This free carrier lookup shows which carrier a phone number is on today.
Enter a phone number to see the carrier it is on today and whether it is mobile, landline or VoIP. It is free, with no signup.
Pick the country, then enter the number without the country code.
Free & rate-limited. No signup required to try.
Checking 10,000 or more numbers a month? Book a demo
Example resultSample result for (202) 555-0143. Run any lookup above and it is replaced with yours.
Carrier: Level 3 Communications, LLC
See where the 202 area code is, its local time and its history
A carrier lookup tells you which phone company a number is with today, also called its cell phone provider or service provider, and whether the line is mobile, landline or VoIP. This free one needs no signup: enter a US, Canadian or international number to see the carrier it is on, and a US or Canada number also shows whether it was ported.
- No signup to try
- Current carrier, after porting
- Mobile, landline or VoIP
- US, Canada + international
Page checked
The free way to see the carrier behind a phone number is a carrier lookup, and 1Lookup's needs no signup.
1Lookup's free carrier lookup shows the carrier a number is on today and its line type, and for a US or Canada number whether it was ported. A reverse phone lookup answers a different question, who a US number is listed to, so 1Lookup runs it as a second free tool. Through the API a carrier lookup costs from 1 credit, which is $0.00495 on Starter.
| Free 1Lookup check | What it shows | In the API |
|---|---|---|
| Carrier lookup | The carrier today, the line type and the country, plus whether a US or Canada number was ported. | From 1 credit, $0.00495 on Starter. |
| Reverse phone lookup | Whether a US number is listed, part of the name, and the city and state on the listing. | 10 credits for the caller ID name (about $0.05 on Starter) and 25 for the full record (about $0.12). |
To see who a US number is listed to, use the free reverse phone lookup.
You can read a carrier lookup result in three steps.
Read the carrier first.
It names the company that holds the number on the network today, such as T-Mobile USA or New Cingular Wireless PCS, which is AT&T's mobile network. A prepaid brand or a calling app shows as the network the number runs on, so it can differ from the name on the bill.
Check the line type.
A mobile line can receive a text and a landline usually cannot. VoIP is a line that runs over the internet, often handed out by an app or a business phone system.
Look at Ported for a US or Canada number.
Yes means the number moved away from the company that first held its prefix, so the carrier shown is the one it moved to, not the one its digits suggest.
Need this at scale? Carrier Lookup API
Identify carrier and network type for whole lists through the API or bulk CSV.
On this page
A cell phone carrier lookup shows which provider a number is on today.
A carrier lookup names the phone company that holds a number right now and tells you whether it is a mobile, a landline or a VoIP line. Pick the country, paste the number above and you get the carrier, the line type and the country, plus whether a US or Canada number has been ported, free and without an account.
You can't read the carrier off the digits. FCC rules let people keep their number when they switch between wireless, landline and internet phone companies in the same area, and a simple port has to be finished within one business day. So the carrier that first received a number's prefix is often not the one serving it today. This tool reads the number's current carrier and porting record, so the carrier you see is the one the number is on now.
One number at a time is free here. To check a whole list, upload a CSV or call the 1Lookup API: each lookup costs 1 credit, about half a cent on the Starter plan, and the full record adds the operating company number (OCN), the routing number (LRN), the rate center and the Do Not Call flag.
A carrier lookup at API scale costs from 1 credit a number.
At a million numbers a month the price of each lookup matters more than a free box does, and we published a rival lookup API's full rate card next to ours in our lookup API price comparison. To see only whether a number is mobile, landline or VoIP, when the carrier does not matter, use our free VoIP checker. To see whether a mobile is switched on and reachable right now, which a carrier lookup cannot show, run our free HLR lookup. To compare phone validation and HLR lookup APIs on price, what one check returns and how you start free, see our ranking of the 10 best phone validation and HLR lookup APIs. To find who a US number is listed to rather than which carrier holds it, see our ranking of the best free reverse phone lookups.
A cell phone carrier lookup returns these fields, and each one answers a different question.
