What happens to a phone number when someone dies?
Nothing happens on its own, which is what catches families out. The account stays open until somebody closes it or the bill stops being paid. When it closes, the voicemail greeting is erased along with the account, and after a holding period the carrier gives the number to a new customer. The greeting was never on the phone. It sat on the carrier's voicemail system, so once the account is gone there is nothing left to recover.
How soon do we need to act?
No carrier publishes a firm rule. What we know is that the greeting disappears the day the account is canceled, and phone accounts are often closed within weeks of a death. That is why we ask families to reach us in the first 30 days, and before anyone closes the account. Sooner is always easier.
What if the phone is already turned off?
Tell us the number anyway. Lines often stay recoverable for a while after they are shut off, and there is no payment to check. If the greeting is truly gone, we will say so plainly and you will not be charged.
Do you use AI to recreate their voice?
No. We do not clone voices and we do not generate speech. The only thing anyone ever hears is the greeting they recorded themselves, played exactly as they left it. There is no synthetic version of them here and there never will be.
Does the greeting still work if the phone is broken or lost?
Yes. The greeting was never stored on the handset. It lives on the carrier's voicemail system, which is why we capture it by calling the number rather than by touching the device.
Can we still call the number ourselves?
Yes. That is the point. Anyone who knows the number can call and hear the greeting. If they leave a message, it is saved to your private family archive.
What about people who have not heard the news?
Word never reaches everyone, and some people only ever had this one number. When they call, they hear the greeting rather than a disconnection or a stranger. Their message comes to you with the date and the number they called from, and you reply only if and when you want to.
Who is allowed to set this up?
The executor, the administrator of the estate, or the surviving account holder. The signer confirms that authority in writing as part of the paperwork. A living person can also arrange their own number, in which case no estate authority is needed.
Can I arrange this for myself, ahead of time?
Yes. You record the greeting yourself, you get the files the same day, and you name one person, or a company such as a law firm or a trustee, to take over the line later. Nothing more is charged, and you can change your mind or the person you named at any time by emailing us.
How long does the transfer take?
Usually five to fifteen business days once the paperwork is complete. We capture the greeting and send it to you in the first day or two, so the recording is in your hands long before the carrier side finishes.
What happens after ten years?
We reach out to every registered family member well before the term ends. You can extend in five year blocks, move the number to another carrier at no charge, or ask us to release it. The archive stays downloadable the whole time.
Can we cancel?
Yes, within three days of paying, for any reason. On a $399 order we refund $350 and keep the $49 that covers the capture work and the recording, which is yours to keep if we have already sent it. After three days a change of mind is not refundable, because we start work straight away.
That is separate from our own failures. If we cannot capture the greeting, or the carrier will not release the number, or we stop providing the service, you get every dollar back, and you keep whatever we managed to save.