How does Caller ID work?
Your outbound caller ID is the name and phone number shown on the receiving device when you place a call. When you make a call, the recipient's caller ID display will show the information that you have set up. The outgoing caller ID will stay the same until it is manually changed in your account settings.
Outbound caller ID can be configured in either Account Manager or 8x8 Admin Console (by an administrator, for any extension). You can edit your own extension using the 8x8 Work applications.
This FAQ refers to US-only local and Toll Free numbers. If you are looking for information on updating E911, see this article. E911 and Caller ID are separate issues and require separate update processes.
Note: If your caller ID appears as Anonymous on outbound calls, this is an issue with your caller ID blocking settings and does not affect your registered caller ID.
Who updates the name on my outgoing Caller ID?
8x8 updates the third-party database with the designated name for your 8x8 phone number. We can ensure everything is done properly on our side, but it is up to the individual telephony carriers to update their own databases.
Why doesn’t the right name show up right away after I changed it in the 8x8 portal and I call people? How long will it take?
While 8x8 updates the third-party database as soon as is requested, it may take up to 24 hours for the third-party service to reflect the update. Additionally, the carriers of the people who you are calling may update their own databases every 30, 60, 90, or 120 days.
It’s been more than 120 days and the wrong name is still showing up. What should I do?
Not all telephony carriers receiving your call may be subscribing to national Caller ID Name databases. These carriers may only be showing names for those inside their own network. You may call 8x8 to ensure the right name is listed by 8x8.
When I call people it only shows the name of the city where my phone number is. How can I change the city or the name?
Some other carriers show the name of the city based on the origination of the phone number you are showing on caller ID. The city name is decided based on the FCC designated associated with the area code and prefix. For example, the 213 area code indicates that a number is associated with Los Angeles, while the 212 area code is associated with New York.
This is not controlled by 8x8 and is being displayed because the receiving party thinks this will be helpful to its own customers. This usually happens in place of not having a Caller ID Name update in their system or because they do not subscribe to the national caller ID database.
See which city and area code is displayed for your number by going to the following sites:
Why doesn't my name show when I call people on their mobile phones?
Many cellular carriers charge an extra fee or may require you to install an application for smartphones to start displaying caller ID Name.
Why doesn't my name show when I call people in other countries?
The caller ID information needs to be retrieved by the receiving carrier from the third-party database. This process is only expected to work for in-country or local calls. When dialing an international destination, the receiving carriers may not support pulling information from local databases.
Why does it show the wrong company name when I call certain people?
The phone number you are assigned may have been listed with a different company in the past and the name is outdated. While 8x8 does update the Name in third-party databases, it is still the responsibility of the carrier you are calling to update based on 8x8’s change in name.
How do I update caller ID name for my 8x8 phone numbers?
Check out this article to set up your outbound caller ID in Account Manager.
Read this article to set your outbound caller ID in 8x8 Admin Console.
Note: There is a limit of 15 characters, including spaces. Entering more than 15 characters will result in your Caller ID Name being truncated. Special characters are not allowed.
If you are still experiencing problems with your outbound caller ID, please create a case with 8x8 Technical Support.