This is an invented result for a made-up number, laid out the way a lookup comes back. The first four fields are free on this page, and a free trial opens the rest of the record.
- Carrier / networkT-Mobile USA, Inc.
- Line typeMobile
- CountryUS
- PortedYes
Opens with a free trial
- OCN6529
- Routing number (LRN)4155550000
- Rate centerSNFC CNTRL
- Do Not CallNot listed
Carrier / network
The company that holds the number on the network today. Brands such as Mint Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile show up under the network they run on, which is T-Mobile for both.
Line type
Mobile, landline or VoIP. It decides whether a text can arrive and which calling rules apply, because a landline usually can't receive a text.
Country
The country the number belongs to, read from its country code and numbering plan.
Ported
Whether the number has moved away from the carrier that first held its prefix. Yes means the carrier above is the one it moved to, not the one its digits suggest.
OCN
The operating company number, a four-character code that identifies the carrier in North American numbering records.
Routing number (LRN)
The location routing number that calls to this number are routed by. For a ported number it points to the new carrier's switch, so it differs from the number itself.
Rate center
The local area the number is billed and routed from, written the way numbering records abbreviate it (here, San Francisco).
Do Not Call
Whether the number is on the Do Not Call list, which matters before a sales call or text.
You can check the carrier of a phone number in three steps.
Enter the phone number
Pick the country, then type or paste the number. Spaces, dashes and brackets are fine: the tool cleans them up and checks the number is real for that country before it runs.
We read its current carrier record
1Lookup looks the number up in live carrier and porting data to find the company that serves it now, its line type, and whether it has moved away from the carrier that first held its prefix.
Read the result
You see the carrier, line type, country and ported status on the page. Need the OCN, the routing number or a whole list checked? A free trial opens the full record, the API and CSV uploads.
A carrier lookup reads the porting record, because a number's prefix can name the wrong carrier.
This is the path one lookup takes for a US or Canada number. The prefix only says who first received the number; the porting record says where it lives now.
- You enter the numberWith its country, so it is read in the right numbering plan.
- Its prefix names the first carrierThe digits after the area code were issued to one company, which may not serve the number any more.
- The porting record is checkedIf the number moved, the record names the carrier it moved to and its routing number.Nothing is sent to the number, so it never rings and its owner is never told.
- You see today's carrierCarrier, line type, country and, for a US or Canada number, whether it was ported.
A carrier, a cell phone provider and a service provider are three names for the company that serves a number.
A carrier lookup is also a cell phone provider lookup, a phone provider lookup and a service provider lookup, because the first field of its result names the company that holds the number on the network. When a brand such as Mint Mobile or Cricket sells the plan, that field names the network behind the brand, so the name on the bill can differ.
| What people search for | What the result names | Where to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Carrier, cell carrier or cell phone carrier | The company that holds the number on the network today | The Carrier / network field |
| Cell phone provider, phone provider or service provider | The same company, named from the customer's side | The Carrier / network field |
| Phone company | The same company, which for a landline is the local phone, cable or business phone company | The Carrier / network field, with the line type Landline |
| Network or wireless network | The mobile network the number runs on, which is the network owner when a brand resells it | The Carrier / network field |
| Carrier lookup tool, carrier finder or carrier search | This page: one box that takes a number and returns its carrier | The box at the top of the page |
| Original network, for a number outside the US and Canada | The network the number's range was first given to, because porting is not checked there | The Original network field |
The free carrier lookup shows four fields at no cost, and a free trial opens the rest of the record.
This carrier lookup is free for one number at a time, with no account. A free trial adds fields, bulk checks and the API on top of the same lookup.
| What you get | Free on this page | With a free trial |
|---|---|---|
| The carrier or network | Yes | Yes |
| The line type: mobile, landline or VoIP | Yes | Yes |
| The country, and for a US or Canada number whether it was ported | Yes | Yes |
| The OCN, routing number (LRN), rate center and Do Not Call flag | No | Yes |
| A whole list of numbers from one CSV file | No, one number at a time | Yes, 1 credit a number |
| A carrier lookup API | No, the web form has no API of its own | Yes, 1 credit a request |
A carrier lookup by phone number needs the whole number, because an area code or a prefix cannot name today's carrier.
