Can I Receive Calls or Text Messages (SMS)?
CallTuv is outbound-only - it cannot receive incoming calls or send and receive SMS, including bank verification (OTP) codes. That applies to rented numbers too.
Updated
View as MarkdownCallTuv is designed as an outbound calling service - everything is built around making your calls cheap and simple. That focus means a few things aren't part of the product, and we'd rather you know exactly where the lines are than find out at an inconvenient moment.
No incoming calls
Nobody can call you through CallTuv. That is true of both kinds of CallTuv number:
- A Shared Number belongs to a shared outbound pool, so calling it back will not reach you.
- A number you rent from CallTuv is also outgoing only, even though it is yours alone and nobody else uses it. Anyone who rings it usually hears a not-in-service message, depending on their own phone company, and the call is never answered.
If you have verified your own number as caller ID, recipients who call it back reach your regular phone line - which is often exactly what you want, and is the only one of the three options that people can ring you on.
No SMS - in either direction
CallTuv doesn't send or receive text messages, and that includes a number you rent from us. That includes bank verification and one-time security codes (OTP) - services that text a code can't deliver it to CallTuv, because there's no inbound number to receive it. For inbound texts you need your mobile carrier or a dedicated inbound-SMS provider.
Your own number is unaffected
Using CallTuv changes nothing about your existing phone number: it stays active, reachable, and completely independent. CallTuv simply gives you a cheaper way to place outbound international calls alongside it - see How to Make a Call with CallTuv.
Related reading
- Does CallTuv Provide Phone Numbers? - yes, a US number you can rent for outgoing calls, plus the free options.
- Emergency Calls Are Not Supported - another outbound limitation to know.
Frequently asked questions
- If I call someone, can they call me back?
- It depends which number they saw. If your call showed a Shared Number or a number you rent from CallTuv, calling it back will not reach you - both are outbound-only. If you verified your own number as caller ID, they saw your real number, so calling it back rings your ordinary phone exactly as it always has, nothing to do with CallTuv.
- Can people call back the US number I rent from CallTuv?
- No. A rented CallTuv number is for outgoing calls only, exactly like a Shared Number. Anyone who rings it usually hears a not-in-service message (the exact message depends on their own phone company), the call is never answered, and text messages cannot reach it at all. If you need people to be able to reach you, verify a phone you already own as your caller ID, because calls to that number ring your normal phone.
- How do I make sure people can return my calls?
- Verify your own phone number as your caller ID. Your calls then display your real number, and anyone calling it back reaches you on your normal phone line in the usual way.
- Can I get bank or security codes (OTP) through CallTuv?
- Unfortunately not - CallTuv doesn't send or receive SMS at all, so one-time codes from banks or other services can't be delivered to it. For those you'll need your mobile carrier or a dedicated inbound-SMS provider.
- Does using CallTuv affect my normal phone number?
- Not at all. Your regular number keeps working exactly as before - people reach you on it as usual. CallTuv only handles the outbound calls you place through it.
