One of the perks of a multi-line household is the ability to give a dedicated phone line to the person or people who need to have their own. Whatever the reason might be for wanting two or more separate phone lines, Ooma has got you covered with private accounts. Combined with personal numbers, you can give anyone in the house their own telephone, phone number, and My Ooma account. You can have all the benefits of multiple phone lines with none of the hassles or added expenses!

  1. What are private accounts?
  2. How do I set up a private account?
  3. What features do private accounts have access to?
  4. What is the difference between a private account and a shared device?
  5. Can I add another number to my private account?
  6. Can I add more than one device to my private account?
  7. Can I assign a phone number to ring on more than one private account?
  8. How many private accounts can I create?
  9. How do I delete a private account?
  10. If I have more than two private accounts, can all of them be on a phone call at once?
  11. Are private accounts available to all users?

What are private accounts?

Private accounts allow you to set aside one or more of your Ooma devices as a dedicated line that will only ring when a particular phone number is dialed. Devices assigned to private accounts are autonomous from the devices assigned to your main Ooma account. Private accounts also have their own My Ooma login that can be used to check private voicemail, configure customized calling preferences, select custom ring tones, and more.

You might be interested in setting up private accounts if one of these situations resonates with you:

  • You have a home business that needs its own phone line
  • You wish to have a dedicated fax line
  • You have a child or children old enough for individual phones
  • You have a roommate, tenant, or live-in relatives

Since you don’t have to worry about the hassle and cost of rewiring your home to accommodate multiple phone lines, you can easily customize everything so it’s right for you and your family.

The screenshot below shows an example account setup:

private account setup

In this setup, the household’s main account is assigned to the phone number (555) 888-8888. The household’s Ooma Pendant and the Ooma HD2 Handset will ring when a call comes in to this line, but the Ooma Telo Base Station or Phone Genie will not.

A private account has been created for a home office and has been assigned the phone number (555) 888-8885. The Telo Base Station or Phone Genie will ring when this number is dialed, but the Pendant and HD2 Handset will not.

How do I set up a private account?

To get started, you’ll need to have a subscription to Ooma Premier. You’ll want to set up at least one personal phone number as well (although this can be done later). Once you’ve done that, you can set up at private account by following these directions:

  1. Log into your My Ooma account and navigate to Devices under the Preferences tab
  2. Click on “+Add a Personal Private Account” to bring up a pop-up window that requests information for the new account
  3. Fill out all of the information
    Important: Be careful when you set up the Login Information, as this will be the information for the private account’s My Ooma account
  4. Save your information

You can now reassign devices from your main account to your personal account. You can also assign a phone number to your personal account by following these directions:

  1. Go to Phone Numbers under the Preferences tab
  2. If you only have one phone number available, follow these instructions to add a new phone number to your account:
    1. Select “Add phone number” to bring up the screen pictured below:
      add phone number
    2. Enter the area code you’d like, and search to see if it’s available
    3. Select the city you’d like
    4. If there are numbers available, select the one you want; if not, try a different area code and city combination
    5. Fill in the requested information
    6. Save your preferences
  3. Click on the settings icon next to next to the phone number you want to reassign
  4. Select the option to move the number to your private account from the dropdown menu

Now all incoming calls on that phone number will only ring on the devices assigned to the private account you’ve specified.

Note: You can subscribe to up to eight additional phone numbers, for a grand total of ten phone numbers to associate to various private accounts.

What features do private accounts have access to?

A private account has most of the features of your main My Ooma account. You can customize your device in most of the ways you could customize your normal Ooma including voicemail forwarding, custom ring patterns, call forwarding, and individualized privacy preferences.

Although private accounts can be used to make international phone calls with money that is already in your prepaid account (or if the main account has subscribed to an international bundle), it cannot be used to add money to your prepaid account or purchase additional services.

Reference: You can learn more about private voicemail and custom phone numbers by visiting our FAQs.

What is the difference between a private account and a shared device?

By default, all of your phone numbers will ring all of your Ooma devices. This is just like a regular phone line where all your phones ring at home when you receive a call.

When you create a private account, you move one or more devices into a group that is separate from the other devices. Those devices will only ring when you receive a call to a phone number that is also associated with the private account.

Calls that are not directed to the private account will ring on your shared pool of devices that are not assigned to the private account.

Can I add another number to my private account?

Yes! A private account can have more than one phone number associated with it. You can add another phone number by clicking on the “Add a new phone number” link next to the private account.

Can I add more than one device to my private account?

Yes! A private account can have more than one device assigned to it.

Can I assign a phone number to ring on more than one private account?

No. You will need to specify which private account a phone number is assigned to.

How many private accounts can I create?

You can have a maximum of five private accounts: one for your Ooma Telo Base Station or Phone Genie, and one each for up to four Ooma accessories such as the Ooma HD3 Handset, the Ooma HD2 Handset, or the Ooma Linx.

How do I delete a private account?

Navigate to the Devices screen. Click on the edit icon icon beside the account you’d like to delete, and select “Delete” from the dropdown menu.

If I have more than two private accounts, can all of them be on a phone call at once?

No. You can only have up to two concurrent phone calls on your Ooma Telo Base Station or Phone Genie at any given time. Any additional incoming phone calls will go straight to the voicemail for whichever line the call came in on.

Are private accounts available to all users?

Private accounts rely on having two or more phone numbers, which means they are only available to Ooma Premier subscribers.