You need the full phone number to find its carrier, with its country when it is not in the US. Spaces, dashes and brackets are fine, because the tool cleans the number up before it checks it.
| What you have | What you can find out | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| A full US or Canada number | Today's carrier, line type, country and whether it was ported | The box at the top of this page |
| A full number from another country | The original network, line type and country | The same box, with the country picked first |
| Only an area code | The place it covers, not a carrier, because many carriers use one area code | The area code pages linked further down |
| An area code and the three digits after it | The company that first received that prefix, which may not be the carrier today | Our NPA-NXX lookup |
AT&T's mobile network holds the most US phone prefixes, about 9%.
A prefix is the three digits after the area code. NANPA, which runs the North American numbering plan, lists the company holding each of the 196,125 prefixes in service in the 50 states and DC (its file of 1 October 2026). 72% of those prefixes are pooled, which means the blocks of 1,000 numbers inside them can belong to different carriers, and any number can have been ported since. That is why a lookup beats guessing from the prefix. Holders we do not name are left out of the table, so a row's place is its rank among the companies shown.
| Name in NANPA's records | Who it is | Prefixes held | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEW CINGULAR WIRELESS PCS, LLC | AT&T's mobile network | 18,417 | 9.4% |
| LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLC | Lumen's business and wholesale phone network | 9,050 | 4.6% |
| T-MOBILE USA, INC. | T-Mobile's mobile network | 7,016 | 3.6% |
| SOUTHWESTERN BELL | AT&T's landline company in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas | 5,973 | 3.0% |
| QWEST CORPORATION | Lumen's landline company in 14 western states | 5,604 | 2.9% |
| PAETEC ITEL, LLC | A business phone carrier owned by Windstream | 5,547 | 2.8% |
| PACIFIC BELL | AT&T's landline company in California | 4,893 | 2.5% |
| BANDWIDTH.COM CLEC, LLC | A carrier that supplies numbers to VoIP and app-based phone services | 4,797 | 2.4% |
| METROPCS, INC. | Metro by T-Mobile, T-Mobile's prepaid brand | 3,807 | 1.9% |
Many phone brands run on a bigger company's network, so the carrier shown can differ from the bill.
These brands sell service on networks they do not own, and calling and texting apps hand out numbers that a wholesale carrier holds. A carrier lookup names the company that holds the number on the network, which is often the network owner rather than the brand on the customer's bill. Networks as stated by each brand or its owner, October 2026.
| Brand or app on the bill | Network the number runs on |
|---|---|
| Cricket Wireless | AT&T, which owns it |
| Metro by T-Mobile | T-Mobile, which owns it |
| Mint Mobile | T-Mobile, which owns it |
| Google Fi Wireless | T-Mobile |
| Consumer Cellular | AT&T or T-Mobile, depending on the SIM |
| US Mobile | AT&T, T-Mobile or another national network, as the customer picks |
| Tello | T-Mobile |
| A calling or texting app that gives you a number | The wholesale carrier that holds the number, shown with the line type VoIP |
A line type tells you whether a text can reach the number.
Every lookup returns one of these line types, the same values the API sends in classification.line_type. The last column is what senders usually do with each one.
| Line type | What it is | Can it receive a text? | What senders usually do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile | A number on a mobile network, tied to a SIM or an eSIM | Yes | Text it, or send a signup code to it |
| Landline | A fixed line at a home or an office | Usually not | Call it, or ask for a mobile number |
| VoIP | A number that runs over the internet, held by a wholesale carrier for an app or a business phone system | Often, when the app or system takes texts | Add a second check at signup, because these numbers are easy to get in bulk |
| Toll-free | An 800, 888 or similar business number that is free to call | Only when the business has turned texting on | Treat it as a business line, not a person's phone |
| Premium | A pay-per-call number, such as a 900 number in the US | No | Leave it off calling and texting lists |
| Unknown | A number the record does not classify | Not known | Treat it as unchecked and look it up again later |
A carrier lookup works for landline, mobile and VoIP numbers, and the company it names depends on the line type.
