Own Number Caller ID: Troubleshooting

No code call, wrong codes, daily limits, a phone in use on another account, or calls that showed a different number: what each message means and what to do.

This page lists every message you can see while adding your own phone or showing it on calls, what each one means and what to do. For how the feature works, see Show Your Own Number When You Call.

I didn't get the code call

Check that the number on the price screen was right, make sure your phone can take calls from numbers you don't know, then ask for another call.

• Your phone needs to be on, with signal, and not on Do Not Disturb.
• Turn off anything that silences or blocks unknown callers for a moment: Silence Unknown Callers on iPhone, call screening or spam blocking on Android, or a call-blocking app. The code call comes from a number that isn't in your contacts.
• The price screen showed the number we'd call and its country. If it was wrong, add the correct number, and remove the wrong one in Settings › Your number.

Then go back to the code step (select Enter code next to the phone if you left the page) and select Call me again. It shows the price again, because each code call is charged when we place it, answered or not, and each one counts toward your 3 code calls a day. If calls never arrive at a number you're sure is right, contact support with the number.

It says "Enter your full number with its country code"

Type the number with its country code at the start, beginning with + or 00: for example +971 50 123 4567 or 00971 50 123 4567, and +1 415 555 0100 for a US number. Spaces and dashes are fine.

A number in local format, such as 050 123 4567, isn't accepted. Without the country code we could end up calling a stranger in another country. The Continue button stays greyed out until you have typed at least 8 characters.

It says "That code didn't match"

The code you typed isn't the one the call read out. Check it and type only the digits you heard. Typing a code is free, and you can try up to 5 times per code call. If you aren't sure what you heard, select Call me again for a new code; that call is charged.

It says "Too many wrong codes"

After 5 wrong codes, the code from that call stops working. Select Call me again to get a new code. The new call is charged, its price is shown first, and it counts toward your 3 code calls a day. If the code box is gone, open Settings › Your number and select Enter code next to the phone.

My phone says "Waiting for code"

The code call was placed but the code was never entered. Select Enter code next to the phone and type the code from that call, or select Call me again if you no longer have it. A phone waiting for its code counts toward your 3 phones; if you don't want it, remove it.

It says the number is already in use on another BubblyPhone account

The full message is "This number is already in use on another BubblyPhone account. Contact support if it is yours." (or "This number is already verified on another account."). A phone can belong to only one BubblyPhone account, and another account has already verified it or started verifying it in the last 24 hours.

• If the other account is yours or your family's, remove the phone there first.
• If someone started verifying it and didn't finish, the number becomes free 24 hours after their last code call.
• Otherwise, contact support and we'll help you prove it's yours.

It says "This number is already verified on your account"

The phone is already yours and ready to use. Open your BubblyPhone number's Settings page, choose My phone or Automatic under What people see when you call, and select Save.

It says I need a BubblyPhone number first

"Showing your own number comes with a BubblyPhone number. Get one first, then add your phone." (or, in Settings › Your number, "Get a number to use it.") means your account has no active BubblyPhone number, and the feature is only for customers who own one. Get a number, then add your phone. If you had a number and it lapsed, your phones are paused, not deleted, and come back when you buy a number again.

It says this account can't add a caller ID or show your own number

Showing your own number has been turned off for your account, and it can't be switched back on from the settings page. You may see any of these:

• "This account can't add a caller ID right now. Contact support."
• "This account can't show your own number right now. Contact support."
• "Showing your own number isn't available on this account. Contact support if you think this is a mistake."

Your phones show as Paused, and My phone and Automatic are greyed out. Calls from your BubblyPhone number show the number itself. Contact support and we'll look into it.

It says "We can't verify this number"

We don't place code calls to toll-free, premium-rate or short numbers, or to a few destinations where calls cost far more than usual. Add a regular mobile or landline instead.

It says "That's a BubblyPhone number"

You typed a BubblyPhone number, yours or another customer's. To show your BubblyPhone number on calls, choose This number on its Settings page. To show your own phone, add the mobile or landline you carry with you.

