Though there is no state- or nation-wide cell phone directory in existence, WhitePages.com has developed its own way to cater to the demand for a cell phone lookup service. They have accomplished this by creating an entirely opt-in cell phone directory that allows people to register their own cell phone numbers so that they can be searched for. Though the reverse phone lookup currently only caters to landline numbers, the hope is that the opt-in service will create a directory big enough to allow for both forward and backward queries.
This cell phone directory service is still in its beta version and allows users to add their own mobile numbers to the cell phone lookup service for free. This allows their friends and family to contact them when they need the right digits, especially in an emergency when a person needs to be reached directly.
To add a cell phone number, users simply need to visit the WhitePages.com website and click the "Add Cell Number" option in the upper secondary navigation. Then, click the "Get Started" button, and the registration process will begin. The information that is required for registration includes:
- First Name
- Last Name
- ZIP Code
- Cell Phone Number
- Email Address
- Agreement to the terms and services of the WhitePages.com website
The middle initial of the name can also be registered, but that information is not required.
Once the registration form is completed, the next step is to click the "Preview My Listing" button. This will allow users to review their registration information and make sure that there aren’t any mistakes or typos. After the preview, the number can be published into the directory.
As this is an opt-in service, it also allows users to opt-out again at any time. The removal process from the cell phone directory is quite simple. First, the listing must be found on the website using a cell phone lookup. If more than one result appears for the query, click on the "Listing Details" option to reveal further details about each result so that the correct listing can be identified.
Once the right listing is found, scroll down the page to the "privacy options" section, and click the "Is this you? Remove your listing" option. This will immediately take the listing off the website, deleting it from the database and making it unsearchable as a cell phone lookup or a reverse phone lookup.
Keep in mind that this is a cell phone directory service that caters only to American numbers. Therefore, people who have cell phone numbers from outside the United States, or people who wish to search for cell phones outside the United States will not be able to do so at WhitePages.com.
This cell phone directory ability is quite unique online as there are no other kinds of forward cell phone lookup. In terms of mobiles, only reverse phone lookup directories have been made available. The difference with the WhitePages.com service is that they have made the entire process opt-in, with a full registration requirement. This fully respects the privacy of people wishing to keep their cellular numbers unsearchable.
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