A pocket landline gives you a landline-style phone number that rings straight through to your mobile, wherever you are. It's a popular option for small businesses and freelancers who want to look established with a landline number, without being tied to a desk or an office phone.
A pocket landline is a landline number, usually a standard UK 01, 02, or 03 number, that's linked to your mobile phone instead of a physical phone line. When someone calls your landline number, the call rings through to your mobile, so you can answer it from wherever you happen to be.
It gives you the professional look of a landline number, combined with the mobility of a mobile phone.
Getting set up is usually straightforward:
With Rinkel, this whole process typically takes a few minutes: you choose your number in the app, and calls start coming through to your mobile without any hardware, adapters, or engineer visits.
This depends on the provider, and it's worth checking before you sign up. Many pocket landline and VoIP-based services rely on an internet connection or mobile data to connect calls, which means poor signal or no data can affect call quality or availability.
Rinkel works differently: calls come through to your mobile over the standard mobile network, in the same way an ordinary phone call does, rather than through a VoIP app that depends on a data connection. That means your landline number on mobile keeps working even in areas with weak wifi or data coverage, as long as you have normal mobile signal.
Pricing varies by provider and depends on the number of users, minutes included, and whether you want additional features like call routing or voicemail. As a rough guide, expect to pay anywhere from a few pounds a month for a basic number with limited minutes, up to £10-£15 a month for unlimited calling and extra features.
With Rinkel, pricing is a flat monthly fee per number, with no separate charges for adding features like voicemail or business hours, and porting an existing number across is included.
Yes. With a pocket landline service, your mobile becomes the device you use to make and receive calls on your landline number, without needing a separate desk phone.
Yes, physical landline handsets are still sold, though with the UK's copper landline network being phased out by 31 January 2027, most new landline-style numbers now work through digital or mobile-based services rather than a traditional phone plugged into the wall.
This depends on how many minutes and features you need, since providers structure their pricing differently. It's worth comparing the total monthly cost, including any extras for voicemail, call recording, or additional users, rather than just the headline price.
Yes, depending on the provider. A pocket landline like Rinkel connects calls over the mobile network rather than through a wifi-dependent app, so it keeps working without a wifi or data connection, as long as you have normal mobile signal.
Traditional copper landlines work without internet, but they're being phased out in the UK by 31 January 2027. Their digital replacements, including some pocket landline services, do typically need an internet or mobile data connection, though this varies by provider.
A pocket landline number linked to your mobile is usually cheaper than a traditional landline line rental, since there's no physical line, hardware, or installation cost involved.
Some people value having a fixed number that's separate from their personal mobile, particularly for business use, or prefer the reliability associated with a landline number. A pocket landline offers a way to get that same fixed, professional number without an actual physical phone line.
Yes, you can still buy a standalone landline handset, though you'll need it connected to a phone line or digital service to actually make and receive calls on it.
A traditional analogue landline plugged directly into the wall socket can sometimes work during a power cut, since it's powered down the phone line itself. Digital landlines and pocket landline services rely on your mobile phone or router having power, so they won't work if your device's battery runs out or your router loses power.
Discover it for yourself - Not satisfied within 30 days? Then you'll simply get your money back. Sign up now!
