# I just transfered one cell phone number to another, they both still work.  Why?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-transfered-one-cell-phone-number-to-another-they-both-still-work-why/385322>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 23, 2006, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-transfered-one-cell-phone-number-to-another-they-both-still-work-why/385322 "2006-12-23T05:32:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SweetHomeColorado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d26b3c/32.png) [@SweetHomeColorado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SweetHomeColorado)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2006, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-transfered-one-cell-phone-number-to-another-they-both-still-work-why/385322/1 "2006-12-23T05:32:20Z")

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I have Verizon and I just switched from one phone to another. Not realizing they were both on, a call came in and a text and they went to both phones. Do both phones have accessibility to my phone number?

Whats the deal? how long should I expect both the old and new phones to work for?

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**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2006, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-transfered-one-cell-phone-number-to-another-they-both-still-work-why/385322/2 "2006-12-23T05:49:26Z")

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I did the same thing! (Lost one, replaced it, found it. It still works.) I am superstitious about having them both on at the same time, though. I haven’t checked for a while, but they both worked six months after I got the second.

Tris