Your phone number is personal. But many websites collect and share it. This can lead to spam calls, scams, and privacy risks. If you want to remove your mobile number from the internet, follow these steps.
Can You Make Your Phone Number Completely Unsearchable?
While achieving absolute privacy may be challenging, you can take steps to reduce the visibility of your phone number significantly. However, it's essential to understand that complete anonymity may come at the cost of convenience. If you're willing to compromise usability, obtaining a new number or using a burner phone is an option.
The reality is that the more you engage with your phone, the higher the likelihood of your number becoming accessible to various entities. Adopting a proactive approach is crucial, as well as staying vigilant against data brokers and being cautious about sharing your number, especially with large corporations like Facebook/Meta.
Making Your Number Private for Specific Calls
One effective way to keep your number private for specific calls is using the 67 feature. By dialing 67 before entering the desired number, your recipient will see "private" or "anonymous" instead of your actual number. Additionally, most mobile devices offer settings to hide your caller ID globally, ensuring your number remains private for all outgoing calls.
Removing Your Number from Internet Searches
Step 1: Self-Search
The first step in removing your mobile number from websites is to find out where it’s listed. Open Google and type your phone number in quotation marks, like this: “123-456-7890.” This tells the search engine to find exact matches. You might see your number on social media, public records sites, or people-search databases. Click through the results and make a list of websites that display your information. If you find your number on social media, check your privacy settings. Some platforms make phone numbers searchable by default. If your number appears on data broker sites, you’ll need to submit removal requests. Understanding where your phone number is exposed is the first step toward taking back control of your privacy.
Step 2: Removing Your Phone Number from Google
If your phone number appears in Google search results, it could be listed on public records, data broker lists, or third-party websites. Removing it is essential for privacy and reducing spam calls. Start by searching your number on Google to see where it appears. If it's on a site you don’t control, you’ll need to contact the website owner to remove it. If the site won’t cooperate, you can request removal from Google using the Results About You tool or the Remove Outdated Content tool found in the Google Help Center.
If your number is visible on Google Maps, check your business or personal listings and update your privacy settings to remove or hide it. Some images may also display your contact details—use Google’s Blur Images feature to obscure personal information when possible.
To further protect your privacy, use identity monitoring tools and digital security tools to track where your information appears online. Opt out of data broker lists that collect and share personal details. Keeping your phone number off public sites reduces the risk of spam and identity theft, helping you stay in control of your personal information.
Step 3: Opting Out from People-Search Sites
People-search sites and data broker websites collect and display your personally identifiable information, including your phone number. These sites pull data from public records, social media, and other sources, making your contact details easy to find. Cybercriminals can use this information for phishing scams, while marketers may add you to data broker lists without your consent.
To remove your number, visit the site’s opt-out page and follow the verification process. Some sites require an email confirmation, while others ask for identity verification to prevent abuse. It’s important to check privacy settings on your accounts and limit the amount of personal data you share online. Using ad-blockers and anti-tracking software can also reduce the chances of your information being collected in the future.
Opting out is not always a one-time fix. Many data broker websites update their lists regularly, so you may need to repeat the process. If you want long-term protection, consider a data removal service that continuously monitors and removes your information. Taking these steps helps protect your privacy and reduces unwanted calls and messages.
Step 4: Removing Phone Number from Social Media
Social media platforms often require a phone number for account security, but keeping it linked to your profile can expose you to privacy issues. If your number is visible, scammers and identity thieves may use it to target you. To remove your phone number, start by checking your account settings on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Navigate to the contact information section and look for an opt-out option to delete or hide your number. Some platforms may require a verification code before making changes.
Even if your number is removed from your profile, it may still be stored as a recovery phone number for login purposes. Be sure to review whether it’s linked to public records or shared with third parties. If a platform won’t let you delete it, consider replacing it with a secondary number. Reducing your digital footprint is essential for protecting your personal information and avoiding unwanted calls or messages. Take control of your sensitive information by regularly reviewing your social media privacy settings.
Step 5: Contacting Websites Directly
If your phone number appears on a website, you can request its removal by reaching out to the website administrator or webmaster. Start by checking if the site has an opt-out form or a privacy policy that explains how to make removal requests. If you don’t find an option, use a WHOIS search to identify the hosting provider or owner. Many domain registration sites allow you to look up this information.
When contacting a website, be direct and polite. Provide details like the page URL where your number appears and any aliases associated with your account. Some sites may require identity verification, so you may need to submit identity documents or confirm ownership of the associated email account. If your number is listed on social media platforms, adjust your privacy settings or report the issue directly through their support channels.
For websites run by data brokers, it’s often easier to follow their formal opt-out process rather than contacting them individually. If the site ignores your request, you can escalate the issue by reporting it to the hosting provider. Some web hosts enforce privacy policies that may require site owners to comply with removal requests. If all else fails, legal action might be necessary, especially in regions with strong privacy laws.
Using the Do Not Call Registry
One of the simplest ways to stop unwanted calls is by adding your number to the National Do Not Call Registry. This free service, managed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), prevents legitimate telemarketers from calling you. Once you complete your phone number registration, most businesses must remove you from their lists within 30 days. However, this won't stop spam calls from scammers who ignore the law.
If you're still getting unwanted calls, your number may have been exposed through sim swap scams or online databases. In that case, consider additional privacy steps, like using a secondary number for sign-ups or learning how to deactivate accounts you no longer use. Some companies continue calling even after you opt out, so if a business won’t honor your request, you may need to report them. If all else fails, blocking numbers and using a call-filtering app can help. Taking control of your information is the best way to protect your privacy and avoid telemarketers.
Preventing Phone Number Tracking
Preventing phone number tracking is essential for protecting your privacy. Many websites, apps, and advertisers track users through their mobile numbers, often without consent. One effective way to block phone tracking is by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN encrypts your internet connection, making it harder for third parties to collect your data, including your phone number. This extra layer of security keeps your online activities more private.
Another crucial step is hiding your location. Smartphones collect and share location data with various apps, sometimes even when you’re not actively using them. Go to your phone’s privacy settings and review which apps have access to your location. Disabling location tracking for unnecessary apps helps reduce the risk of your phone number being linked to your movements.
Using a privacy-focused browser can also limit phone number tracking. Standard browsers allow websites to track users through cookies and digital fingerprints, sometimes tying this data to mobile numbers. Privacy-focused browsers like Brave or DuckDuckGo block trackers and offer built-in security features to protect your identity. By making these small changes, you can keep your phone number private and reduce the risk of unwanted tracking.
Conclusion
Removing your mobile number from websites takes time, but it’s worth it. Start by checking where it’s listed. Remove it from social media, data brokers, and search engines. If needed, use removal services or legal options. Once it’s gone, take steps to keep it private.
Your phone number is yours. Keep it that way.