The carrier field names a different kind of company for each line type, so a landline result often shows a local phone company where a mobile result shows a national mobile network.
| Kind of line | The company the carrier field names | Examples from the prefix table above |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile | The mobile network the number runs on | New Cingular Wireless PCS, which is AT&T's mobile network, or T-Mobile USA |
| Landline | The local phone or cable company that serves the line | Pacific Bell, AT&T's landline company in California, or Qwest Corporation, Lumen's landline company in 14 western states |
| VoIP | The wholesale carrier that supplies the number to an app or a business phone system | A carrier that supplies numbers to VoIP and app-based phone services |
A carrier lookup returns more for US and Canada numbers than for numbers in any other country.
The country picker lists 108 countries and territories. This is what each kind of number returns, so an empty field is not mistaken for a failed lookup.
| Number or field | Where the answer comes from | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| US or Canada mobile or landline number | Carrier and porting records | The carrier, line type, country and whether the number was ported. A free trial opens the OCN, routing number (LRN), rate center and Do Not Call flag |
| US or Canada VoIP number | The same carrier and porting records | The wholesale carrier that holds the number, such as Bandwidth, with the line type VoIP, not the name of the app or brand the customer sees |
| US or Canada toll-free number | The carrier record, which does not cover every toll-free number | The line type toll-free and, through the API, a number status of UNKNOWN where the record has no entry for it |
| A number in another country | The numbering plan of its country and the network's own listing | The carrier where the network lists one, plus the line type, country and region, but no ported flag, routing number or Do Not Call flag |
| MCC and MNC network codes | The network's own listing, for numbers outside the US and Canada | Returned by the API in insights.carrier next to the carrier name, while US and Canada numbers return the OCN instead |
| A number that is not valid for its country | The check that runs before the lookup does | No carrier, since the number is not valid |
A carrier lookup, a line type check, a portability check and an HLR lookup each answer a different question.
The four checks get mixed up because their results overlap. This shows what each one is for and what it costs in the API, with the credits from the pricing page.
| Check | The question it answers | What comes back | Credits in the API |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrier lookup (this page) | Which company holds this number today? | The carrier, line type, country and, for US and Canada numbers, the ported flag | From 1 |
| Line type lookup | Is it mobile, landline, VoIP, toll-free or premium? | The line type, and whether the number qualifies for an HLR lookup | 1 |
| Portability (MNP) check | Which network has the number moved to? | The network it ported to, not the one its prefix implies | 3 |
| HLR lookup | Is the mobile switched on and reachable right now? | Live status, roaming state and the current carrier | 5 |
These terms appear in a carrier lookup, and each one has a plain meaning.
The words below are the ones a carrier lookup, its result and its API use.
| Term | What it means | Where you meet it |
|---|---|---|
| Carrier | The phone company that holds a number on the network and carries its calls and texts | The first field of every result |
| MVNO | A mobile virtual network operator: a brand that sells phone service on another company's network | Why the carrier can differ from the name on the bill |
| Porting | Moving a number to a new carrier while it keeps the same digits | The Ported field of a US or Canada result |
| NPA-NXX | The area code (NPA) and the three digits after it (NXX), the prefix NANPA assigned to one company | The prefix table above and our NPA-NXX lookup |
| OCN | The operating company number, a four-character code that identifies a carrier in North American numbering records | With a free trial, and in insights.raw_api_fields.ocn in the API |
| LRN | The location routing number, the ten-digit number that calls to a ported number are routed by | With a free trial, and in insights.routing.lrn in the API |
| Rate center | The local area a number is billed and routed from | With a free trial, and in insights.raw_api_fields.ratecenter in the API |
| MCC and MNC | The mobile country code and mobile network code that together name one mobile operator | In the API, for numbers outside the US and Canada |
| E.164 | The international way to write a number: a plus sign, the country code and the number, up to 15 digits in all | The format the API takes, such as +14155550132 |
A carrier lookup costs from 1 credit, about $4.95 per 1,000 lookups on Starter and $2.00 on Enterprise.
