A UK number your loved one calls. An app where you answer.
BluePhone gives you your own UK 01/02 number. Once the prison approves it for your loved one’s phone list, their calls to that number arrive in the BluePhone app on your iPhone or Android phone, over Wi-Fi or mobile data. No eSIM required.
Watch the quick explanation
See the number, app, approval step and prices in 39 seconds.
Eight steps, three of them yours
You set up the number and the app. The prisoner asks for the number to be added. The prison carries out its checks and decides.
Create a BluePhone account
Email address and password. It takes a couple of minutes.
Choose monthly or yearly
£15 a month, or £149 a year (£12.42 a month). Payment is handled by Stripe.
Receive your own UK 01/02 number
In most cases a number is assigned automatically as soon as payment completes, and we email it to you. If none is immediately available, we email you as soon as one is.
Install the app and sign in
Download BluePhone from the App Store or Google Play and sign in with the same account. Allow notifications so calls can ring when the app is closed.
Give the number to your loved one
By letter, on a visit, or when they next call. Give it in UK format, for example 020 xxxx xxxx.
They ask for it to be added to their phone list
Prisoners can only call numbers on their approved list. The prison checks new numbers and decides whether to add them. Approval times vary by prison, and BluePhone cannot guarantee approval.
They dial your BluePhone number
From the prison phone, like any other UK landline number. The prison charges their call credit at its rate for geographic landlines.
Your BluePhone app rings — answer
A normal incoming-call screen, including on the lock screen. Talk as long as their credit and the prison allow.
The call path, without the jargon
The call is made to your number and delivered to the app signed in to your account. BluePhone does not pass it on to another phone number.
Prison staff and anyone who wants the technical detail can read the technical call path on our page for prison staff.
- Your loved one calls from prisonThey dial your BluePhone number from the prison phone, once it is on their approved list.
- Your own UK 01/02 numberA geographic landline-style number, assigned only to your account.
- BluePhoneFinds the account the number belongs to and rings that account’s app.
- The BluePhone app ringsOver Wi-Fi or mobile data. You answer like a normal call.
No second mobile or landline telephone number is used as a forwarding destination.
What you see when they call
Screens from the BluePhone iPhone app, taken on BluePhone’s own test account. The Android app is available on Google Play.
What you get
- Your own UK geographic number (01 or 02), assigned to your account only.
- Calls in the BluePhone app on iPhone or Android, over Wi-Fi or mobile data.
- No minute allowance or per-minute charge from BluePhone. The prisoner’s call credit and the prison’s own limits still apply.
- Call history and saved contacts in the app, so you can see who called and when.
- Works outside the UK wherever you have an internet connection. BluePhone does not charge an international fee; your own data or roaming charges may apply.
- Cancel at any time from your account. Access continues to the end of the period you have paid for.
Know this before you buy
- It does not let you call into a prison. Prisoners always call out; nobody can call a prisoner.
- It does not make outgoing calls. There is no dial pad and no call-back.
- It does not guarantee prison approval. Each prison checks numbers and decides under its own rules and national policy.
- It does not forward calls to another mobile or landline number. Calls are delivered only to the BluePhone app on your account.
- It cannot be used for 999 or 112. Use a normal mobile or landline in an emergency.
- It cannot be ported. If you cancel, the number is released and cannot be moved to another provider.
Common questions
How does BluePhone work?
You subscribe and get a dedicated UK 01/02 number. The prisoner asks for it to be added to their phone list, and the prison decides whether to approve it. When they call, the BluePhone app rings on your iPhone or Android phone over Wi-Fi or mobile data.
Does BluePhone require an eSIM?
No. BluePhone works through the app, so no eSIM and no unlocked phone are needed.
Does BluePhone forward my calls to another phone number?
No. Calls to your BluePhone 01/02 number are not forwarded to another mobile or landline telephone number. They are delivered to the BluePhone app associated with your account. See information for prison staff for the technical detail.
Do I need the app?
Yes. The BluePhone app is how calls reach you. It is available on the App Store and Google Play.
Can more than one phone ring?
No. Our terms allow one active device per account at a time, and each account has one number.
What does the prisoner pay?
The prison charges their call credit at its rate for UK geographic landline numbers. In public-sector prisons in England and Wales the published weekday rate is 2.48p a minute, compared with 5.5p to a mobile. BluePhone does not set or receive these charges. See prison call rates.
Will the prison accept the number?
We cannot promise that. BluePhone numbers are ordinary UK geographic numbers, but every new number is checked by the prison, which decides whether to approve it. Current national policy tells prisons to restrict numbers linked to call diversion and re-routing services; the policy does not define those terms publicly. Read what the policy says.
What happens if I cancel?
Your subscription runs to the end of the period you have paid for. After that the number is released from your account and calls to it stop. You also have a 14-day statutory right to cancel. Outside the 14-day statutory cancellation period, the unused part of a period is not normally refunded. Your statutory rights are not affected. See the contract summary.
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.
