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When does the available numbers list refresh?

Anonymous
Not applicable

Dang. I'm sure I've seen it mentioned before. I've spent an hour or so searching with no luck. I really sympathize with people spending a pile of time looking for information only to finally give in and ask. Then some smart aleck will pipe in with well search this. It's right there. What'r you...stupid or somethin'.

 

So when would be the best time of day (or week or month) to get the newest available numbers to use the Change Number feature?

13 REPLIES 13

Anonymous
Not applicable

Just a while ago I tried to select a number in an area and it replied with

Phone number change failed.

And that was a whole new area code/prefix. Sigh.

I'm in contact with a mod now.

 

I actually finally managed to get a submit ticket. Response was plenty fast.


@will13am wrote:

I am quite certain that old numbers are released on a daily basis once they have completed the required quarantine period.  Midnight local time is likely the best time to check.  From what I can tell the third tier brands get reduced access to the more established areas area codes as compared to the top tiers.  If one was really **bleep** about number picking, looking for numbers from one brand is not sufficient.  It's a little more effort and cost, other brands might have the desired number which makes looking here completely fruitless.  

 

I am going to test my theory and hopefully the community will participate.  Those with Alberta area code, has anyone been able to get a number starting with 780 from this service (not port in)?  If my theory is correct, those weighing in will say I am only offered 587 numbers.  


Just now offered 780 in Boyle AB! Robot LOL


>>> ALERT: I am not a CSA. Je ne suis pas un Agent du soutien à la clientèle.


@Anonymous wrote:

 @Nezgar , @ddeep91 : I'm not actually looking for a specific 4 digits...just area code/prefix of a specific "local" calling area. I eventually found a nifty number from a new area code. I called it before choosing it. 6UV2. Now my old number gives me the same thing. We'll see how soon I start getting junk calls being on a perhaps new, never used number.

 

 @mimmo : It's also just a secondary line that I use for data hotspoting. Wise advice though. I will examine that more closely for when I change my primary number. It's about caller id to me. One's phone number is linked to a calling area. If one moves several hours away then your old number would look like it's from the old calling area. That's if one exposes ones number of course. But of course maybe one ought not to be concerned with how that looks at the recipients side.

 

 @will13am : Midnight local time? Or midnight ET?


Total guess but I think local time.  I know that Public Mobile uses eastern time for account related matters.  The number quarantine thing is bigger than Public Mobile.  Anyway, I don't know that area code really matters much in the 21st century.  Anyone with a service that charges long distance to call across the street should get with the program and ditch the 20th century calling plan.   


@Anonymous wrote:

 @Nezgar , @ddeep91 : I'm not actually looking for a specific 4 digits...just area code/prefix of a specific "local" calling area. I eventually found a nifty number from a new area code. I called it before choosing it. 6UV2. Now my old number gives me the same thing. We'll see how soon I start getting junk calls being on a perhaps new, never used number.


With a newer area code, I'd think you're less likely to get spam calls. At least I didn't when I had a temp number in Saskatchewan's newer 639 area code for my first month before porting in. Maybe a less attractive target for spammers due to the low density of active numbers in newer area codes/prefixes...

 

A coworker picked a nifty number for his daughters new PM line in an "old" area code/prefix, and she started getting a few spam calls... It's pretty much guaranteed the number was recycled, but the calls subsided and the number was worth it.

 

If course if you only care about outgoing calls, you could just set an unconditional forward so incoming calls dead-end with an announcement, like:

  • 416 299 6099 "The number you are calling cannot receive incoming calls."
  • 306 545 8171 "At the customers request, the number you have dialed is equipped for outgoing calls only."

Cat Very Happy

Anonymous
Not applicable

 @Nezgar , @ddeep91 : I'm not actually looking for a specific 4 digits...just area code/prefix of a specific "local" calling area. I eventually found a nifty number from a new area code. I called it before choosing it. 6UV2. Now my old number gives me the same thing. We'll see how soon I start getting junk calls being on a perhaps new, never used number.

 

 @mimmo : It's also just a secondary line that I use for data hotspoting. Wise advice though. I will examine that more closely for when I change my primary number. It's about caller id to me. One's phone number is linked to a calling area. If one moves several hours away then your old number would look like it's from the old calling area. That's if one exposes ones number of course. But of course maybe one ought not to be concerned with how that looks at the recipients side.

 

 @will13am : Midnight local time? Or midnight ET?

mimmo
Retired Oracle / Oracle Retraité

@Anonymous  before changing your number do an assessment on what services your current numbers is used for, both as a primary and backup account verification.

