O2
Vodafone
Three
giffgaff
Sky Mobile
SMARTY
Talkmobile
iD Mobile
For EE customers
Missed call text service for EE
EE is the largest mobile network in the UK, and it is the one we see most often on tradespeople's business lines. If you are on EE and your phone rings out while you are up a ladder or under a sink, the call currently lands in voicemail — and most callers hang up rather than leave one. TextTheCaller replaces that dead end with a text from your business name, sent within seconds of the call going unanswered.
Why EE customers end up losing missed calls
EE sets up voicemail by default on almost every consumer and business plan, so unanswered calls have somewhere to go and you never notice the leak. You see "1 missed call", you ring back twenty minutes later, and the customer has already booked someone else. Switching the unanswered-call destination from EE's voicemail to TextTheCaller means the caller hears the same thing they always did — your phone ringing out — but they get a text from you instead of a voicemail beep.
Setup
Setting it up on EE
EE exposes unanswered-call divert through the phone's built-in call forwarding settings.
-
1
Open the Phone app or your handset settings and find Call forwarding or Call divert.
-
2
Choose the rule for When unanswered or No answer only. Do not turn on Always forward.
-
3
Enter your TextTheCaller forwarding number. You get it the moment you sign up, together with the exact dial code for your network.
-
4
If your phone asks for a delay before forwarding, use 20 seconds.
-
5
Save the change and place a quick test call from another number.
You'll get the exact forwarding number and the dial code for your line when you sign up — the placeholders above are filled in for you.
EE device guides use this same screen for voicemail setup. Replace the voicemail target with the TextTheCaller forwarding number instead.
If your handset cannot save the setting, open the EE help article below and follow the model-specific device guide for your phone.
EE's own documentation: EE call divert help
What your EE caller receives
An SMS from your business name — not a number they don't recognise — with whatever message you've written, delivered within seconds of the call going unanswered. We never answer the call itself: your network forwards it to us, we reject it immediately, and the text goes out. There is no receptionist, phone menu or hold music between you and your customer.
Because it sends from your business name rather than a phone number, the message is one-way — the caller can't reply to it. That's why a good text-back gives them something they can act on instead: a booking link, an email address, or simply when you'll ring them back.
Mobile numbers only
Landlines, withheld and international callers are skipped, so you never burn a text on a number that can't receive one.
One text per caller
The same person calling repeatedly gets one message every 7 days, not one per call.
50 texts a month
Included in the £6.49/month price. No per-text charges and no surprise bills.
Missed call texts on EE: common questions
Yes. Conditional call forwarding for unanswered calls is a standard network feature rather than a plan add-on, so it is available on EE consumer and business lines alike. If your line is managed by an employer, the account holder may need to allow the change.
Yes. Orange and T-Mobile lines were folded into EE, so those numbers behave exactly like any other EE line for call forwarding purposes.
Only for unanswered calls, which is the point. You are changing where an unanswered call goes. If you want voicemail back at any time, dial ##61# from your handset and the line reverts to EE's default.
Other UK networks
Never lose another EE call to voicemail
Keep your number. Two minutes to set up. Cancel whenever you like.
7 days free, then £6.49/mo. Cancel any time.
TextTheCaller is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by or otherwise connected to EE, or any other mobile network. EE and all other network names and logos are trademarks of their respective owners and are used here only to describe which networks this service works with. Setup instructions are provided in good faith and may change if the network changes its own settings — always check the operator's official guidance, linked above, if something doesn't match what you see on your phone.