How to Remove Your Phone Number from the Internet

Intermediate Time: 1-2 hours Category: Data Privacy

Your phone number is one of the most dangerous pieces of personal information floating around online. It connects to your identity, enables SIM swap attacks, and is used as a lookup key on dozens of people-search sites. Removing it from the internet significantly reduces your attack surface.

Why This Matters

A phone number is often the bridge between your online and real-world identity. Data brokers like Spokeo, BeenVerified, and WhitePages aggregate your phone number with your name, address, email, and family members, creating detailed profiles that anyone can access for a few dollars. SIM swap attacks, where a criminal convinces your carrier to transfer your number to their SIM, rose by over 400% between 2018 and 2021 according to the FBI. With your phone number, attackers can intercept SMS-based two-factor codes, reset passwords, and take over accounts.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Google your phone number in quotes (e.g., "555-123-4567") to find where it appears publicly. Note every site that shows up in the results.
  2. Submit opt-out requests to the major people-search sites. Start with the biggest ones: Spokeo (spokeo.com/optout), WhitePages (whitepages.com/suppression-requests), BeenVerified (beenverified.com/app/optout/search), Intelius (intelius.com/opt-out), and TruePeopleSearch (truepeoplesearch.com, click "Remove This Listing" on your record). Each site has its own opt-out process.
  3. Remove your phone number from social media profiles. On Facebook: Settings > Personal Information > Contact Info, then remove or hide your number. On LinkedIn: Settings > Visibility > Phone number, set to "Only me." Check Instagram, X/Twitter, and any other platforms.
  4. Check your Google and Apple account settings. In your Google Account: Go to myaccount.google.com > Personal info > Phone, and review who can see your number. In your Apple ID: remove your phone number from being publicly associated.
  5. Contact any businesses or directories that list your phone number publicly. This includes professional directories, church or school directories, and local business listings.
  6. Set a calendar reminder to repeat this process every 3-6 months. Data brokers constantly re-scrape and re-add information, so opt-outs are not permanent.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Only opting out of one or two sites: There are over 100 data broker sites. Removing your number from just a few has limited impact because the others still have it and share data.
  • Thinking opt-outs are permanent: Most data brokers re-aggregate your information within months. This requires ongoing maintenance or a paid removal service.
  • Forgetting about old accounts: That MySpace account from 2008 or forum profile from 2012 might still have your phone number publicly listed. Search thoroughly.
  • Giving your real phone number to new services: After cleaning up, use a secondary number (Google Voice, Burner app) for signups and reservations to keep your real number private.

Additional Tips

  • Consider a paid data removal service like Optery or DeleteMe if you want automated, ongoing removal from hundreds of data broker sites.
  • Get a Google Voice number (free) to use as your "public" phone number for signups, business cards, and forms. Keep your real carrier number private.
  • After removing your number, lock your SIM with your carrier to prevent SIM swap attacks on your real number.

Last updated: February 10, 2026