These are the monthly plans on the pricing page. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial, the same credits pay for every other 1Lookup check, and the free tool on this page checks one number at a time at no cost.
| Plan | About per 1,000 lookups | Monthly price | Carrier lookups included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $4.95 | $99 | 20,000 |
| Growth | $3.52 | $299 | 85,000 |
| Professional | $3.20 | $799 | 250,000 |
| Enterprise | $2.00 | $1,999 | 1,000,000 |
You can check the carrier of a whole list of numbers with one CSV file.
The free tool checks one number at a time. With a 1Lookup account you upload a CSV file, pick the column that holds the numbers and download the same file back with the carrier columns filled in on every row.
| phone | Carrier | Line type | VoIP | Reachable | DNC listed | Timezone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (415) 555-0132 | T-Mobile USA, Inc. | Mobile | No | Yes | No | America/Los_Angeles |
| (212) 555-0187 | RCN Telecom Services, LLC | Landline | No | Yes | Yes | America/New_York |
| (312) 555-0144 | Level 3 Communications, LLC | VoIP | Yes | Yes | No | America/Chicago |
| (713) 555-0109 | New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC | Mobile | No | No | No | America/Chicago |
- 1 credit a number, the same price as one API lookup.
- Up to 2 million rows in one CSV file.
- Up to 200 API requests per 10 seconds for each API key, and each account can make up to 1,000 requests a minute in total across all its keys.
To see a sample file in and out before you upload your own list, open our free bulk phone number checker.
The carrier lookup API returns the same answer as JSON from one request.
Send the number in international format (+1 and ten digits for the US) to the phone endpoint with your API key. Each request costs 1 credit, standard lookups are limited to 200 requests per 10 seconds for each API key, and each account can make up to 1,000 requests a minute in total across all its keys. The carrier name is in insights.raw_api_fields.network and the line type in classification.line_type.
curl -X POST https://app.1lookup.io/api/v1/phone \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"phone_number": "+14155550132"}'import requests
response = requests.post(
"https://app.1lookup.io/api/v1/phone",
headers={"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"},
json={"phone_number": "+14155550132"},
)
data = response.json()["data"]
print(data["classification"]["line_type"])const response = await fetch('https://app.1lookup.io/api/v1/phone', {
method: 'POST',
headers: {
'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY',
'Content-Type': 'application/json'
},
body: JSON.stringify({ phone_number: '+14155550132' })
})
const { data } = await response.json()
console.log(data.classification.line_type)Response
{
"success": true,
"data": {
"request": { "type": "phone", "input": "+14155550132" },
"classification": {
"line_type": "MOBILE",
"portability_status": "PORTED"
},
"insights": {
"routing": { "lrn": "4155550000", "is_ported": true },
"compliance": { "dnc_listed": false },
"raw_api_fields": {
"network": "T-MOBILE USA, INC.",
"ocn": "6529",
"ratecenter": "SNFC CNTRL",
"state": "CA"
}
},
"metadata": { "credits_used": 1, "credits_remaining": 9998 }
}
}To run the same check from your own software, see our carrier lookup API.
It shows the carrier a number is on today.
Numbers move between carriers all the time. The lookup reads the number's current carrier and porting record, so you see the company serving it now and whether it was ported, not the company that first got its prefix.
It tells you whether a number is mobile, landline or VoIP.
Line type decides whether a text can arrive and which calling rules apply, so it comes back with every lookup, free.
It covers US, Canadian and international numbers.
Pick the country and enter the number. US and Canada results cover the mobile networks, local phone companies, cable providers and VoIP carriers, with porting history; international results give the line type and region, and the carrier where the network lists one.
Nobody is told that you looked.
The lookup reads carrier records only. No call or text goes to the number, so its owner never sees that it was checked.
A free trial opens the full record and bulk checks.
Through the API or a CSV upload, every number comes back with its OCN, routing number (LRN), rate center and Do Not Call flag, at 1 credit a lookup.
