A number you have just bought passes through a few states before it starts taking calls. This explains what you are looking at.
Right after you buy
Pending
Your payment went through and we have placed the order with our carrier. The number is yours but is not callable yet.
In progress
The carrier is setting the number up on their network.
Active
The number is live and taking calls. For Canadian and US numbers this usually happens within about half a minute of purchase. International numbers can take longer — some countries process orders in business days rather than seconds.
Failed
The carrier could not complete the order. You are not charged for a number that fails to provision — the payment is reversed automatically. This normally means the number was taken by someone else in the moments between your search and your purchase. Search again and pick another.
Later in a number's life
Reserved
A short-lived state while a carrier order is in flight. You will rarely see it.
Suspended
The number has been released and moved out of your account. It is not taking calls, and it is in the window where you can still get it back. See Getting Back a Number You Released.
Scheduled for release
The number is still fully active, and carries an end date. Calls work normally until then.
My number says active but calls are not arriving
The status describes the number itself, not what it is pointed at. An active number with nothing attached has nowhere to send a call. Check that the number is bound to an extension, ring group, queue or voice menu under Phone Numbers → Your Numbers.
It has been much longer than expected
If an international number has been pending for more than two business days, contact support with the number — some countries require documentation to clear before the carrier will issue it, and we can tell you what is outstanding.