UK phone number search

UK phone number prefixes explained

By the StoryCheck team · 7 min read · Published 29 September 2026

A UK phone number's opening digits tell you what kind of line it is before anyone speaks: 071 to 075 and 077 to 079 are mobiles, 01 and 02 are landlines tied to an area, 03 costs no more than a landline call, 0800 and 0808 are free, 084 and 087 add a service charge, and 09 is premium rate. Two ranges look like mobiles but are not: 070 personal numbers and 076 pagers, which Ofcom says cost considerably more to call.

What does each UK prefix mean?

On 084, 087, 09 and 118 numbers, the service charge goes to the organisation you are calling and the access charge to your own provider, a split that has applied since 1 July 2015 under Ofcom's UK Calling rules. The organisation sets its service charge and should tell you what it is.

Why can't you tell the network from an 07 number?

Because people keep their numbers when they switch. Ofcom describes mobile number portability as the facility that lets you keep your number while changing provider, so an 07 number first issued by one network may now be on EE, O2, Vodafone, Three or a virtual network such as giffgaff, Sky Mobile or Tesco Mobile. The prefix still tells you it is a mobile, and nothing more. Only a check of the live number can report the current network and the line type.

Which area codes are which?

An area code tells you where a number was allocated, not where the caller is sitting. Landline numbers can be forwarded or used over the internet, and caller ID can be faked, so a local code proves nothing on its own. If a number has called you and you want to know more than the code, a private number lookup reports the line type and network in about 60 seconds.

Which numbers are safe to ring back?

Ofcom's advice on missed calls from numbers you do not recognise is to be especially careful with 070, 076, 084, 087, 090, 091 and 118, and with unfamiliar international numbers, because some scam calls ring once in the hope that you call back and run up charges. Genuine callers leave a voicemail or try again. Freephone 0800 and 0808 numbers cost nothing to return, and 01, 02 and 03 numbers cost the same as any landline call. You can also ask your provider to bar calls to premium rate and international numbers. Our guide to the one ring missed call scam explains how the trick works.

Why do TV dramas use 07700 900 numbers?

Ofcom sets aside ranges for TV and radio drama so that no real person gets calls from viewers: 07700 900000 to 07700 900999 for mobiles, 020 7946 0000 to 020 7946 0999 for London, 0113 496 0000 to 0113 496 0999 for Leeds, 0808 157 0000 to 0808 157 0999 for freephone and 0909 879 0000 to 0909 879 0999 for premium rate, among others. Ofcom says these numbers will not be allocated in the foreseeable future, so a real call that shows one of them is almost certainly using a faked caller ID. We use them in our examples for the same reason.

Can the number on your screen be faked?

Yes. Number spoofing lets a caller display a number that is not really theirs, often a UK one, because people are more likely to answer. Ofcom's guidance requires networks to block calls from abroad that falsely display a UK landline number, and under guidance finalised in July 2026, networks should withhold the caller ID on calls that appear to come from a UK mobile roaming abroad unless they can verify it. Ofcom points out that withheld calls can still include legitimate and important ones, and our guide to withheld numbers explains what you can and cannot find out about them.

Which short numbers should you know?

• 999 and 112 for the emergency services. On a mobile, if you cannot speak, press 55 when prompted and the call is put through to the police.
• 101 for the police when it is not an emergency, 111 for the NHS when it is not an emergency, and 105 for a power cut.
• 159 connects you safely to your own bank, through Stop Scams UK. 159 never rings you.
• 7726 is where you forward scam texts at no cost; it spells SPAM on the keypad. Our guide to texts from unknown numbers covers the rest.
• 116 123 reaches the Samaritans, free from any phone, day or night.
• 141 before a number withholds your own number on that call, and 1471 gives you the record of the last call you received, where your provider offers it.