The complete UK mobile numbers guide (2026)

A UK mobile number has 11 digits and starts with 07, such as 07700 900123. To dial it from abroad or store it in international format, drop the first 0 and add the UK country code +44, which gives +44 7700 900123. Ofcom, the regulator that manages UK phone numbers, designates the ranges 071 to 075 and 077 to 079 for mobiles, and you can keep your number when you change network.

The examples on this page use 07700 900123, from a block Ofcom sets aside for TV and radio drama, so it will never reach a real person.

What is a UK mobile number?

A UK mobile number is a phone number from the ranges Ofcom designates for mobile services, and it reaches your phone, tablet or other device wherever it has signal rather than a line at a fixed address. Ofcom's National Telephone Numbering Plan defines it as a non-geographic number that identifies equipment "capable of being used while in motion", which is why it has no area code.

Networks call the number an MSISDN. It's stored in your provider's subscriber records and linked to a separate identity on your SIM or eSIM, called the IMSI, so the number isn't tied to one SIM card or one company. You can replace a lost SIM and keep the number, or take the number with you when you switch network, which Ofcom confirms applies to mobiles and landlines alike (Ofcom).

These terms come up whenever you buy, move or look up a mobile number:

What is a mobile number used for?

A mobile number lets people call and text you wherever you are, and it has become the main way banks, online accounts and messaging apps check that you are who you say you are. Ofcom notes that, as well as making calls, people use mobile numbers to create accounts, verify contact details and sign up to services such as WhatsApp (Ofcom).

Calls still run mainly through mobiles. Ofcom's Communications Market Report 2026 found that 91% of UK call minutes started on a mobile network in 2025, up from 90% in 2024. Texting has moved into apps, with outgoing SMS and MMS per subscription down by about a quarter to 21 a month, but those apps still use your mobile number to register and verify your account.

How many digits are in a UK mobile number?

A UK mobile number has 11 digits when written for use in the UK: a 0 followed by 10 more digits, always starting 07. In international format the 0 is dropped and the country code 44 goes in front, so you dial 12 digits after the plus sign.

Ofcom's National Telephone Numbering Plan sets the rule, stating that UK numbers "shall comprise ten (10) digits (excluding the national prefix code '0')". Mobiles have no exceptions: every mobile block in Ofcom's S7 numbering data for 4 November 2026 is listed as "10 digit numbers".

UK mobile number format: 07 and +44

Inside the UK, write and dial a mobile number in national format, starting 07, such as 07700 900123. For callers abroad, websites and phone systems, use international format: replace the leading 0 with +44 to get +44 7700 900123, or +447700900123 without spaces.

This comes from ITU-T Recommendation E.164, the global numbering standard, which says the national trunk prefix (the UK's 0) isn't part of an international number and mustn't be dialled from abroad. The + stands for the caller's own international access code: 00 from the UK and most of Europe, or 011 from the US and Canada. Ofcom writes mobile numbers in two groups, five digits then six, as in 07700 900123.

Avoid the familiar +44 (0)7700 900123 style. ITU-T Recommendation E.123, which covers how phone numbers are printed, says brackets shouldn't be used in international numbers, and a caller abroad who dials the 0 may simply get a failed call.

Which 07 prefixes are mobile numbers?

Only numbers starting 071, 072, 073, 074, 075, 077, 078 or 079 are mobile numbers under Ofcom's National Telephone Numbering Plan. The other two 07 ranges are used for different services: 070 for personal "follow-me" numbers and 076 for pagers, apart from 07624, which networks on the Isle of Man use for mobiles.

Each three-digit range holds up to 100 million numbers, but they aren't all in use. Ofcom's S7 numbering data, published on 4 November 2026, shows 077, 078 and 079 almost fully allocated. No 072 numbers have been issued, and 071 has just two million-number blocks, 07106 and 07107, allocated to O2's operator Telefónica UK in 2013.

070 and 076 numbers: why they aren't mobiles

Numbers starting 070 and 076 look like mobile numbers, with the same 07 start and 11 digits, but Ofcom designates them for other services. 070 numbers are personal "follow-me" numbers that forward calls to another phone, and 076 numbers are for pagers, except 07624, which is used for mobiles on the Isle of Man.

The difference matters because of cost and scams. Before October 2019, the companies behind 070 numbers could set high wholesale charges, and Ofcom estimated that at least 20% of 070 calls involved fraud, such as missed-call scams and fake job adverts. After Ofcom capped those charges at the level for calls to mobiles, data from carrier BICS suggested fraudulent 070 calls fell by 75% within a year (Ofcom, 2020). Ofcom warned at the time that some providers still charged around 86p a minute to call 070 from a mobile.