Who uses this tool
SMS senders use it to stop texting landlines.
A text sent to a landline is wasted, along with the credit it cost. Checking line type and carrier first lets you send texts to mobiles and route the rest to calls or email.
Sales teams use it to clean lead lists.
A quick carrier check flags landlines and VoIP numbers before a list goes into a calling or texting campaign, so reps spend their time on numbers that can answer.
Developers use it to check numbers at signup.
The same check runs through the 1Lookup API inside a signup form, CRM or checkout, so an unexpected line type or carrier is caught before the number is saved.
Support teams use it to explain delivery problems.
When a customer's texts or calls behave oddly, the current carrier and ported status often explain why, for example a number that has moved to a different network.
Frequently asked questions
How can I find out what carrier a phone number belongs to?
Enter the number in the box above. The free lookup returns the carrier, also called the cell phone provider or service provider, that the number is on today, its line type and its country, plus whether it was ported for US and Canada numbers. You can't tell from the digits alone, because people keep their number when they switch carriers.
How do I check the carrier of a phone number?
Enter the number in the box at the top of this page, pick its country if it is not in the US, and read the Carrier / network field of the result. The same result shows the line type, the country and, for a US or Canada number, whether it was ported. Nothing is sent to the number, so it never rings and its owner is never told.
What do I need to look up a carrier by phone number?
Only the number and its country. Enter the full number, with its area code, in the box above; spaces, dashes and brackets are fine. An area code or a prefix alone cannot name today's carrier, because people keep their number when they switch carriers.
Can I find out which cell phone carrier a number uses?
Yes. Enter the number above: a result with the line type Mobile is a cell phone, and its Carrier / network field names the wireless network it is on today. A US or Canada number that has moved to a new carrier shows the new one, because the lookup reads the porting record and not only the prefix.
Is a cell phone provider the same as a carrier?
For a lookup, yes: the cell phone provider, the service provider and the carrier are all the company named in the Carrier / network field. When a brand such as Mint Mobile or Cricket sells the plan, the field names the network the brand runs on, which is T-Mobile for Mint Mobile and AT&T for Cricket.
How do I find the carrier of a number that called or texted me?
Enter the number in the box above with its country. The lookup names the company that holds the number and whether it is a mobile, landline or VoIP line, without calling it back. It does not name the caller; for the caller ID name or the listed owner, use our free who called me lookup.
Is there a free carrier lookup?
Yes, this one, for mobile, landline and VoIP numbers. Single lookups are free with no account, up to a small daily limit per visitor. To check a whole list or call a carrier lookup API, the 1Lookup API and CSV upload cost 1 credit a number, about half a cent on the Starter plan, and you can start with a 7-day free trial. The free web form has no API of its own.
Is there a free carrier lookup API?
The free web form on this page has no API of its own. The 1Lookup carrier lookup API returns the same answer as JSON and costs 1 credit a request, and you can start with a 7-day free trial.
How do I find out who my own phone carrier is?
Your bill names it, and so does your phone: on an iPhone, open Settings, then General, then About; on most Android phones, look under Settings, then About phone. You can also enter your own number above to see the carrier it is on.
Can I look up the carrier of a landline number?
Yes. For a landline the Carrier / network field names the local phone company or cable company that serves the line, and the line type shows Landline. A landline usually cannot receive a text.
Why doesn't the carrier match the company on the phone bill?
Many phone brands run on a bigger company's network. Mint Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile run on T-Mobile and Cricket runs on AT&T, so a lookup often names the network rather than the brand. The legal names look odd too: New Cingular Wireless PCS is AT&T's mobile network.
Can a carrier lookup tell if a number has been ported?
Yes. Porting moves a number to a new carrier while it keeps the same digits. The result has a Ported field, and the carrier it shows is the one the number is on now, not the one that first held its prefix.
Can I tell a number's carrier from its area code?
No. The area code names a place, and the three digits after it name the company that first received that prefix. 72% of the US prefixes in service are pooled, so one prefix can hold numbers from several carriers, and any number can have been ported since. Look up the full number to see who holds it today.
