In short. Yes, some French landlines can send text messages, but none of them send them anonymously. The message goes out with the line's geographic number (01 to 05) or with an operator identifier, and the #31# prefix — designed for caller ID presentation on a call — has no effect whatsoever on a text message. To write without exposing your line, you need to change channel, not prefix.
Information verified on 20 October 2026 on the public pages of Arcep, the CNIL, service-public.fr, Légifrance, the 33700 scheme (AF2M) and on the public support pages of French operators. This article provides general information and is no substitute for legal advice.
Can you still send a text message from a landline in France?
Yes, but the service has shrunk considerably. Historically, French operators offered "landline SMS": you typed the message on the handset keypad, and the mobile recipient received either a standard text message, or a voice call reading the text out via speech synthesis if their handset could not handle the message.
Since the widespread migration of fixed telephony to voice over IP — the legacy switched telephone network has been progressively shut down by Orange, an operation monitored by Arcep — this service has largely vanished from consumer plans. Many routers no longer include it at all, and SMS-compatible landline phones are becoming rare in shops.
Three set-ups survive in practice:
- an SMS-compatible landline phone connected to a line whose operator still maintains the service;
- a business plan (switchboard, PABX, centrex) that sends text messages through a gateway, billed per message;
- a web or app-based service that has nothing to do with the landline at all, even if you type the message on your computer.
Before investing in a handset, check the service with your operator: an SMS-compatible DECT cordless landline phone is useless if the line no longer carries the feature.
What does the recipient of a text sent from a landline see?
They see a number, almost always. And that is the whole issue: contrary to popular belief, a text sent from a landline is no more discreet than a mobile text — it is simply easier to identify.
Depending on the set-up, the recipient's screen displays:
| What appears | Likely origin | What it reveals |
|---|---|---|
| Number starting 01 to 05 | Geographic landline | The geographic area of the line, and the subscriber via a directory |
| Number starting 09 | Non-geographic VoIP line | The operator, sometimes nothing more |
| Short number with 5 or 6 digits | Professional sending gateway | The provider, not the end sender |
| Name in letters (alphanumeric sender) | Professional bulk sending | A brand or a declared label |
The geographic number is the worst-case scenario for anyone seeking discretion: an 01 or an 04 immediately gives away a region, and a landline remains far easier to link to a household or a business than a mobile. We cover elsewhere what each type of label says about the sender in our article on the sender of an anonymous text message.
Why doesn't #31# hide a text message?
Because #31# is not a message feature, it is a call instruction. The #31# prefix asks the network not to transmit the caller's identity for that particular call: this is the calling line identification restriction service, defined in telephony standards and available in France on both landline and mobile.
A text message, on the other hand, does not go through that mechanism. It travels via a messaging centre that attaches an "originating address" field to the message. That field is filled in by the operator based on your line, and there is no keypad command on the customer side that can empty it. Typing #31# before a number prior to sending a text produces, at best, a failed send, and at worst a message that goes out normally with your number visible.
Remember the simple rule: #31# hides the voice, never the text. An anonymous text message is not achieved with a prefix, but by using a sending channel that is not your line.
The same reasoning applies to calls: if you want to call someone back without exposing your line, the logic is the one we describe in calling back a withheld number without showing your own.
Hiding your landline number for calls: how to do it, operator by operator
It is possible, and it is free. Caller ID withholding comes in two forms: one-off (a prefix dialled before each number) and permanent (an option activated on the line). The steps vary from one operator to another, but the logic is the same everywhere.
- One-off withholding. Dial
#31#immediately followed by the number, with no space:#31#0612345678. The call goes out as "number withheld" for that call only. - Permanent withholding. Request activation of permanent caller ID restriction in your customer account, through customer service, or via your router's settings when the interface offers it (telephony / caller ID section).
- Revealing a permanently withheld line on a one-off basis. The reverse prefix,
#32#, transmits your number as an exception — handy for reaching a service that refuses withheld calls. - Check the result. Call your own mobile from the landline before trusting the setting. That is the only reliable test.
Three important points:
- Permanent withholding does not prevent identification by the emergency services (15, 17, 18, 112): the law requires the number to be transmitted to those services.
- Many private individuals filter or automatically reject withheld calls; a hidden number often means an unanswered call.
- The display rules for numbers used in telephone cold calling changed in late 2025, as part of the fight against scams described by service-public.fr. These rules govern businesses, not private individuals, but they explain why some numbers are now better filtered by operators.
If your router sits in a noisy room and you make a lot of sensitive calls, a corded telephone headset mainly prevents the people around you from accidentally overhearing — a trivial privacy point, but often a decisive one at home.
What are the alternatives for writing without exposing your line?
Change channel. Since a landline cannot hide a text message, you need to use a channel whose originating identifier is not yours. Four options hold up in 2026.
