Mobile vs Landline Lookup: How to Tell What Kind of Number It Is
Outside North America, a phone number's prefix usually tells you whether it's a mobile: UK mobiles start 07, Australian 04, French 06 or 07. In the US and Canada it doesn't. Mobile and landline numbers are handed out from the same area codes, and numbers move between carriers. There, the only way to know is a carrier lookup, which asks the network routing databases who serves the number now.
Why the prefix works in most countries
Most numbering plans give mobiles their own ranges. When you run a number through Google's libphonenumber, the library that most free validators use, the type comes straight from those ranges. Here's what it returned when we ran these through version 9.0.41:
| Number | Country | Type from the numbering plan |
|---|---|---|
| +44 7400 123456 | UK | Mobile |
| +44 20 7946 0958 | UK | Landline |
| +61 412 345 678 | Australia | Mobile |
| +33 6 12 34 56 78 | France | Mobile |
| +49 30 123456 | Germany | Landline |
| +91 98765 43210 | India | Mobile |
| +234 803 123 4567 | Nigeria | Mobile |
| +1 415 555 2671 | US | Mobile or landline |
| +1 604 555 0199 | Canada | Mobile or landline |
| +52 55 1234 5678 | Mexico | Mobile or landline |
The last three are the problem. The library returns FIXED_LINE_OR_MOBILE, which is the honest answer: the numbering plan genuinely doesn't say.
Even where the prefix works, it's a statement about the range, not the line. In countries that allow porting between mobile and fixed networks or to VoIP providers, a number can keep its mobile prefix after moving.
Why the US and Canada are different
The North American Numbering Plan hands out numbers to carriers in blocks within area codes, regardless of line type. A wireless carrier and a cable phone company can both hold blocks in area code 415. Since 2003–2004 the FCC has also required "intermodal" porting in the US, so people can move a landline number to a mobile carrier and back while keeping the same digits.
The result: there's no pattern in a US number that says mobile. A free validator can confirm (415) 555-2671 is a valid San Francisco number. It can't tell you whether it rings a desk or a pocket.
How a carrier lookup works
A carrier lookup queries the same databases networks use to route calls. In North America, every ported number has a Location Routing Number (LRN) record that says which carrier now serves it. A lookup service:
- Takes the number in E.164 format.
- Looks up its current routing record, which names the serving carrier, even after a port.
- Maps that carrier to a line type: mobile, landline or VoIP.
Some providers add more: the caller name registered to the number (CNAM, US only), or, for mobiles in some countries, a query to the mobile network's subscriber register (an HLR lookup) to see whether the number is currently active.
Every one of these queries costs the provider money, so lookups are sold per query, typically a fraction of a cent each.
When you need to know the line type
| Job | Why line type matters |
|---|---|
| SMS campaigns | Most landlines can't receive texts. Sending to them wastes money and skews delivery reports. See validating numbers for SMS. |
| Cold calling | Mobiles reach the person; landlines often reach a switchboard. Some calling rules also differ by line type. See phone validation for cold calling. |
| Signups and 2FA | Many services block VoIP numbers because they're easy to create in bulk. |
| Lead scoring | A direct mobile is usually worth more to a sales team than a main office line. |
If none of those apply, the free numbering-plan type is usually enough.
Free type vs carrier type, side by side
| Numbering-plan type (free) | Carrier lookup (paid) | |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile vs landline outside North America | Yes, by range | Yes, by current carrier |
| Mobile vs landline in US/Canada | No | Yes |
| Catches numbers ported to another type | No | Yes |
| Identifies VoIP | Only ranges allocated to VoIP | Usually, including ported-in numbers |
| Current carrier name | No | Yes |
| Cost per number | Nothing | A fraction of a cent |
Getting line types for a list
Start with the free type on every row, then pay for carrier lookups only where you need them. In SimpleVerifier, upload a CSV with a phone column on the verifier. Each row gets a phone_type column from the numbering plan (mobile, landline, toll-free, VoIP or "mobile_or_landline"), with the number in E.164 and its country. That's included on paid plans; see pricing.
Live carrier lookups are a paid extra (see pricing): each looked-up number gets its real line type (mobile, landline or VoIP) and its current carrier.
Related: free phone number validator · how to check if a phone number is valid
Common questions
How can I tell if a phone number is a mobile or a landline?
In most countries, from the prefix: UK mobiles start 07, Australian 04, French 06 or 07, Indian with 6 to 9. In the US and Canada, mobile and landline numbers share area codes, so you need a carrier lookup that checks which network serves the number today.
Why can't you tell mobile from landline in the US by the number?
Because the North American Numbering Plan allocates blocks of numbers to carriers, not to line types. A mobile carrier and a landline company can hold numbers in the same area code and exchange, and numbers can be ported between them. The digits alone don't record which kind of line it is.
Can a landline number receive text messages?
Most cannot receive SMS in the normal way. Some carriers convert texts to a voice call, and some businesses enable texting on their landline numbers through specialist services. For SMS campaigns, treat landlines as unreachable by text.
Is a VoIP number a mobile or a landline?
Neither. VoIP numbers are run by internet calling providers. Some are tied to a fixed address, some aren't. Carrier lookups usually report them as their own type, which matters because many services restrict VoIP numbers for signups and verification.
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