To change the extension name on a Yealink phone, you modify two key fields per account line: the Label, which controls what appears on your own phone's screen, and the Display Name, which appears on the called party's phone when you place a call. This is done exclusively through the phone's web interface, as the phone's handset menu does not provide a documented path for changing the extension name itself.
Prerequisites to change extension name on Yealink phone
Before you begin, you need the phone's IP address, which you can find by pressing the OK button on the handset. You also need administrative credentials to log into the web interface, the default username and password are both admin, though your provider may have set a different password. Finally, know which account or extension line you want to edit, because the visible name is set per account/line, not as a universal phone-wide label.
Accessing the Yealink web interface
- Open a web browser on a computer connected to the same network as the phone.
- Enter the phone's IP address into the browser's address bar and press Enter.
- Sign in using your administrative username and password.
Configuring the account display fields
- Navigate to the Account tab in the web interface.
- Select the specific account or extension line you want to edit.
- Set Line Active to Enabled.
- Locate the Label field and enter the name you want displayed on the phone's own screen. The Label and Display Name are not the same field; Label is for the local phone screen, Display Name is for the called party’s phone.
- Locate the Display Name field and enter the name you want shown on another person's phone when you call out.
- Set the Register Name field only if your provider requires it; it is the registration name, not the displayed name.
Saving your changes
After entering the desired information in the fields, click the Confirm button to save and apply the new names to the phone. The updated Label will appear on your phone's screen immediately, and the Display Name will be sent to called parties on your next outgoing call.
Note that this process is for the desk phone itself. If you are changing names and labels on mobile devices or updating phone number on apps and accounts, those changes are managed separately through their respective interfaces and are not handled by the Yealink phone's web settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the extension name directly from the phone's handset menu?
No. Based on available Yealink documentation, the handset menu does not include a setting for changing the extension name. The only documented method is through the web interface's Account fields.
What is the difference between Label and Display Name?
The Label appears on your own Yealink phone's screen to identify the line. The Display Name appears on the called party's phone when you place a call, showing who is calling. They are independent fields and can be set to different values.
Do I need to restart the phone after saving the changes?
No restart is required. Clicking Confirm in the web interface applies the changes immediately to the phone's active configuration.
Will changing the extension name affect my voicemail or call forwarding settings?
No. Changing the Label and Display Name only affects how the line is identified visually and how your name appears on outgoing calls. It does not alter voicemail, forwarding, or other feature settings.
Is there a character limit for the extension name fields?
Yealink's documentation does not specify a character limit for the Label or Display Name fields. However, it is best to keep names reasonably short to ensure they display correctly on the phone screen and called-party devices.
Related reading: How To Use Intercom On Cisco Phone.
