Access to Information on Cell Phone Numbers

Our telephone directory has always maintained the goal of providing users with as much information as possible. As we've grown, we've continued to make more information (such as email addresses, online photos, property data, etc) available to users. In the past we tried including information on cell phone numbers. Alas, we realized some visitors, al beit the minority, maintained concerns over the privacy implications of making this information available, so until we can find a way to ease those concerns we have begun restricting the information we display connected with a wireless phone. Today, when you lookup someone and we have a cell number for them in our directory you will notice the last three digits have been X'ed out. We are sorry for any convenience this causes our visitors looking for this information.

NOTE: WE DO NOT SHARE ANY INFORMATION ON ANY PERSON OR NUMBER WITH TELEMARKETERS. Not now, not ever. Using dialers to telemarket to cell phones is illegal and strictly enforced by the FTC (more information here). Our privacy policy states that information on this website will not be sold to third parties and certainly not telemeters (we can't stand them either). This service is offered to benefit the public and assist people in finding someone they are looking for.

While some public records companies have offered access to certain cell phone information for years, they have always charged for it. Phonebooks.com had attempted to try something new and, like everything else on this site, give the information away for free. We encouraged users that liked this service to help expand it by adding information. Of course, anyone who wished to be removed from this directory would be, and we would never charge them to do so (for instructions on how to do this, click here).

Privacy advocates have long warned us that many consumers are not in favor of such a directory. Meanwhile, cell phone service providers are only interested in a directory if they are in fact the ones providing it.

Both of these groups contributed in our decision to conclude our public directory. They have been so effective at voicing their opposition to this, one state (Washington) has even gone so far as to write legislature banning the creation of a cell phone directory that is accessible when someone searches for a cell phone number using a person's name. More here: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=19.250&full=true

This doesn't mean that you will never be able to find that number you're looking for. It just means that we have made the decision to restrict the information we provide visitors on cell phones.

Information on Cell Phones & Searching for Them

Cell phones are more a part of daily life in the US than anyone could have predicted. Since its bulky introduction by Martin Cooper of Motorola in 1973, we have seen the phone technology excel just as fast as the rate of subscribers. The census estimates cell phone penetration at nearly 91% of people in the US. Many residents are replacing their landline telephones with a cellular phone. Some businesses are now requiring that job applicants supply them with a cell phone number. Cell phones are indeed everywhere. However, this has created a problem. Finding a cellular number can be very different than locating a traditional land line number. That is why in August 2010, we began offering information on cell phones.

There are two different ways of searching for information on mobile phones. The first, allows a person to search for the owner/owners of information using just a phone number, this is known as a reverse search (more here). The second allows you to search using an owner's name, this search is sometimes more difficult in terms of pinpointing of the person you are searching, as you must know the correct spelling of a person’s name and often the location in which they live.

Unlike with landline phones which are commonly made public, cell phone numbers are preferred by some to be kept private. We understand this. We also understand that without access to a mobile phonebook it can be potentially difficult to find old friends and loved ones. Until a solution can be found which is satisfactory to both trains of thought, we have restricted the information displayed on numbers originally issued to a wireless provider.

If you're visiting this site after hearing about the cellular directory we started, unfortunately it is no longer publicly available. Shortly after launch we realized that some consumers and wireless service providers were not prepared for such a service. After a few months of careful deliberation, we decided to stop offering our cell phone directory. While we feel that this service does have a place in our world, we are not prepared to offer it until consumers and companies become more educated. This site was originally constructed to help with that, so that one day, a free directory may be accessible to everyone. In the meantime, we also want to help find answers to all your cell phone related questions, so bring us anything cell phone related that you are having trouble with and we will try to find an answer for it.

Again, anyone who finds their number or other information on this site and prefers that it be kept private can request so and we will try to remove it as quickly as possible.

We created an information portal to help people ask questions and find answers about cell phone related topics. We have received hundreds of cell phone and technology related questions. Is my phone number being made public? How do I retrieve information from my cell phone? How do I protect my phone numbers from telemarketers? These are just a few of the common questions we've received for more please these pages:

Frequently asked phone number questions - here
Frequently asked questions regarding mobile devices - here