesk. Many teams run with several. If you plan to scale, contact support for guidance. Can I move a conversation to a different phone line?
Conversations live on the line where they started. For new outreach, compose from the line you want. Do I need carrier registration for each line?
No. You can apply one carrier registration to every connected phone line. Toll-free and Twilio-connected phone lines need separate carrier registration and verification. Who can add or edit lines?
Users with Phone Numbers = Editor permission (typically Managers or Admins). How do I remove a phone number from MessageDesk?
Removal is support-only. Email support@messagedesk.com from an admin address with the workspace name and the number(s) you want removed. Removing a number permanently deletes all message history tied to it. Export the history first if you need to keep it. See Remove a phone number from MessageDesk for the full checklist.