How to generate fake phone numbers
This tool makes up to 500 fake phone numbers in your browser for testing forms, validation, phone masks and display layouts. The default numbers are in ranges reserved for fiction, so they cannot ring a real person.
- Country and type: pick a fictional range (United States / Canada, or United Kingdom drama numbers) or, further down the list, a realistic-format mobile number for a country such as France, Germany, Japan or India.
- How many: 1 to 500. Every number in a run is different.
- Format: the choices change with the country. For US and Canada they are (212) 555-0123, 212-555-0123, 212.555.0123, digits only, +1 international and E.164. Other countries offer National, International, E.164 and Digits only. Changing Format restyles the same numbers.
- Press Generate numbers for a fresh list, then Copy all or Download .txt.
How the numbers are made
The North American Numbering Plan keeps 555-0100 to 555-0199 for fictional use. The tool puts that block behind one of about 70 real US area codes, so each number looks natural. For the United Kingdom, Ofcom sets aside drama ranges: 1,000 numbers in each of London (020 7946 0xxx), Leeds, Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester, Bristol, Reading, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Tyneside, Northern Ireland and Cardiff, plus 01632 960xxx and mobile 07700 900xxx. The realistic options follow each country's rules: US numbers use real area codes and never an N11 code such as 911 or an N11 exchange, and each mobile number has the right prefix and length for its country.
E.164, defined in ITU-T E.164, is the format APIs expect: a plus sign, the country code and the number, up to 15 digits.
Worked example
The page opens on a fixed sample: 20 numbers, United States / Canada fictional, first in the (212) 555-0123 style. It begins (408) 555-0181, (612) 555-0128, (212) 555-0189. Change Format to E.164 and the first number becomes +14085550181, with the same digits in the same order.
Limits and edge cases
- Blank, zero, negative and decimal counts show an error, and anything above 500 is capped with a note.
- Realistic numbers pass format checks but are not verified against any carrier. A few may be live lines, so keep them out of anything that sends calls or texts.
- Reserved numbers can trip strict validators. In a check with Google's libphonenumber library, all 500 numbers from the US fictional option passed, while about one in six UK drama numbers were rejected. If a checker must accept every number, test with the realistic option.
- For a matching email, use the email generator. For full records with names and addresses, try the fake data generator or the address generator.
Frequently asked questions
Which fake phone numbers are safe to use?
In the United States and Canada, 555-0100 through 555-0199 are set aside for fictional use. In the United Kingdom, Ofcom reserves blocks such as 020 7946 0000 to 0999 and 07700 900000 to 900999 for drama. Both can be shown publicly without ringing a stranger.
Can I call or text the numbers this tool makes?
No. The fictional numbers are not assigned to anyone, so calls and texts go nowhere. The realistic numbers follow real numbering rules and might belong to a real person, so do not dial them either.
What is E.164 format?
E.164 is the international standard for phone numbers: a plus sign, the country code and the national number with no spaces, at most 15 digits in all, such as +12125550123. Most SMS and telephony APIs expect it.
Why does the tool use real area codes with 555?
The 555-01XX block is reserved inside every area code, so a real area code makes the number look right to a form or parser without any chance of reaching a customer.
Sources: North American Numbering Plan 555 allocation, Ofcom numbers for drama, ITU-T E.164.