Do virtual landlines still work for prison calls?

Only if the number just rings the phone you have. Virtual landlines and cheap-call apps that forward or re-route the call can be refused. Since 11 August 2026, the interception policy framework tells prisons to restrict those numbers.

Does PhoneSavvy, Virtual Landline, or Prison Calls still work?

We class them as no longer suitable. PhoneSavvy, FoneSavvy, Prison Calls, and JailTele forward the call to a mobile. Virtual Landline’s prison service is an app that re-routes the call. Since 11 August 2026, prisons are told to restrict numbers that do that, so they can be refused, or removed after they were approved. A live landline that rings your phone, with nothing passed on, is the kind that is not restricted.

What is the cheapest way to take a prison call?

The cheap rate is a UK landline: 2.48p a minute on a weekday, against 5.50p for a mobile. Cheap prison-call apps are usually the redirect kind, so the saving can disappear if the prison refuses the number.

Is a listing an endorsement?

No. A listing means families search for the name and we have said how the call completes. Partner is a separate label with its own standard. Nobody pays to be listed.

Why do cheap-call numbers say redirect?

Because that is how they work. The prisoner dials a landline, and the call is forwarded or diverted to a mobile. Since 11 August 2026, the interception policy framework tells prisons to restrict numbers used for call diversion or re-routing.

Does a Trustpilot score change that?

No. We are glad when a service treats families well. The label is about how the call completes, not about reviews.

Are PhoneSavvy and FoneSavvy the same company?

No. PhoneSavvy is phonesavvy.uk, a Freedom Telephony brand. FoneSavvy is fonesavvy.co.uk, now part of Unilink. We keep them apart.

How do I ask to be listed?

Use the form on this page. Say what the prisoner dials, and whether the call is passed on. Write to hello@prisoncheck.co.uk if you need a human first.

prisoncheckPhone · 3 min read

Which virtual landlines still work?

Since 11 August 2026, prison numbers that redirect or re-route can be refused. This is how each call service connects.

Official update

Since 11 August 2026, 0800 numbers as social contacts — and numbers used for call diversion / re-routing — must be restricted.

GOV.UK · Interception policy framework · §7.9

How each service connects

Checked 13 September 2026. Nobody pays to be listed.

100%approved

ringyardPartner

Not like other prison numbers.

Othersringyard

Your callPassed onRings your phone

You needSome need an appJust your phone

MinutesMost are cappedUnlimited

Get your landline

£20 a month. Stop any time.
The prison still checks each new number.

Others: ringyard's check of 11 prison number services, Aug to Oct 2026.

ringyard is made by the team behind prisoncheck, which is why it has its own card here. Nobody pays to be listed.

No longer suitable since 11 August

Each of these passes the call on before it reaches you. Since 11 August 2026, prisons are told to restrict numbers that do that. A number can be refused when it is put forward, or taken off the list after it was approved.

PhoneSavvy
No longer suitable
Forwards the call to another number. £24.99 a month · forwards to your mobile
Virtual Landline
No longer suitable
Re-routes the call through an app. Prison Phone Calls · £4.50 a month · App
FoneSavvy Pay as you go
No longer suitable
Forwards the call to another number. Landline connected to a mobile · from £4.99 top-up
FoneSavvy Monthly
No longer suitable
Forwards the call to another number. Landline connected to a mobile
Prison Calls
No longer suitable
Forwards the call to another number. From £14.99 a month · forwards to your phone
JailTele
No longer suitable
Forwards the call to another number. Landline mapped to a mobile · top-up monthly

Names blur. PhoneSavvy (phonesavvy.uk, a Freedom Telephony brand) and FoneSavvy (fonesavvy.co.uk, now part of Unilink) are different companies. Each is listed on its own, if at all.

Questions families ask

Only if the number just rings the phone you have. Virtual landlines and cheap-call apps that forward or re-route the call can be refused. Since 11 August 2026, the interception policy framework tells prisons to restrict those numbers.
We class them as no longer suitable. PhoneSavvy, FoneSavvy, Prison Calls, and JailTele forward the call to a mobile. Virtual Landline’s prison service is an app that re-routes the call. Since 11 August 2026, prisons are told to restrict numbers that do that, so they can be refused, or removed after they were approved. A live landline that rings your phone, with nothing passed on, is the kind that is not restricted.
The cheap rate is a UK landline: 2.48p a minute on a weekday, against 5.50p for a mobile. Cheap prison-call apps are usually the redirect kind, so the saving can disappear if the prison refuses the number.
No. A listing means families search for the name and we have said how the call completes. Partner is a separate label with its own standard. Nobody pays to be listed.
Because that is how they work. The prisoner dials a landline, and the call is forwarded or diverted to a mobile. Since 11 August 2026, the interception policy framework tells prisons to restrict numbers used for call diversion or re-routing.
No. We are glad when a service treats families well. The label is about how the call completes, not about reviews.
No. PhoneSavvy is phonesavvy.uk, a Freedom Telephony brand. FoneSavvy is fonesavvy.co.uk, now part of Unilink. We keep them apart.
Use the form on this page. Say what the prisoner dials, and whether the call is passed on. Write to hello@prisoncheck.co.uk if you need a human first.

For services

List a call service

Brand, URL, and how the call works. We’ll read it and write back.

What next

Guide · 2 minPrison landline not working?It may be the number, not the phones. If it forwards to your mobile, prisons are told to refuse it since 11 August. A landline on your phone is different.Guide · 4 minHow much do prison calls cost?They pay from PIN credit. Official weekday rates: 2.48p a minute to a landline, 5.50p to a mobile. 10p minimum per connected call. Until 31 May 2027.Guide · 3 minWhy was my number rejected?The phone list can refuse a number. That is not the same as the phones being down. Mobile, landline, and numbers that forward are treated differently.ToolHow much do prison calls cost?Landline is the cheap rate. They pay from PIN credit.Their prisonFind their prisonPhone, visits and money are local.