Phone carrier lookup: which network does this number belong to?
Find the carrier by phone number for most mobile ranges in the UK, India and much of Europe. You also see the line type and a reminder that the number may have moved networks. US and Canadian numbers show no carrier.
US, Canadian, Mexican and Argentine numbers show no carrier, since the data lists none for them and owners can switch networks. You still get the region, time zone and validity. To check the number itself, validate a phone number.
This phone carrier finder runs in your browser. You see the line type, country, time zone and validity, plus the original network and region where the data has them.
What carrier is this number? How the lookup works
What carrier is this phone number on? The carrier lookup tool matches the number to its range, and many mobile ranges carry the name of the network they went to.
| You enter | Network | Line type | Also shown |
|---|---|---|---|
| +44 7400 123456 | Three | Mobile | United Kingdom, UK time |
| +91 81234 56789 | Tata Docomo, now part of Airtel | Mobile | India, India time |
| +44 20 7946 0123 | None for landlines | Landline | London, UK time |
| +1 212 555 0123 | None for US numbers | Landline or mobile | New York, NY, Eastern time, valid |
A phone number provider lookup like this one compares the leading digits with the country's numbering ranges. Mobile results add a reminder that the number may have moved networks, and when a mobile range has no name on record, the result says so.
Mobile operator check: networks and prefixes by country
What network is this number on? Match its first digits in the table to find the network each range went to, called the mobile number operator in India.
| Original network | Ranges | Number ranges (prefix) |
|---|
For India the table names the operator a series was issued to, such as Airtel or Reliance Jio. It leaves out the telecom circle and any operator the number moved to after MNP. Some names are retired brands, and a ported number keeps its prefix.
How to tell if a phone number is a cell or landline (and why US numbers can't be split)
Is this number a landline or cell phone? Outside North America the result usually tells you, and in the US, Canada and Mexico it reads landline or mobile.
Mobile
The range was assigned to a mobile network. The result names that network when the data includes it.
Landline
A fixed-line range tied to a town or region, shown without a network name. You can also check where a phone number is from.
VoIP
Shown only where a country sets aside ranges for internet calling. Elsewhere, a VoIP number looks like an ordinary line.
Landline or mobile
US, Canadian and Mexican cell and landline numbers share the same number patterns, so the result can't split them. A landline or cell phone lookup there needs a live carrier query.
Phone number portability: why the carrier may have changed
Phone number portability lets people keep their number when they move to another network. The range record stays the same after a switch, so a ported number still shows the network it started on.
You see the first network, which may have changed
Where numbers can be ported, as in the UK, India and the EU, read the result as the network the number started on. Some names are old brands. A UK range may show Orange, a brand EE has since retired, and an Indian series may show Idea or Vodafone, both now Vi.
Cell phone carrier lookup: why US and Canadian numbers show no carrier (and how to find it)
A cell phone provider lookup for US numbers needs live porting data, because people switch carriers and keep their numbers. This page reads range data, which leaves US and Canadian ranges without carrier names, so here is what those numbers do show.
| You want | Shown here | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|
| Current carrier | Not shown | A live LNP lookup through a telecom data provider, or ask the owner |
| Cell or landline | Landline or mobile | A live carrier lookup |
| Region | State and often a city in the US, usually the province in Canada | Cities where listed, in the same result |
| Valid or not | Valid or invalid, with the reason | Standard formats on the validator page |
| Local time | Time zone, plus the local time when the area code has one zone | In your result |
The only +1 carrier names in the data cover Caribbean, Atlantic and US-territory ranges such as Jamaica, Bermuda and Puerto Rico. A few blocks in Alabama's 659 area code have one too. Mexican and Argentine numbers get no network name either, and Brazilian mobiles rarely do.
VoIP number lookup: what the prefix can and can't show
This VoIP number checker reads the prefix, so it flags VoIP only where a country reserves ranges for internet calling. Elsewhere a VoIP number looks like any landline or mobile, and an app that takes over an existing number keeps its old type.
| Country | VoIP range | Example read as VoIP |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 056 | 056 1234 5678 |
| France | 09 | 09 12 34 56 78 |
| Netherlands | 085, 091 | 085 123 4567 |
| Ireland | 076 | 076 123 4567 |
| Japan | 050 | 050-1234-5678 |
| United States, India, Germany | None | Reads as landline or mobile |
Questions people ask
What is a VoIP number?
A VoIP number is a phone number that sends calls over the internet instead of a copper line or a mobile network's voice service. It can ring on an app, a computer or a desk phone, and it doesn't depend on a SIM card. Businesses use VoIP for call centers and remote teams, and many people use it for a second number. If an unexpected VoIP call worries you, check a number for scam red flags.
How do I find the carrier of a phone number?
Type the full number, with its country code, into the box at the top of this page. For most mobile ranges in the UK, India and much of Europe, the result names the network the range first went to, along with the line type and country. Numbers from the US, Canada, Mexico and Argentina show no carrier, and neither does a mobile range with no name on record. For those, ask the owner or use a live lookup through a telecom data provider.
What network is this number on?
The tool above shows the network that first held the number's range, such as EE, O2, Three or Vodafone for UK mobiles, when the data names one. If the owner switched networks and kept the number, today's network can differ, and range data can't see the move. A live HLR lookup, which queries the mobile network directly, shows the current one.
Is this an HLR lookup?
No. An HLR lookup queries a mobile network's Home Location Register in real time and can report the current network, whether the number is active and whether it's roaming. This page reads numbering-range data in your browser, so it shows the original network and can't tell whether a phone is on. It isn't an LNP query of the US porting database either. To locate a phone by its number, the owner has to agree to share it.
How can I check if a number is VoIP?
Your result reads VoIP when the number sits in a range set aside for internet calling, such as 056 in the UK, 09 in France or 050 in Japan. In the US, India and other countries without such ranges, a VoIP number looks like any landline or mobile. A live carrier query can tell you which service holds it.
Does mobile number portability mean the carrier shown is wrong?
It can mean the carrier shown is out of date. Mobile number portability lets people keep their number when they switch networks. In the UK they start by texting PAC to 65075, and in India by sending PORT and the number to 1900. The range record doesn't change after a switch, so the tool shows the original network with a reminder that the number may have moved. For today's network, you need a live HLR or LNP lookup.
Is this carrier lookup free?
Yes. The carrier lookup on this page costs nothing, needs no account and reads the number in your browser. Numbers from the US, Canada, Mexico and Argentina come back without a network name, and landlines never show one. Elsewhere, a mobile shows its original network when the data covers its range, and that network may have changed if the number was ported.
Check which carrier a number belongs to
Enter a number with its country code to see its line type, time zone and, where the data has one, its original network.
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