How to Go Ex-Directory in Hull (KCOM and BT)
Going ex-directory is free with both KCOM, Hull's local phone company, and BT. With KCOM you can ask through its online contact form or by ringing customer services on 01482 602555. With BT you choose between two ex-directory options through its landline help pages. It keeps your number out of directories, but it does not stop people who already have your number from calling you.
What "ex-directory" means
An ex-directory number is one that your phone company will not give out through directory enquiries or list in a directory. It is a privacy setting, not a way to block calls.
With KCOM
KCOM's help page says the ex-directory service is free for all customers. Once your number is ex-directory, it is not given out to anyone who calls directory enquiries. KCOM also says it no longer provides white pages, though the ex-directory service still applies.
- Existing customers: use the form on the KCOM contact page, or call customer services on 01482 602555.
- New customers: ask for ex-directory when you set up your service, and it applies from the day your service starts.
KCOM adds two cautions. If you have given your number to other companies or organisations, KCOM cannot guarantee they will not pass it on. And KCOM recycles numbers, so you may still get calls meant for a previous user. That does not mean your ex-directory status has been breached.
If you are not sure a call is really from KCOM, see our guide to calls from 01482 602555.
With BT
BT's help page lists two options, and says both are free:
- Ex-directory (no calls): your details are left out of the printed Phone Book, BT's 118500 directory enquiries and BT's online directory.
- Directory Enquiries Only: your details are not printed or put online, but can still be given out through directory enquiries.
Use the contact details on BT's ex-directory help page to sign up. BT also notes that its copper landline network is being retired, so check that guidance if your line is being moved.
Hull's phone book history
Hull has always had its own directory. According to Hull History Centre, Hull Corporation was licensed to run a municipal phone service in 1902, and its first exchange opened in 1904. After privatisation in 1999, Kingston Communications, now KCOM, remained the only locally operated telephone company in the UK. A complete run of Hull directories from 1937 to the present is held at the History Centre, apart from a few missing years, which is why older listings can still be looked up in person. Going ex-directory affects current listings, not historic books. You can read more about the city's phone heritage in our article on the cream KCOM phone boxes.
What going ex-directory will not do
- It will not stop sales calls. Register with the Telephone Preference Service for that.
- It will not remove you from the electoral register. Opting out of the "open register" is a separate process.
- It will not hide your number from people you have already given it to.
If you are looking for numbers rather than hiding yours, see our guide to reverse phone lookup for 01482.
Checked on 6 November 2026 against KCOM's page on making your number ex-directory, BT's ex-directory help page and Hull History Centre's guide to telephone directories.