Note: this idea is not from my wife.

I am thinking about changing my personal cell.

I have had several numbers, for years: office/published direct number, company main, disposable, work cell and personal.

I’m debating about changing my personal one. Only a handful of people have it, so I can change it fairly easily - it always irritates my family when I do so, but I don’t see having a need to change it again, now that I am married.

The women who had my personal are not crazy, etc but I cannot see a reason to ever contact them, personally. (I met both through work, and I have no issue referring them, professionally.)

Part of me thinks it’s irrational, but part of me wants a clean break.

My exes never call me. Ever. I've erased them from my thoughts as much as they seem to have erased me from theirs. It doesn't matter if they have my phone number, it isn't like they are holding onto some piece of me by knowing my number.

That's not a logical argument, nor a practical one. Just like yours, it is an emotional position. So if changing your number would bring you a feeling of freedom, do it.

I’ve had the same number since 99.
Married Mrs. Mike when I was 33, in ‘ought and three.
Had to keep in touch w/the ex bc we have a kid (he’s 31now). But since he turned 18 I haven’t spoken to her, she’s in my phone in case she calls me for something. But she was crazy. Had to block her on FB. Yet I still keep up with her dad.

Keep the number and simply block those you do not want calling you.

Keep the number.

I've had the same cell number since 2002.

These days it is almost as unique as a social security number and if you get a new number you will:

a) Get lots of annoying phone calls for the last person that had it (we had that with a land line).
b) Have people that do want to reach you that can't.
c) Have issues with security for websites, logins, etc. where you used your current number.

Just because a phone rings doesn't mean you have to answer it and both you and your wife had a life before you met each other. No reason to go through the hassle of changing a cell number.

My wife got a new number when we merged our plans, she moved from a CA number to a TX local number. At the time, to merge our phones onto 1 plan, one of us had to change & it didn't make sense to move mine to a CA number with us both in TX.
I've had the same cell number since around 06 I think.

quote:

Only a handful of people have it(personal #)

Then I am with 229DAK, and KevH.

Block the few, ignore anyone not in your contacts. Purge your contact list, but block anyone in that list you don't want to deal with that you think may call you.

I had over 7000 contacts (mostly business related). Nuked the list. Now I have 66.

I maybe get 2-3 calls a week from anyone. Sometimes none.

The last time I changed a number, I had to deal with someone else's BS annoying acquaintances calling, leaving messages as I blocked every number that I did not have a contact for, or did not present known caller ID.

Went on for over a year.


FWIW, I am not sure if simply not answering and blocking unknows or not having many people with my number now has anything to do with lack of robo calls, or if that simply isn't the problem is used to be, but I maybe get 1/2 dozen of those calls a year now.

Being left the hell alone is very nice thing to have.

I've had the same number since 1997. I like that to a few people I'm one of the only numbers they know from when you had a address book or memorized numbers.

Never had an ex call me. I do have a 20yr long stalker that calls and threatens to kick my ass or calls me names. I'm pretty sure it's a buddy from college, but it remains a mystery.

Nope

I’ve had the same cell number since 2000

When I met my wife in 2011, she was on T-Mobile, she went on my AT&T plan with a new number.

quote:

Originally posted by 229DAK:
Keep the number and simply block those you do not want calling you.

Yep, this. It’s not worth the bother to change phone numbers imo. I’d block anyone you do not care to deal with in the future and go into the phone settings and set it up so any number NOT in your contact list goes directly to voicemail.

No.

And I've been rocking the same number since 1998.

No.
I’ve tried to avoid engaging with crazy people and with a search almost anyone can be found.
Hasn’t been a problem.

I am on the cusp changing my number, deleting apps with the same. I just have to much nonsense since getting divorced.

My thoughts are a new number, change with my normal contacts
, then move on.

quote:

The last time I changed a number, I had to deal with someone else's BS annoying acquaintances calling, leaving messages as I blocked every number that I did not have a contact for, or did not present known caller ID.

That's a valid point. In my case, the number I received had been published in a church phone book for its previous holder. I got so many calls for the previous owner that I kept their info handy to pass on to the callers, and I still got calls for those people more than ten years after I had that number.

I think the peace and quiet of your current number is preferable to the possible noise level of the new number.

I have had the same phone # since I got a cell in the late 90’s. We don’t even have a land line. I now live 2000 miles from that area code. On an iPhone (and I assume android as well) it’s only a few keys to block a number. And most calls now come up as potential spam and I don’t answer and then block.

Wife same deal with her cell# we married in 2003

It would be a huge inconvenience to me get a new number at this point in my life.

Sounds like a hassle for no real reason.

I didn’t change my number but I did remove all the female friends from my social media.

With today's technology, anybody can find you.

quote:

Originally posted by Aglifter:
Part of me thinks it’s irrational...

The rest of you should follow that lead

Do you not use your cell number for two-factor auth to various websites and services that do not support 2FA code application?

Add them to the blocked list if you must, and forget about it. I wouldn't even do that if you parted amicably.