After a phone number is deactivated, the operator may reclaim it and assign it to a new user. The service provider specifies a date, and the operator reports whether the number has changed users since then.
The phone number has belonged to the same person since registration.
The phone number was reclaimed and assigned to a new user in 2025. The response says “user changed”.
The specified date is after the user change. The number has belonged to the new user ever since, so the response says “user unchanged”.
A and BUse the date a member registered their phone number to check whether it has changed hands since then.
CThe specified date sets the comparison start date. Use the date the member registered their phone number.
Number Recycling: How it works
- Given dateThe service provider sends the phone number and the comparison date specifiedDate, such as the date a member registered the number.
- Check userThe operator checks whether the phone number has changed users since that date.
- Return the resultReturns true (changed) or false (unchanged).
Number Recycling: API spec
POST /checkspecifiedDate (YYYY-MM-DD)| Response fields | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| phoneNumberRecycled | Whether the phone number has changed users since the specified date | true |
Responses for three scenarios (excerpts)
falseNo user change since the specified datetrueUser changed since the specified datefalseThe user changed before the specified dateSpec source: CAMARA NumberRecycling r2.2 (Number Recycling v0.2.0)
Number Recycling: GSMA use cases
Vehicle Recycling Centre
Problem to solveAfter a vehicle is scrapped, its eSIM often remains active, creating risks of data leaks, unauthorized access, and regulatory violations.
Number Recycling's roleChecks whether the phone number still belongs to the automaker.
Used together: SIM Swap, Location Retrieval
GSMA source ↗Manage phone number change of ownership
Problem to solveAfter a phone number is reassigned, prevents account misuse and unwanted texts to the new user while helping the previous user recover their account.
Number Recycling's roleChecks whether a phone number has changed users since a specified date.
GSMA source ↗Sources: GSMA Open Gateway Use Case Library and API Descriptions (accessed 2026-10-14). Descriptions are summaries.