If your carrier offers a spam filtering feature, you may need to disable it. Some T‑Mobile users have reported that prison calls will not come through at all unless spam blocking is turned off entirely.

The exact process depends on who initiated the block. Follow these steps in order.

Many facilities require you to create an account and prepay for calls before receiving the first call.

✅ Incarcerated individuals are generally only allowed to call numbers that are pre-approved and on an official "Telephone List". Federal inmates, for instance, typically have a list with up to 30 numbers. If you have a new phone number, they need to update their list, or the call will be automatically rejected.

Prison calls are subject to strict regulations and monitoring to ensure the safety and security of both the inmates and the recipients. Telephone systems in correctional facilities are designed to prevent unauthorized communication, harassment, and other potential security threats. As a result, some calls may be blocked or restricted due to:

Prepaid accounts (sometimes called "AdvancePay" or similar) are much less likely to be blocked than collect calls. Setting up a prepaid account with the provider ensures the system recognizes your number as a pre-approved, paid account. 7. What to Do If Calls Are Still Blocked

: Open the Phone app , tap More (three dots) > Settings > Blocked numbers , and remove the number from the list.

Look up the specific facility's website to see which vendor handles their telecom services (e.g., Securus Technologies, ViaPath/GTL, IC Solutions, or PayTel).

GTL (now operating under the ViaPath brand) is another major prison phone provider. The process for unblocking calls with GTL can be handled either through a prepaid account or through customer service.

Ensure no facility numbers are manually blocked in your phone settings.

Before attempting a fix, you must determine which entity implemented the restriction.

Correctional facilities contract their phone services out to specific private vendors. You must open an account directly with the specific vendor servicing that facility.

Carriers may ask for the specific 10-digit number that appears on your caller ID when the prison calls. Because prisons rotate numbers, ask the inmate to call you three times in a row and write down each different number. Provide all three to your carrier.