The best way to receive prison calls with BluePhone
The right setup depends on where you are, how you like to answer and what phone you have. This is where BluePhone fits, and what to know before you subscribe.
| Your situation | How BluePhone helps |
|---|---|
| You live outside the UK | The prisoner calls a UK 01/02 number; you answer in the app anywhere with Wi-Fi or mobile data. Your own data or roaming charges may apply. |
| You are out a lot | The app rings on your phone wherever you have internet, not only at home. |
| You do not have a UK landline | A dedicated UK geographic number, charged to the prisoner at the landline rate. |
| Your phone has no eSIM, or is locked to a network | BluePhone works through the app on iPhone and Android. No eSIM and no unlocked phone needed. |
| You want one clear price | £15 a month or £149 a year, with no BluePhone minute allowance. |
Good to know before you subscribe
- Calls are answered in the BluePhone app, which needs Wi-Fi or mobile data for each call.
- BluePhone is for incoming calls only: no outgoing calls, no texts and no 999 calls. One active device at a time.
- The prison checks every new number and decides whether to approve it. Nobody can guarantee approval.
- Since 11 August 2026, national policy tells prisons to restrict numbers linked to call diversion and re-routing services. Read what it says.
- Rates on this site are for public-sector prisons in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland differ.
Questions
Why does a landline number save call credit?
Prisons in England and Wales charge the prisoner less per minute for calls to UK landline numbers than for calls to mobiles — a reported 2.48p against 5.5p on weekdays. The lower rate applies to UK geographic landline numbers generally, including a BluePhone 01/02 number.
What is the best way to receive prison calls abroad?
A UK number answered in an app, so the prisoner calls a UK number and you answer over the internet. BluePhone works this way; your own data or roaming charges may apply.
Related guides
Get your own UK number
£15/month or £149/year. iPhone and Android. No eSIM required. Incoming calls only. The prison decides whether to approve the number.
