In an emergency, seconds matter. The last thing you want to worry about is what’s going on behind the scenes when you dial 911 – you just want help to get to you as soon as possible! We understand the importance of emergency situations, which is why residential and office Ooma units come bundled with 911 services. You can rest assured that if a time comes that you need help, help will be able to find you.

  1. How does 911 work with Ooma?
  2. Are there any limitations to calling 911 with Ooma?
  3. How is 911 with Ooma different from with a landline or cell phone?
  4. If the power is out, can I still dial 911?
  5. What do I need to do if I move or change addresses?
  6. I am not living in the United States or Canada. Do I need to keep my 911 information updated?
  7. Is there any way to be notified if someone dials 911 from my home?

How does 911 work with Ooma?

When you register your physical Ooma device, you must provide a valid address within the country of purchase (either the U.S. or Canada). This address is filed as your service address. If you dial 911, your service address is forwarded to emergency response personnel so that they can locate you. It is very important to keep your service address up to date so that emergency personnel can be dispatched to the right location in the event of an emergency.

Note: If your physical location cannot be determined by your service address on file, you will be routed to a national call center to confirm your location so that your call can be forwarded to the appropriate local authority.

Important: Ooma cannot provide 911 service without both power and a working broadband Internet connection. For more information, please click here (or here for Canadian customers).

Are there any limitations to calling 911 with Ooma?

Calls to 911 can only work from a physical Ooma device such as the Hub, Telo Base Station, Ooma Phone Genie or Ooma Office Base Station. 911 calls are not available from the Ooma Home Phone app app.

How is 911 with Ooma different from with a landline or cell phone?

When you call 911 from a landline, your local telephone exchange will route you to your local 911 call center. This is similar to the way in which the Ooma 911 service works.

When you use a cell phone to dial 911, your location is approximated through triangulation from nearby cell phone towers. Provided that you have kept your service address up to date, calling 911 on your Ooma is much more accurate than calling from your cell phone.

Important: Please keep in mind that landline connections do not need an Internet connection or power (with a corded phone) to work, whereas Ooma needs both.

Important: Calls to 911 with the Ooma Home Phone app app on your cell phone will not work.

If the power is out, can I still dial 911?

The Ooma system is dependent on power to function, so if there is no power you won’t have a phone signal and won’t be able to place or receive calls.

Reference: For information about backup options for your Ooma device during a power outage, you may wish to see this article.

Note: Any cell phone with a charge and a signal can be used to make 911 calls, regardless of whether that cell phone is activated with a cell phone plan. If you are concerned about reaching emergency response personnel during power or Internet outages, you may wish to keep a deactivated cell phone charged within your home.

What do I need to do if I move or change addresses?

If you move or change addresses, you will need to update your service address. You can accomplish that by doing the following:

  1. Log into your My Ooma account
  2. Navigate to Service Address under Account
  3. Fill out your home address in its entirety
  4. Save your changes

I am not living in the United States or Canada. Do I need to keep my 911 information updated?

Ooma is required to keep a valid United States or Canada address on file for anyone who owns an Ooma device, even if you’re using the device out of the country. We are looking into ways to allow people living outside of the United States or Country to disable 911 service to remove this requirement in the future.

Is there any way to be notified if someone dials 911 from my home?

It can be unnerving to leave your children alone with a babysitter or your elderly loved ones home alone. Now, Ooma users can use the 911 Notifications feature to be instantly alerted if 911 is dialed from the home phone. To learn more, visit our 911 Notifications FAQ.