MILLIONS OF BRITS CAN STILL REMEMBER THEIR CHILDHOOD HOME PHONE NUMBER

Daily Mail

 

Revealed: Millions of Brits can still remember their childhood home phone number - as UK landline switch off looms

By JOHN JAMES, SENIOR REPORTER

Published: 03:03 EST, 25 January 2026 | Updated: 04:09 EST, 25 January 2026

 

Millions of Brits can still remember old landline phone numbers from decades ago despite relying solely on their mobile today, new research suggests.

 

With a year until the January 2027 landline switch-off, a new study suggests half the nation can still recite the telephone number from their childhood home as well as their family members and schoolfriends'.

 

Talkmobile commissioned the study as a nostalgic glimpse of the past as the nation transitions to a fully digital phone era.

 

For consumers and businesses, this means that instead of being carried over the old analogue PSTN system, landline voice calls will instead be digitally encoded and sent over the internet.

 

While the underlying technology is changing, the service itself will remain fundamentally the same for users.

 

The transition to internet-based phone systems promises enhanced call quality with clearer connections, more competitive pricing through bundled packages, and improved security features to combat nuisance and scam calls.

 

While just under half of UK households still have a landline (47 per cent) [1], millions of Brits still fondly reflect on the days of the family phone book filled with scribbled telephone numbers.

 

According to the poll of 2,000 adults, three in five Brits (57 per cent) can still recall the landline number they had growing up - rising to nearly seven in ten (68 per cent) for Gen X - aged 45 to 59.

 

One in five Gen X (21 per cent) can also remember between three and five landline phone numbers off the top of their heads. Millennials - aged 28 to 44 - follow closely at nearly two in 10 (18 per cent).

 

The study showed Boomers - aged 60 to 78 - are the generation most likely to have a landline today at almost two-thirds (64 per cent), while millennials are the least likely at about a quarter (27 per cent).

 

Landlines are already a thing of the past for many young adults – fewer than one in 10 (8 per cent) of Gen Z say they never even had one growing up.

 

More than half of Brits (55 per cent) no longer own or use a physical phone book; however, a quarter of Boomers (25 per cent) still actively use one.

 

Talkmobile spokesperson Stuart Wilson said: 'Landline numbers are ingrained in our memories, even as we move towards a digital-only future.

 

'These numbers represent more than just a way to make calls; they're a connection to our past and the people we love.

 

'At Talkmobile, we're committed to making modern communications as straightforward as those memorable landlines once were.

 

'With our industry-leading Trustpilot score of 4.7, we're proving that great customer service and uncomplicated technology can go hand in hand as we embrace this new era of connectivity.'