 

Facebook, WhatsApp, Uber , banks, google etc... With most plans being Canada wide ,. The long-distance calling thing  isn't that big of an issue anymore .  It might be worth. Keeping you old number.

will13am
Oracle
Oracle

I am quite certain that old numbers are released on a daily basis once they have completed the required quarantine period.  Midnight local time is likely the best time to check.  From what I can tell the third tier brands get reduced access to the more established areas area codes as compared to the top tiers.  If one was really **bleep** about number picking, looking for numbers from one brand is not sufficient.  It's a little more effort and cost, other brands might have the desired number which makes looking here completely fruitless.  

 

I am going to test my theory and hopefully the community will participate.  Those with Alberta area code, has anyone been able to get a number starting with 780 from this service (not port in)?  If my theory is correct, those weighing in will say I am only offered 587 numbers.  

ddeep91
Town Hero / Héro de la Ville

@Nezgar wrote:

@Anonymous wrote:

Again I guess I'm old school. I know my current number will show the area it thinks it's from. So I want to change that to being from what will be my new area.

You could even 'pre-vet' the numbers in the applicable by trying to call them, and see if you get a number not assigned message 🙂


Haha and if it rings.. 

Sorry just checking if the number was available 😂😂😂

 

@Anonymous 

Ps. Interesting to know that you were able to get more choices after midnight.  I would also recommend getting the help of mods to see if they can grab you a unique number as well. 😀

 

Cheers


@Anonymous wrote:

Again I guess I'm old school. I know my current number will show the area it thinks it's from. So I want to change that to being from what will be my new area.


I guess if one desires a specific 4 digits, it could be worthwhile to send a quick note to the mods asking if a few particular numbers might be available in a particular city...

 

You could even 'pre-vet' the numbers in the applicable by trying to call them, and see if you get a number not assigned message 🙂

Anonymous
Not applicable

@Nezgar wrote:

I would think if it does refresh, it would be after midnight ET... But I wouldn't expect too many new numbers to show up...

 

If you're desparate, you can also search NumberBarn.com for Canadian numbers in particular cities... Been entertaining myself with some searches there a little this evening... Can search with words too. Many numbers are less than $20, some are much much higher, and they can be ported out to Public Mobile afterwards...


This all could be coincidence but I did start to see some more numbers after midnight. But it could also have just been the randomizer. Could be cookies. Could be the session data. I'd sure like to know for sure though.

Again I guess I'm old school. I know my current number will show the area it thinks it's from. So I want to change that to being from what will be my new area.

Nezgar
Mayor / Maire

I would think if it does refresh, it would be after midnight ET... But I wouldn't expect too many new numbers to show up...

 

If you're desparate, you can also search NumberBarn.com for Canadian numbers in particular cities... Been entertaining myself with some searches there a little this evening... Can search with words too. Many numbers are less than $20, some are much much higher, and they can be ported out to Public Mobile afterwards...

Anonymous
Not applicable

@ddeep91 wrote:


@Anonymous 

I don't think we would find out when the list refreshes or when new numbers get added.

if you are looking for a specific number. You can search the last 4 Numbers and choose your number that way.

You won't be able to change the first 6 numbers (xxx-xxx-(you can only choose last 4).

That's what I did

 

Cheers

 


Thanks

As an existing customer, you can only see a list of 5 numbers then either refresh and do it again or select another city and then come back. New customers can try to pick a preferred 4 digits.

So then I searched "refresh numbers" and found a post by @wetcoaster saying in the morning. With this place running on ET...when in the morning? I think will13am said something along those lines too. Are these anecdotal or is it known when new numbers come online?

 

I'm moving from one local/LD calling area to another and wonder about picking a new number from what's provided. But am I looking at the dregs of the day right now? Or it being after midnight ET am I seeing new numbers?

ddeep91
Town Hero / Héro de la Ville

@Anonymous wrote:

Dang. I'm sure I've seen it mentioned before. I've spent an hour or so searching with no luck. I really sympathize with people spending a pile of time looking for information only to finally give in and ask. Then some smart aleck will pipe in with well search this. It's right there. What'r you...stupid or somethin'.

 

So when would be the best time of day (or week or month) to get the newest available numbers to use the Change Number feature?


@Anonymous 

I don't think we would find out when the list refreshes or when new numbers get added.

if you are looking for a specific number. You can search the last 4 Numbers and choose your number that way.

You won't be able to change the first 6 numbers (xxx-xxx-(you can only choose last 4).

That's what I did

 

Cheers

 

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