How to Port Your Number to Steer Phones

Number porting is the process of transferring your existing business phone number from your current carrier to Steer Phones. When it works, it’s invisible to your customers — same number, better system. When it fails, it’s because something in your account info was wrong.

This guide explains every step of the port process, what you’re responsible for, what Steer handles, and exactly what to do when something goes wrong.

Who Needs to Port a Number?

Porting applies to you if:

• You are switching from an existing phone provider (AT&T, Comcast, RingCentral, Vonage, etc.) to Steer Phones

• You want to keep your current business phone number(s) after switching

Porting does NOT apply to you if:

• You are a new business with no existing phone number

• You chose to get a new number from Steer instead of keeping your old one

---

What You Need Before You Start

Gather all of the following before submitting your port request. Partial submissions are returned. Every field matters.

Step-by-Step: How Porting Works

Step 1 — Submit Your Porting Information

During your onboarding intake form, you will be asked whether you want to keep your existing number. If you select yes, you will be prompted to provide all the required fields listed above.

If you missed this step or need to update information, contact your Steer onboarding contact directly. Do not guess on any field.

Step 2 — Portability Check

Once we receive your info, we verify that your number is portable. Most numbers are portable, but some are not:

• Numbers tied to a DSL internet line (bundled landlines) may not be portable without canceling the bundle

• Numbers in certain rural areas may have carrier restrictions

• Toll-free numbers require a separate process

You will receive a clear result: portable or not portable. If not portable, we will explain why and discuss your options.

Step 3 — Port Request Submitted + LOA Generated

If your number is portable and your information is verified, we submit the port request to your current carrier. At this point:

• Your port status becomes “Pending”

• An LOA (Letter of Authorization) is generated. This is the legal document confirming you authorize the transfer.

• A temporary number is assigned to your account so you can make and receive calls immediately while the port is in progress

Step 4 — Porting Period (1–3 Weeks)

After submission, your carrier processes the request. This typically takes 1–3 business weeks depending on the carrier. During this period:

• Your temporary Steer number is fully active for outbound calls

• Inbound calls to your OLD number continue routing through your old system until cutover

• Do NOT cancel your old carrier service yet — doing so before cutover will cause you to lose the number permanently

• You can track port status in the Steer admin panel: Pending → In Progress → Completed

When your carrier approves the transfer, cutover happens automatically. During cutover:

• Inbound calls to your ported number immediately begin ringing on your Steer phones

• Your temporary number is decommissioned

• Your outbound caller ID updates to your ported number

• Your old system stops receiving calls to that number

Cutover is designed to be seamless — no calls should be dropped during the transition window. If you experience any issues immediately post-cutover, contact Steer support right away.

Step 6 — Confirm Everything is Working

After cutover, verify the following before doing anything else:

1. Call your ported number from a cell phone — it should ring on your Steer desk phones

2. Make an outbound call — the recipient should see your business number, not a Twilio or unknown number

3. Confirm your caller ID name (CNAM) displays correctly — this may take up to 72 hours to propagate

4. Contact your old carrier and confirm that service is fully terminated

---

Porting Timeline Summary

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

Port Rejected: Incorrect PIN

Cause: The porting PIN you submitted does not match what your carrier has on file.

Fix: Call your current carrier and ask them to confirm or reset your porting PIN. Resubmit with the corrected PIN. Expect an additional 3–5 business days.

Port Rejected: Name Mismatch

Cause: The authorized name you submitted does not exactly match the name on your carrier account.

Fix: Call your carrier and ask them to read back the exact name on the account. Correct it in your Steer intake information and resubmit.

Port Rejected: Wrong Account Number

Cause: The account number provided is your phone number, an invoice number, or an outdated account number.

Fix: Log into your carrier portal or call billing support. The account number is usually on the top of your bill, separate from your phone number.

Number Not Portable

Cause: Your number is tied to a DSL internet service bundle, is in a rural area with carrier restrictions, or is a toll-free number.

Fix: Speak with your Steer onboarding contact. Options may include unbundling the number from internet service or acquiring a new number. Toll-free numbers have a different porting process.

Calls Still Routing to Old System After Cutover

Cause: Some calls may take a short time to re-route after cutover due to carrier propagation. If it persists beyond 2 hours, your old system may still be active.

Fix: Contact Steer support immediately. Also verify with your old carrier that the number has been fully released.

Outbound Caller ID Shows Wrong Number

Cause: Caller ID is still showing your temporary number or an unrelated number.

Fix: Check that your system-level caller ID is set to your ported number in the Steer admin panel. If the setting is correct but still showing incorrectly, contact support.

Caller ID Name (CNAM) is Blank or Incorrect

Cause: CNAM (the business name that shows on the recipient’s phone) propagates through national databases that can take up to 72 hours to update after cutover. This is normal.

Fix: Wait 72 hours. If it’s still incorrect after that, contact Steer support to request a CNAM update.

What to Do While Your Port is Pending

The porting period feels like limbo. Here’s exactly how to operate during it.

If your business uses multiple phone numbers (main line, secondary line, fax), all of them can be ported. Each number is ported individually but submitted together in a single request.

• List every number you want to transfer during intake — do not add numbers after the fact

• All numbers on the request must belong to the same carrier account

• Numbers from different carriers must be submitted as separate port requests

• Fax numbers may require special handling — flag this with your Steer contact

Alternative: Call Forwarding (No Port Required)

If you want to use Steer’s AI features, call recording, or after-hours handling without switching your phone system, call forwarding is an alternative to porting.

With call forwarding:

• Your number stays with your current carrier

• Calls to your number are forwarded to a Steer number

• Steer’s AI, routing, and recording features apply to forwarded calls

• No port request needed — no porting timeline

Limitations of call forwarding vs. porting:

• Two-hop routing can introduce slight audio latency

• You continue paying your old carrier for the number

• Outbound calls from Steer phones will show a Steer number, not your original number

Glossary

If you have questions about your port request or something looks wrong:

• Contact your Steer onboarding representative directly

• Do not contact your old carrier to “check on the port” — some carriers will use this as an opportunity to cancel the request

• If your port is rejected, Steer will notify you with the reason and next steps