Frequently asked questions

ChatterBox provides outbound dialing to any phone number (cell phones, landlines, etc.) in the United States and Canada.

Inbound calls can come from any of those same kinds of phone numbers.

And, of course, you can call any friend with ChatterBox phone service too!

But - no matter the phone number, it must be set up in your ChatterBox account before a call will be allowed in or out.

Most of our phones must be plugged into power to work, except for the WalkieTalk and WalkieTalk+, which have batteries and need to be charged.

Not for our Wi-Fi phones! ChatterBox phones connect via Wi-Fi (except for our “OldSchool” analog adapter). You can put the phone anywhere you have Wi-Fi - your child’s bedroom, the kitchen, or wherever makes sense for your family. You can even move it from one room to another whenever you like: just remember, you do have to plug it in to power for it to work.

Emergency calls (911) go through, regardless of parental control settings. After an emergency call, a 2-hour callback window opens where anyone can call in so emergency services can call back even if they’re not on your approved list.

If you have 911 alerts set up, you’ll receive a text message alerting you that an emergency call was dialed from the ChatterBox line.

Yes! All administration happens in your ChatterBox account, which is smartphone friendly.

You can enable our parent PIN override mode that allows you to dial a PIN to complete an outbound call.

No contracts! Cancel anytime. The phone is a one-time purchase that you keep even if you cancel service.

You buy the phone here, one time. Create your ChatterBox account and add contacts before it arrives. When the phone arrives, use the activation card in the box to choose monthly ($9.95) or annual ($99) service and activate your line.

Yes, we support that! Please place an order for one phone line and then reach out to support@chatterboxphone.com, and we’ll get more handsets added to your order. Extra extensions are normally an additional $2/month for each extension, but we’re waiving this fee for 2026.

When someone calls the ChatterBox phone number, both phones will ring, and whichever phone is picked up first will answer the call. It’s not like 1995, though ... you won’t be able to pick up the other phone and hear the conversation on the other phone. Also! Even if one phone is in use, the other phone can still make and receive calls!

Yes! We have our WalkieTalk and WalkieTalk+, which run on Wi-Fi. You can also connect your own cordless phone to the OldSchool adapter.

Some of our phones have Caller ID, and some do not. Please check the phone description to see if the model you’re interested in has it or not.

Want your kids to kick it old school like you did on your vintage hamburger or big red lips phone? (yes, those were things!)

You can do that! You’ll want to order the “OldSchool“, which is an analog phone adapter. Keep in mind, it does not have Wi-Fi and must be plugged in by network wire and phone wire to both your internet connection and your analog phone.

Yes, each ChatterBox line gets voicemail!

Yes! Simply set up “Quiet Hours” in your ChatterBox account, and you can stop inbound and outbound calls (except for 911!) during those times.

We support three-way conference dialing. See your phone’s documentation for instructions.

Yep! You can easily turn off parental controls in your ChatterBox account.

Note: Parental controls cannot currently be disabled in the state of California.

We’re investigating whether video calling would fit into our model. It would only work for calling other phones on our network. If you’re interested, let us know you’d like to see video calling on our platform.