Setting Up Text Relay Services on Home Phones

What Text Relay Actually Does

Text relay is one of those services that quietly transforms a household. If someone in your home is deaf, hard of hearing, or has difficulty with speech, a relay service lets them make and receive ordinary phone calls with a little help from a trained operator sitting in the middle of the conversation.

Here is how it works in practice. You type what you want to say into a textphone, a smartphone app, or a computer. The operator reads your words aloud to the person at the other end. When that person replies, the operator types their words back to you, so you read the response on your screen. The whole exchange happens in seconds and feels surprisingly natural once you are used to the rhythm.

There are variations on the theme. Hearing carry-over lets someone with limited speech listen directly to the other person's voice while an operator speaks their typed replies. Voice carry-over works the other way round: you speak for yourself and read the typed responses. Both are worth asking about if a standard relay call does not quite suit you.

What You'll Need at Home

The good news is that you almost certainly have most of the kit already. To use text relay from home you need:

• A working telephone line or a broadband connection.
• Either a textphone plugged into the phone socket, or a computer, tablet or smartphone running a relay app.
• A free relay account, which you register for once and then use across your devices.
• A little patience for the first call or two while you find your typing speed.

Textphones look like a small keyboard with a display, and they connect to your line in exactly the same way as an ordinary handset. If you would rather not buy one, the software route is usually simpler and works over your existing internet connection.

Setting It Up, Step by Step

Registration is free and can normally be done online or over the phone with a little help from a relative or support worker. Once you are registered, the setup is straightforward.

• Install the app or connect the textphone. Plug a textphone into the master socket, or download the relay app onto the device you plan to use most.
• Sign in with your relay account. This links your number to the service so calls route correctly.
• Save your regular contacts with the access code in front of the number so you do not have to remember it every time.
• Make a test call. Ring a friend or family member and talk them through what is happening. A practice run removes most of the nerves.
• Test the emergency route too. It is far better to know it works before you need it.

Dialling with Text Relay: The Access Codes

The system runs on a set of prefixes that tell the network a relay operator needs to join the call. These are the numbers worth writing down and keeping beside the phone.

• 18001 followed by the number you want — for a textphone or app user calling a standard voice number.
• 18002 followed by the number you want — for a voice caller who wants to ring a textphone user.
• 18000 — the emergency services, connecting you to police, fire, ambulance or coastguard through relay.

Calls between two textphone users do not need an operator at all, so you can dial those numbers directly. If you use a mobile, you can also register for the emergency text service, which lets you send a short text to the emergency services when a voice call is not possible.

Relay Over Broadband and the Digital Switchover

This is the part that catches people out. The UK's old analogue telephone network is being retired, and landlines are gradually moving to internet-based calling. For most households that change is invisible, but relay users need to think about it.

Traditional textphones were designed for the old copper network. Some do not behave well when their tones are squeezed through a digital connection, and you may find characters dropping or calls failing to connect. If you are moving to a digital landline, ask your provider directly whether your specific textphone is supported, and consider switching to the app-based route instead. An app running over your broadband is generally the most reliable option and gives you far more flexibility about where you make calls from.

Two practical points are worth remembering. First, a digital phone service usually stops working in a power cut, so keep a charged mobile to hand and tell your provider if anyone in the household depends on the line for medical or emergency reasons. Second, if you rely on relay, ask to be placed on the priority fault repair list — it exists precisely for situations like this.

Costs, Emergencies and Everyday Tips

Relay itself costs nothing extra. You pay your normal call charges, exactly as you would for any other call, and the operator assistance comes at no additional cost. Registration is free, and there is no monthly fee for the service.

A few habits make life easier. Slow down slightly when you speak, and type in short chunks rather than long paragraphs, so the conversation keeps flowing. Tell new callers at the start that you are using relay, so they know to expect a brief pause before each reply. Keep the access codes saved in your phone's contacts, and check your setup once a year, particularly if you change broadband provider or router.

Set up properly, text relay turns a phone line back into what it should be: a simple way to stay in touch with the people who matter.