How accurate is a carrier lookup?
It is as current as the carrier and porting records it reads, which is why a ported number shows the carrier it moved to rather than the one its prefix suggests. Two results can still surprise you: a brand that runs on another company's network shows as that network, and carriers appear under their legal names, such as New Cingular Wireless PCS for AT&T's mobile network.
How can I tell whether a number is on AT&T or T-Mobile?
Enter the number above. The result names the company that holds it today, under the carrier's company name: New Cingular Wireless PCS for AT&T's mobile network and T-Mobile USA for T-Mobile. Brands that run on these networks, such as Cricket on AT&T and Mint Mobile on T-Mobile, show as the network they use, so the name can differ from the logo on the bill. The area code can't tell you, because people keep their number when they switch carriers.
Is a reverse carrier lookup the same as a carrier lookup?
A reverse carrier lookup starts from a phone number and finds the carrier behind it, which is what this free tool does. It does not name the person who owns the number; for the caller ID name or the listed owner, use our free who called me lookup.
What is the difference between a carrier lookup and an HLR lookup?
A carrier lookup names the company that holds a number today, with its line type and, for a US or Canada number, whether it was ported. An HLR lookup asks a mobile's own network whether the phone is switched on and reachable right now, which US and Canadian carriers do not answer, so those numbers get an assigned or not assigned answer instead. Use the carrier lookup to sort a list by carrier, and our free HLR lookup for a mobile in another country when reachability decides what you do.
These free checks answer the next question about a number.
- VoIP checkerWhether a number is mobile, landline, VoIP, toll-free or premium, when the carrier does not matter.
- HLR lookupWhether a mobile is switched on and reachable right now, not only which carrier holds it.
- MNP checkerOnly which network a number has moved to, at 3 credits in the API.
- Phone number validatorWhether a number is valid at all, before you look up who holds it.
- OCN lookupThe four-character OCN of a US or Canada number, and how OCNs spread across the numbering plan.
- NPA-NXX lookupWho NANPA assigned a US area code and prefix to, with its rate center and date.
- CNAM lookupThe caller ID name a number shows when it calls, rather than its carrier.
- Bulk phone number checkerThe carrier and line type of every number in a list, from one CSV file.
- Carrier and line type API alternativesWhich lookup APIs return carrier and line type, and how to switch to 1Lookup from another one.
- Free reverse lookup with the carrierWhich free reverse phone lookup also shows the carrier, with no signup.
The first three digits of a US number tell you where it was assigned.
Every area code has its own page with the places it covers, the local time there, and what to do when a call from it looks spoofed. These are the codes people look up most.
- 213Los Angeles
- 646New York City
- 917New York City
- 202Washington
- 404Atlanta
- 702Las Vegas
- 786Miami
- 415San Francisco
- 206Seattle
- 954Fort Lauderdale
- 323Los Angeles
- 929New York City
Area code 213, downtown Los Angeles, also has a page for each of its 786 prefixes, with the company NANPA lists as the holder.
New area codes catch people out, because a number from one looks unfamiliar even when it is local. These are the newest working codes.
- 465New York, since Jun 2026
- 483Alabama, since Feb 2026
- 471Mississippi, since Jan 2026
- 679Michigan, since Nov 2025
- 457Louisiana, since Sep 2025
- 729Tennessee, since Sep 2025
These carrier names show up on phone lookups, and each one has a page.
A lookup often names a company you have never seen on a bill. Each page below says what the company is and where it holds numbers.
- Level 3 Communications, LLCLumen's business and wholesale network
- Bandwidth.com CLEC, LLCSupplies numbers to VoIP and app-based phone services
- Neutral TandemWholesale phone carrier
- New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLCMobile network
- T-Mobile USA, Inc.Mobile network
- Peerless NetworkWholesale phone carrier
- Teleport Communications America, LLCAT&T's business phone network
- Southwestern BellAT&T's landline company
To see who holds America's phone numbers overall, read our study Who Hands Out America's Phone Numbers in 2026.
Run a phone or telecom site? Add this free carrier lookup box to your own pages.