What you need to know when porting your phone number
Want to keep your clinic’s current phone number when you move to ClinicMonk™? You absolutely can! Moving your number from your current phone company to ClinicMonk™ is called porting.
Before you start, there are a few things you need to know so you can plan ahead.
How to start your porting request
First, let our team know through the live chat inside ClinicMonk™. You can do this at any time, before or after your onboarding calls. Our team will review your setup and help you get started. If you have more porting questions later, or want to check on your paperwork or the status of your transfer, message us in the chat at any time.
Then, complete the porting form linked below. You’ll need your current phone account information, a billing statement and a signed authorization letter giving permission to move your number.
Make sure your information matches what your phone company has on file. If you’re unsure, don’t guess. We can help.
How long does porting take?
The transfer generally takes approximately 2–4 weeks once all the required information is complete. Keep using your current phone service while you wait, and watch your email for updates.
⚠️ IMPORTANT: Plan for up to 3 business days without texting on your ported number
After your number transfers, you may be unable to SEND or RECEIVE text messages on that number for up to 3 business days while carriers finish updating their routing. This can happen even if your business is already approved for texting.
Some transfers are quicker. Additional registration or setup issues can take longer. This is a possible texting interruption, not a guaranteed 3-day calling outage. Calls may work while texting is still being connected. Test calling separately with our team.
Keep your temporary ClinicMonk™ number active. Have our team verify and test its texting BEFORE your usual number transfers, so you have a working backup.
Why can calls work before texting?
Why does this happen? Calling and texting use different carrier systems. When your number moves, the carriers need to update where your texts go. That means your calls can be working while texting is still getting connected.
What if my business was already approved for texting?
You might be thinking, ‘But my business is already approved for texting!’
Your business-texting approval and connecting your transferred number are separate steps. Your number needs to be connected to that approval, and the carriers still need to finish their updates before texting works. You may see this business-texting approval called A2P in ClinicMonk™.
Keep your current service active
Please keep your current phone service active until our team confirms the transfer is complete and everything works.
Use your temporary ClinicMonk™ number as your texting backup
Don’t delete your temporary ClinicMonk™ number yet. Before the transfer, our team needs to confirm that it is active, supports texting, meets the required messaging registration, and can send and receive test texts. If approval is still pending, wait until your temporary number is approved and tested before using it as your backup. Our team can confirm that it is connected to the required texting approval.
During the interruption, select your temporary number as the From number when sending texts in ClinicMonk™. Ask our team to confirm the sender used by any automatic messages as well. Existing conversations may keep using their previous number unless the sender is changed.
Clients will see your temporary number when you text them and can reply to it. Identify your clinic clearly, and let them know this is your temporary texting number. It will not automatically receive calls or texts sent to your usual number. Keep email or a working phone line available for people trying to reach your usual number.
Have a backup ready
Let your team know about the possible interruption, and have email or a working phone line ready as a backup.
If you can receive texts but can’t reply, and calling works, call those clients back through the ClinicMonk™ desktop or mobile app.
Contact support right away
If anything isn’t working, contact support right away. You don’t need to wait 3 days to ask for help.
Test everything before cancelling
Before cancelling your old service or removing your temporary number, we’ll need to confirm you can make calls, receive calls, send texts and receive texts.
That way, you know your clinic is ready to go!
What if I use Google Voice, Spruce or another provider?
Google Voice: Your number needs to be unlocked before it can transfer. Unlocking gives permission for the move. Your phone service stays active. Keep using Google Voice while you wait. See Google Voice’s unlock instructions.
Spruce: You’ll use the same ClinicMonk™ porting request form. If Spruce requires a transfer-out step or additional account information, ClinicMonk™ Support can clarify what you need to obtain from the person who manages your Spruce account.
Grasshopper, RingCentral, TELUS Connect, Comcast or Nextiva: Start with ClinicMonk™ Support and the same porting request form. These providers do not necessarily use an “Unlock” button. If your request needs additional information or a provider-specific step, the team will explain what is missing.
Keep your existing service active with every provider until the transfer is complete.