Which network does a mobile prefix belong to?

The first five digits of a mobile number, such as 07836, show which provider holds that block of numbers in Ofcom's records, usually the network that first issued them. They don't show the network the number uses today, because UK customers have been able to keep their number when switching since mobile number portability began on 1 January 1999 (RCR Wireless, 1999).

A number first issued by Vodafone could now be on EE, O2, Three or a virtual network. Ofcom's S7 numbering data, published on 4 November 2026, lists 551.5 million allocated mobile numbers across 72 provider names, and four network groups hold 94% of them.

Who holds those allocated blocks:

The prefixes carry the industry's history. Cellnet's 0860 numbers became 07860 when every UK mobile moved into the 07 range, and they now sit with Telefónica UK, the company behind O2. Orange's 0973 numbers became 07973 and passed to EE. Vodafone and Three merged as VodafoneThree on 31 May 2025 (Vodafone), but Ofcom's file still lists their blocks separately under Vodafone Limited and Hutchison 3G UK.

Ofcom doesn't publish which network a ported number uses now. Businesses that need to know, such as bulk SMS senders, use paid HLR lookups, which query the mobile network's home location register directly.

How many UK mobile numbers are there?

Ofcom's S7 numbering data for 4 November 2026 shows 551.5 million numbers in the UK's mobile ranges allocated to more than 70 providers. Far fewer are in use: Ofcom counted 91.5 million active mobile subscriptions at the end of June 2026, excluding machine-to-machine (M2M) SIMs such as smart meters, in a country of 69.5 million people.

Allocated numbers are blocks handed to providers to issue, so the gap between allocations and subscriptions is spare capacity rather than unused phones. Only 2.9 million mobile-range numbers are listed as free, but Ofcom is holding back another 232.3 million as protected, including the whole 072 range.

Subscriptions aren't people. Many people have a work phone, a tablet or a second SIM, which is how active subscriptions outnumber the population by about 22 million. M2M SIMs, used in smart meters, vehicle trackers and card terminals, are the fastest-growing group: Ofcom's CMR 2026 found they rose by 15%, or 4.1 million, in 2025.

UK mobile number history and interesting facts

UK mobile numbers date back to 1 January 1985, when Michael Harrison made the country's first mobile call on Vodafone's new cellular network, from Parliament Square in London. Today's format came later: every UK mobile number has started 07 since 28 April 2001, when old codes such as 0836 and 0860 were switched off.

A few more facts from Ofcom's data:

• The drama range: 07700 900000 to 07700 900999 is a block of 1,000 mobile numbers Ofcom sets aside for TV and radio drama, so viewers can't ring a real person (Ofcom).
• 077 is mostly O2: Telefónica UK holds 50% of allocated 077 numbers, against Vodafone's 29% (Ofcom S7, November 2026).
• Nobody has an 072 number yet: Ofcom hasn't allocated a single block in the range.
• Your SIM doesn't use 44: SIMs from UK networks identify themselves with mobile country code 234 or 235, a separate system from the +44 dialling code, and both are listed in Ofcom's Numbering Plan.

Where Create Numbers fits in

Create Numbers supplies new UK mobile numbers from the same Ofcom-designated 07 ranges, with an ending you choose. You request the last 6 or 7 digits you want, pick from matching numbers emailed to you within 5 days, and receive a PAC to move your number onto any UK network, eSIM or virtual number service.

When you join a network or buy a SIM, you're usually given whichever number comes next from the provider's stock, with little or no say over the digits. Create Numbers searches millions of available mobile numbers for the ending you ask for, so the number can reflect what matters to you rather than what happened to be issued. That opens up business uses, such as matching the office landline or giving a team a related series of numbers, and lets individuals pick the mobile number they actually want.

Every number Create Numbers supplies is a real UK mobile number (an MSISDN) from Ofcom's mobile ranges, the same kind of number a network gives you with a new SIM. It isn't a VoIP number. You can still run it on a virtual host if you prefer, but the number itself stays a regular mobile number that can be switched back to a SIM or eSIM and can receive texts and verification codes.

Because custom numbers supplied by Create Numbers are standard UK mobile numbers, Ofcom's switching rules apply: once your chosen provider has a valid PAC, it should complete the switch within one working day (Ofcom).

For ideas on choosing an ending, from matching your landline to lucky or numerological digits, see Create a bespoke mobile number.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which format should I use when I share my mobile number?

