GLOSSARY

What is a landline number?

A landline is a fixed-line phone tied to a physical location, not a mobile SIM. Learn landline vs mobile and detect a number’s type free.

Open the phone validator →All free tools

A landline (fixed-line) number is a phone number tied to a physical wired connection at a location, as opposed to a mobile number on a cellular SIM. The distinction matters for SMS: landlines generally cannot receive text messages.

Landline vs mobile

Landlines route to a fixed address over copper or fiber; mobiles route to a SIM anywhere on a cellular network. Because texting is a cellular feature, a landline usually cannot receive an SMS OTP — sending a verification code to one silently fails. Line-type detection flags this before you try.

Why the type matters

If you collect phone numbers for SMS verification, detecting landline (and VoIP) numbers up front avoids wasted sends and confused users. For receiving OTPs reliably you want a real mobile number.

Try it now — free, no signup

Use the phone validator in your browser. Then, when you need it at scale with an API key and higher limits, grab the full Eveses API.

Open the phone validator →Sign up for the full API

FAQ

Can a landline receive SMS?›
Usually not — texting is a cellular feature. Some providers offer text-to-landline, but you should not rely on it for OTP.
How do I detect a landline?›
Our phone validator returns the line type, including fixed-line/landline.

Related

What is a VoIP number?A VoIP number routes calls and texts over the internet instead of a cellular network. Learn VoIP vs mobile and check any number’s line type free.How to check if a phone number is VoIPDetect whether a phone number is a VoIP line or a real mobile before trusting it for verification. Free line-type lookup, step-by-step.How to validate a phone numberValidate a phone number’s format, line type (mobile/VoIP), and region. Step-by-step, plus a free validator that returns E.164 and carrier.