Who would need to check their own phone number?
These days, phone numbers are just as important as a driver’s license. Forms ask for it, alerts are sent to it and banks use it to confirm your identity. It’s difficult to imagine life today without a phone number.
Once we’ve had a phone number for any period of time, it becomes intrinsic to our daily life. That’s why this is one of the most commonly-asked questions:
Can I keep my mobile number? The answer is yes, and you can find out how to do that here.
Or, you might want to choose a new mobile number that’s easier to remember, or find out your number if you’ve forgotten it.
Both are possible and easy to do. Here’s how to retrieve your number if you’ve forgotten it, and how to choose your own number with the telcos that allow it.
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How to check your own phone number on a smartphone
It’s straightforward to check the phone number of a smartphone. You can send a USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) code, which is basically a service command code that allows you to obtain information from your service provider. To do this:
- Simply check the USSD code for checking phone numbers for your particular network.
- Dial the code.
- Then follow the prompts to have your phone number displayed on your screen within a matter of seconds.
- For Android phones — Just like with iPhones, open your Settings app, scroll down to and click on the “About Phone” option, and then click on the “Status” option. Your phone number will be displayed on the next screen.
Which phone networks allow you to choose your own phone number?
For a fee, Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, and Amaysim let you choose your own number. Much like choosing a custom number plate, there are rules around what you can choose:
- Premium phone numbers, which are pre-set combinations that are quite easy to memorize, like 0409 363 636 or 0409 121 212; and
- Gold phone numbers, which allow users to determine the makeup of the last six digits in the phone number.
As you’d imagine, the option that allows for greater customisation costs more:
- Telstra, the largest Australian telco, charges the most for gold phone numbers – up to $400 one-time plus additional monthly maintenance fees.
- Vodafone’s gold numbers can cost up to $275, but they only allow you customise 5 digits, compared to Testra’s 6.
- Optus offers the cheapest rate among the major telcos, charging around $130 to customise up to 6 digits.
- The cheapest offers come from MVNO providers, notably Amaysim, which offers gold phone numbers for as low as $30.
How to choose your own phone number
Here’s a quick look at each major telco’s steps for choosing custom phone numbers.
- Telstra custom phone numbers:
Telstra’s customised phone numbers come in two tiers: Silver and Gold. The Silver option allows you to use a single digit in 5 places in the mobile number (such as 0409 222 228), or any 5 different digits of your choice in the sequence. The Gold option allows you to determine the makeup of the sequence in six places.
To acquire any of these phone numbers, you need to contact Telstra directly and discuss your needs. They’ll then put together your desired number and make it available within days.
- Vodafone custom phone numbers:
It’s also quite easy to choose a custom phone number on the Vodafone network. If you’re an existing Vodafone subscriber, you can dial 1555 from your phone and then follow the prompts to select your desired number. Pre-created numbers cost a one-time fee of $19.95, and come with all the digits predetermined. For more customisation options, you can either choose the Silver option, which costs $55 and allows you to choose sequences with double or triple digits, or the Gold option, which costs up to $300 and allows you to determine the makeup of 5 digits in the sequence.
- Optus customized phone numbers:
Optus offers pre-created memory-friendly numbers at $77, and Gold numbers that allow for the customization of up to 6 digits at $132. However, you need to contact Optus customer care directly to arrange for the numbers.
How to check your phone number on iPhone. Source.
Summary
Phone numbers have become a necessity in today’s society. In many instances, they’re just as important as identity credentials, and forgetting your phone number might prove to be a daunting blunder. Losing your phone number is actually worse, hence the reason why subscribers mostly look for ways to transfer their existing phone numbers to a new telco when they are porting. Thankfully, there are many ways to retrieve a forgotten phone number, and many telcos allow you customize your phone number so that you can easily remember it.