Use the 07 format, such as 07700 900123, for UK customers on signs, vans and in conversation, and +44 7700 900123 for international contacts and email signatures. Avoid +44 (0)7700 900123, because ITU-T Recommendation E.123 says brackets shouldn't appear in international numbers. Whichever you pick, write it the same way everywhere.

How do I make my mobile number tappable on a website?

Link it with a tel: address in international format, such as tel:+447700900123, following the RFC 3966 internet standard. Visitors can then tap to call from a UK or overseas phone without editing anything, while the visible text can still read 07700 900123.

Does my number's prefix limit which network I can use?

No. The prefix only records which provider holds that block in Ofcom's data, and once you port the number with a PAC it works on any UK network, eSIM or virtual host. Create Numbers custom numbers are designed for any UK network, so choose your provider on coverage and price rather than the first five digits.

Do newer prefixes like 073 and 074 work the same as 077 or 079?

Yes. Ofcom designates 071 to 075 and 077 to 079 identically as mobile ranges, and plans such as giffgaff's include calls to all of them. Newer prefixes just reflect when a block was issued: with 077, 078 and 079 almost full, 89% of mobile numbers allocated since 2016 are in the 073 range (Ofcom S7, November 2026).

Is it safe to call back a missed call from an 070 number?

Be cautious. 070 numbers are personal "follow-me" numbers rather than mobiles, and before Ofcom capped their charges in 2019 it estimated that at least 20% of 070 calls involved fraud, often missed-call scams. Some providers still charge extra for 070 calls, so check your tariff before ringing back.

Can I use a 07700 900 number in an advert or demo?

Yes. Ofcom sets aside 07700 900000 to 07700 900999 for TV and radio drama and says it won't allocate them to providers in the foreseeable future, which makes them a safe choice for screens, sample forms and training material. They can't receive calls, so never print one as a real contact number.

Are Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man mobiles UK numbers?

They share the +44 code and the 11-digit 07 format, and island networks such as JT, Sure and Manx Telecom hold blocks in Ofcom's numbering data. The islands are Crown Dependencies, though, and many UK plans charge extra to call or text them; O2, for example, excludes them from its bundles.

Do I need a new number if I switch networks?

No. Text PAC to 65075 for a Porting Authorisation Code and give it to your new provider, which should complete the switch within one working day under Ofcom's rules. If you've already cancelled, Ofcom says you can usually still transfer the number for up to a month after the old service ends, and Number porting covers each step.

Will a new SIM or phone change my number?

No. Your number is held in your network's records and linked to whichever SIM or eSIM you use, so a replacement SIM from the same network keeps the same number and a new handset doesn't affect it at all. Your network handles the replacement, and the SIM swap guide explains how.

Will my number stop working if I don't use it?

It can, especially on Pay As You Go. Ofcom says providers can suspend an unused PAYG service and recycle the number after as little as 70 days, or six months or more, depending on the network (Ofcom: Pay-as-you-go mobile, use it or lose it). O2 waits six months without chargeable activity and Vodafone 180 days, so make a chargeable call or text, or top up, every few months to keep a number you value.

Pay monthly or Pay As You Go for a published number?

That depends on cost, coverage and how you'll use the line: mobile numbers purchased from Create Numbers work on either once ported. For a published or higher-value number, Create Numbers recommends a recurring mobile plan, on Pay As You Go (PAYG) or a contract, so the service stays live. Networks can disconnect unused PAYG SIMs and recycle the number; 82% of UK mobile subscriptions were pay monthly in 2025 (Ofcom CMR 2026).

Can I keep my UK mobile number if I move abroad?

Yes, as long as a UK provider keeps hosting it. You can stay on a UK plan and roam, after checking your network's terms for long stays abroad, or move the number to a virtual number service that forwards calls and sends texts to email. Create Numbers partners with gosimless for this.

Is a mobile or a landline number better for a small business?

A mobile number suits businesses that work on the move or talk to customers by text and WhatsApp, while an 01 or 02 number signals a local base. Calls have shifted to mobiles, which carried 91% of UK call minutes in 2025 (Ofcom CMR 2026). Many firms use both, and Create Numbers can match a new mobile's ending to your existing landline.

Will memorable gold numbers get harder to find?

Plenty remain: Ofcom is still holding back 232.3 million mobile-range numbers as protected, including the unused 072 range, and 89% of numbers allocated since 2016 have been in 073. The rarest gold patterns are scarce by design: 07x11111111 can exist only once in each mobile range, so there will only ever be a handful. Create Numbers still matches memorable endings; the tightest patterns cost more.