An online text-sending service
You type the message on a computer or a phone; it goes out with the gateway's identifier (a short number or a label), not with your line. This is the most direct method to send an anonymous text message without touching your subscription. One limitation to be aware of: the recipient cannot reply by tapping "Reply", unless the service provides a return channel.
A second mobile number
A prepaid SIM card, a secondary eSIM or an additional-number app: anonymity here is relative, since signing up requires identification in France, but it does protect your main number from the recipient. A basic mobile phone without internet is more than enough for this purpose, and can sit in a drawer between uses.
An encrypted messaging app with a pseudonym
Some messaging apps let you create an account without a phone number. The recipient then only sees a username, but they have to use the same app: that is no longer SMS.
A device with no SIM card, over wifi
An old smartphone connected to wifi can send app-based messages without ever exposing a number. We covered this set-up in detail in sending an anonymous message without a SIM card.
| Method | Number visible? | Reply possible? | Still traceable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text from a landline | Yes, the line's number | Yes | Yes, highly |
| Online sending service | No, the service's identifier | Depends on the service | Yes, by the provider |
| Second mobile number | Yes, but not the main one | Yes | Yes, via the subscription |
| Encrypted messaging app | No, pseudonym | Yes | Service metadata |
Is the anonymity of a text message guaranteed by law?
No, and this is the most widely misunderstood point. Writing without giving your number is not illegal in France: no rule requires a private individual to identify themselves to a recipient. But anonymity towards the recipient is not anonymity towards the courts.
Operators and sending providers retain technical connection data for a period set by the French post and electronic communications code, available on Légifrance. Upon a judicial request, this data can be handed over to investigators. From that standpoint, a message sent from a landline is one of the easiest to trace back: the line is tied to an address.
The behaviours that strip away this protection are well known and punishable:
- harassment, including a single message repeated over time across several channels;
- threats, insults or defamation;
- identity theft, where someone passes themselves off as another person.
For the full legal framework, see our article on the legality of anonymous text messages in France. The CNIL also points out that a phone number is personal data: collecting or publishing one is not a trivial matter.
What should you do when you receive a strange text from a landline number?
Do not reply, and keep a record. A text from an unknown 01 or 09 number should trigger the same caution as an unknown mobile number: messages asking you to call back, click or confirm a "delivery" are phishing classics.
The right reflexes, in order:
- Do not call back the displayed number and do not click on any link.
- Keep the original message on the phone, not just a screenshot: the full timestamp and the sender label matter, as explained in our guide to building solid evidence.
- Report it to 33700 by forwarding the message — a scheme run by AF2M and promoted by cybermalveillance.gouv.fr.
- Block the sender in your messaging app, then check that the block also covers calls.
- File a complaint if the messages are repeated, become threatening or target a minor.
A paper notebook kept next to the phone remains the simplest way to date each message received without relying on an app: date, time, number displayed, a summary of the content. This is exactly the kind of log an investigator can read in thirty seconds.
Is it worth keeping a landline for discretion?
Not for discretion, no. The landline retains other advantages — reliability when the mobile network fails, comfortable listening, a stable number you can give to public bodies without exposing your mobile — but it offers no anonymity advantage for written messages.
It can, however, play a useful role in a strategy of separating numbers: giving out the landline to services that demand a number and reserving the mobile for close contacts mechanically reduces the exposure of your personal line. For households already equipped, a landline phone with call screening blocks a good share of unwanted calls upstream, and an external unwanted-call blocker plugs into an existing set-up without changing handsets.
If your aim is to stop being reachable by one specific contact, the question is no longer technical but legal: see our article on changing your number to escape a harasser, as well as the stop being contacted page.
Updated on 20 October 2026. Landline SMS services, caller ID withholding options and pricing change over time: check the information on your operator's support page before taking any steps.
Frequently asked questions
Can you send a withheld text message from an internet router?
No. Router interfaces that still offer text sending transmit the line's number. No router setting removes the originating address of a written message; the router's caller ID withholding applies only to voice calls.
Does #31# work on a landline phone?
Yes, for calls. Dial #31# directly followed by the number, with no space, before picking up or confirming. To withhold all your calls, ask your operator for permanent restriction; #32# then lets you display your number on a one-off basis.
Can a withheld landline number still be identified?
Yes. Withholding prevents display on the recipient's device, not logging by operators. Upon a judicial request, the number and the line's subscriber can be disclosed to investigators, and the emergency services always receive the number.
How do you reply to a text received from a landline number?
If the number accepts text messages, a standard reply will get through. Otherwise, your message may fail silently or be converted into a synthesised voice call. If you have any doubts about the sender, it is better not to reply at all.
Can landline numbers be used for cold calling?
Yes, and that is precisely why the display of numbers used by call centres was regulated in late 2025. Unsolicited cold calling can be reported, and registering on the Bloctel opt-out list remains free.