It says I can add up to 3 numbers

"You can add up to 3 numbers. Remove one to add another." means your account already has 3 phones, counting any still Waiting for code. Remove one in Settings › Your number, then add the new one. Removing is free, but adding that phone back later needs a new, charged verification call.

It says I've used today's 3 verification calls

"You have used today's 3 verification calls. Try again tomorrow." means you have had 3 code calls today, counting every Call me with a code and Call me again. The count resets at midnight UTC. You can still type a code from a call you already received.

It says verifying this number costs more than my balance

"Verifying this number costs $0.84. Top up to continue." (with your phone's price) means your balance is lower than the price of the code call. Add credit on the Billing & Activity page and try again.

It says "We couldn't place the verification call"

"We couldn't place the verification call. You weren't charged — try again in a few minutes." means the call failed on our side before it rang. Nothing was charged and it doesn't count toward your 3 calls a day. Wait a few minutes and try again.

It says "Another verification is already in progress" or "Too Many Attempts."

You sent requests too quickly, for example by clicking twice or working in two tabs at once. Wait a moment (up to a minute for "Too Many Attempts.") and try once more.

I don't see My phone or Automatic on my number's Settings page

Those choices appear under What people see when you call once you have a verified phone. Until then the section shows a box for adding your phone.

• If a phone is Waiting for code, finish it with Enter code.
• If the choices are there but greyed out, showing your own number is turned off for your account (see above).
• If the whole section is missing, the number isn't active any more. Only active numbers, including those in their grace period, make calls.

The person saw my BubblyPhone number instead of my phone

One of these is the reason, and the web dialer shows a message for the first two:

• You called the UK or India showing a phone from that country. You saw "Networks in the United Kingdom block calls from abroad that show a local number, so we're showing your BubblyPhone number on this call." (or the same for India). Their networks would block the call otherwise, so this can't be switched off. On Automatic, a verified phone from another country is used instead if you have one.
• Your phone is paused. You saw "Your own number can't be used right now, so this call shows" followed by your BubblyPhone number. Check the phone's status in Settings › Your number. If it says Paused while you own a number, contact support.
• The number is on Automatic and you called its own country. For a US BubblyPhone number, calls to the US and Canada show the BubblyPhone number. That's how Automatic works.
• The choice wasn't saved. Open the number's Settings page and check which option is selected. If you changed it, select Save. In the dialer, the Call from menu shows under each number what it shows, for example "Shows your phone +971501234567".
• You called from a different BubblyPhone number. Each number has its own setting.
• You called from the Android app before version 1.3.3. Older versions don't apply the setting. Update the app.

They saw "Unknown" or a number I don't recognise

A network between us and the person you called replaced or hid your number. This happens mostly on calls abroad, varies by carrier and country, and we can't override it.

• If it keeps happening for one country, switch the number to This number before calling there.
• If you picked BubblyPhone shared number in the dialer's Call from menu, the call showed a shared number. Pick your own BubblyPhone number instead.

My calls to the US are labelled "Spam Likely"

Switch the number to Automatic or This number. US carriers trust a number less when the call doesn't come from the carrier that number belongs to, so your own phone can be labelled "Spam Likely" on US calls, even if it's a US mobile. Automatic shows your US BubblyPhone number on calls to the US and Canada and your phone everywhere else.

Callbacks ring my phone, not BubblyPhone

That's expected. People who call back the number they saw reach your phone through your own carrier, and texts to your phone stay on your phone; neither appears in BubblyPhone. If you want callbacks in BubblyPhone, choose This number, or Automatic if most of those calls are to your BubblyPhone number's own country.

How do I stop showing my phone or remove it?

To stop showing your phone on a number's calls, choose This number on that number's Settings page and select Save. The phone stays verified for later.

To remove the phone completely, open Settings › Your number, select the bin icon next to it, then select Remove. Numbers that showed it go back to This number, and if no verified phone is left, so do numbers on Automatic. Adding the phone again later needs a new, charged verification call.