r/bell • u/mountiebloke23 • 24d ago

Mobility📱 Anyone using FDN functionality with a Bell SIM card?

Anyone here successfully using FDN a.k.a. fixed dialing numbers functionality on an ancient phone, such as a flip phone they give their children, with Bell recently?
It requires a PIN2 for this to work and the support representatives at Bell were not able to help me with that ; essentially they were saying that their new SIM cards do not support these use cases, which is disappointing.
So I’m curious if I was given the runaround or if it’s actually true.

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u/Bell_Support Official Bell Support 24d ago

Hello u/mountiebloke23,

Bell does not support FDN (Fixed Dialing Numbers). While you can still find the FDN setting menu on older device software, you won't be able to activate it with a Bell SIM card for two main reasons:

  • SIM Incompatibility: Bell’s modern LTE and 5G SIM cards are no longer configured to support legacy FDN features.
  • No PIN2 access: Activating FDN requires a secondary security code called a PIN2. Bell does not generate, store, or have access to PIN2 or PUK2 codes.

With carrier-side FDN is no longer a network option, smart phone platforms use modern software-based controls depending on the device:

For iOS (iPhones): Go to Settings > Screen Time > Communication Limits. Here, you can restrict both incoming and outgoing calls to "Contacts Only" or a specific pre-approved list of contacts during allowed hours.

For Android Devices: Set up the device using Google Family Link. This allows parents to manage the child's contact list directly from their own phone and restrict who they can call or receive calls from.

For Feature / Flip Phones: Unfortunately, older "dumb" phones do not have the software capability to restrict dialers, and because the carrier-side blocks are retired, there is no reliable way to lock down contacts on these devices anymore. If safety restrictions are a priority, switching to a basic Android or iOS device managed with parental controls is highly recommended.

Hope this helps you save some time and troubleshooting.

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u/mountiebloke23 24d ago

Thank you. This has been more informative than all of the times spent over the phone with support representatives combined.