Question 1

How do I enable mobile Hotspot?

Accepted Answer

Our plans include the mobile Hotspot feature at no extra charge.
The data you use via Hotspot just pulls from your monthly Data balance. All you need is a hotspot-capable phone.
When your data plan balance runs out and your Pay As You Go balance falls below $0.50, throttling is automatically enabled and hotspot automatically disabled.

To enable Hotspot on iPhones:

Go to Settings on your phone.
Select Cellular Data, then Personal Hotspot.
Turn on your hotspot.

To enable Hotspot on Android phones:

Go to Settings on your phone.
Select Connections or Networks.
Choose Mobile Hotspot and Tethering.
Turn ON your hotspot.

It may differ on different Android devices, so if the above instructions don’t work, give Google search a try.

Question 2

What is the E911 Emergency Address?

Accepted Answer

In order to use Wi-Fi Calling your Tello line requires an emergency address to be configured in My Tello » My Settings.

This is needed because if you call 911 over Wi-Fi Calling we may transmit your E911 Registered Address to the 911 Communications Center. This will help emergency responders locate you when you are unable to provide your contact information and current location. Please note, you will need to update your E911 Registered Address if you plan on using Wi-Fi Calling at a location different from the E911 Registered Address saved in your Tello account.

Question 3

How can I use Wi-Fi Calling?

Accepted Answer

Wi-Fi Calling & Text is included with your Tello service.
This feature is available on the vast majority of Tello-compatible phones and you can check your own phone settings to confirm. It allows for calling & texting via the closest available Wi-Fi network which could be at a hotel, your office, at home, or even a Wi-Fi hotspot.
It is an ideal alternative to Roaming (which we don't yet offer) when you are traveling abroad or even when you experience poor network coverage at home in the US.
You can use Wi-Fi Calling with Tello if the following conditions are met:

your device supports Wi-Fi Calling which the majority of Tello-compatible phones do.
you have enabled Wi-Fi Calling on the device.
you have registered an E911 address in your Tello online account (or through your phone Menu).
the Wi-Fi network you are using allows Wi-Fi Calling. Obviously, this is not within Tello's control or responsibility.

How is Wi-Fi Calling & Texting Charged?
Wi-Fi Calling & Texting has no additional charge.
It's simply taken from your existing plan balance or your Pay As You Go balance, whichever applies to the activity.
For example, if you receive any calls (no matter where from) or if you call the US or any of the 60+ included international destinations then the minutes of those calls will be deducted from your minutes' plan balance.
If, on the other hand, you call an international destination that is not included in our plans (Ex: Cuba), then it will be charged from your Pay As You Go balance if you have one.
The same logic applies to Wi-Fi Text.

One-Time Passwords (OTPs)
You can receive any kind of text message if you have successfully set up WiFi calling & text.
This includes, one-time passwords (OTPs) and shortcodes for verification and 2-factor authentication.
If Wi-Fi calling & text is working for you while abroad and you’re receiving SMS's as usual, there should be no problem for you to get texts from your bank for verification.
However, of course, MMS will not work.

Please check our International Calling page for included countries and the rates for excluded countries.
Also, please visit our Blog for more details about Wi-Fi Calling & Text.

Question 4

How can I set up call forwarding?

Accepted Answer

You can forward your calls to another local number at no extra charge.
However, the calls answered at your forwarding destination (voicemail included) will be charged from your plan or Pay As You Go balance.
Depending on your phone model, you should be able to set up Call Forwarding directly from the Settings/Menu of your phone.

Here's what you need to do to activate Call Forwarding, you can also dial specific codes to enable or disable Call Forwarding:
Activate Unconditional Call Forwarding (all calls): Dial **21*1number# (example: **21*16781112222#)
Deactivate Unconditional Call Forwarding: Dial ##21#

Activate Call Forwarding when No Answer (call not picked up): Dial **61*1number# (example: **61*16781112222#)
Deactivate Call Forwarding when No Answer: Dial ##61#

Activate Call Forwarding when Not Reachable (out of coverage): Dial **62*1number# (example: **62*16781112222#)
Deactivate Call Forwarding when Not Reachable: Dial ##62#

Activate Call Forwarding when Busy (reject call): Dial **67*1number# (example: **67*16781112222#)
Deactivate Call Forwarding when Busy: Dial ##67#

When Call Forwarding is active, the calling party will no longer reach your Voicemail. Please note that calls can not be forwarded to an international number.

Question 5

How is Wi-Fi Calling & Texting Charged?

Accepted Answer

Wi-Fi Calling & Texting has no additional charge.
It's simply taken from your existing plan balance or your Pay As You Go balance, whichever applies to the activity.
For example, if you receive any calls (no matter where from) or if you call the US or any of the 60+ included international destinations then the minutes of those calls will be deducted from your minutes' plan balance.
If, on the other hand, you call an international destination that is not included in our plans (Ex: Cuba), then it will be charged from your Pay As You Go balance if you have one.
The same logic applies to Wi-Fi Text.

Question 6

How do I set up & access my Voicemail?

Accepted Answer

To set up your Voicemail for the first time, or to set it up again (Voicemail invalid message), follow these steps:

Press and hold the 1 key or dial 123 on your device.
You will be automatically connected to your voice mailbox and be prompted to enter your password.
By default, your Voicemail password (PIN) is the last 4 digits of your phone number followed by the # key.
When prompted, enter a new 4-9 digit password, then press the # key.
You cannot use repetitive or sequential numbers.
Press # to keep the password or press * to change it.
Follow the prompts to choose your security level & record your name & greeting (4 minutes max for all devices).
Your voicemail should now be ready to use.

To access your Voicemail setting menu, press and hold the 1 key or dial 123 on your device dial pad. The maximum length of a voicemail message is 4 minutes.

If you forget your Voicemail password, dial #793# and send/call on your phone and your voicemail password will be reset to the last 4 digits of your phone number.
None of your messages will be deleted.
We recommend that you change your password again after this.

For iPhones, you can also reset the password by heading to Settings > Phone and tapping Change Voicemail Password.

To access your Voicemail from another line, dial your number from the external line.
When your voicemail greeting begins, dial * and when prompted enter your password.

On your Android device, 60 messages can be stored on Voicemail.
On your non-Android device, 45 messages can be stored on Voicemail.

On your Android device, saved & played messages will be deleted after 5 days of being saved/played.
On your non-Android device, saved & played messages will be deleted after 60 days of being saved/played.
For all devices, unplayed messages will be deleted after 60 days.
Turning your voicemail OFF and ON will delete saved messages & saved greetings.

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