So what are you supposed to do if you have a cell phone number and move to a different area code? Are you supposed to change your number? Because I’ve been rocking my 415 mobile number for years, despite not living in the 415. And I’ve had this number for almost 15 years, so I’m loathe to give it up.
I can’t imagine phone companies are cool with it, especially with the demand for 415 numbers. But fuck them.
When I decided to hook up Google Voice, I grabbed one of their free numbers (717 area code). Doesn’t matter to me where 717 actually is (PA, I think). Several of my family members have cell phones from area codes where they used to live, too. I doubt many people would pay any attention if you just kept it.
It’s fine to keep it. However, if you ever change carriers, I do not think you will be able to port that number if you are no longer living in that area code. (I could be wrong on that.)
Also, if you move to an area that still has 7-number local dialing (do those still exist?), people may get annoyed with you–although I guess no one ever really dials a personal number more than once these days anyway.
That is fantastic.
I’m a 415 native, but I got my cell phone during the brief period where I lived in the East Bay over a decade ago.
About 95% of the people I know have a cell number different than where they currently live. NYC number in SF. Chicago number in Santa Monica. San Jose in Seattle. Sacramento in Iowa. Hawaii in Brooklyn. I’ve never heard of anyone forced to change their number when moving within the US until this thread.
You can port numbers from one carrier to another just fine, even without living in the area code. I have a 212 area code, and I’ve gone between three carriers with it, despite the fact that I have literally never lived in New York, let alone Manhattan.