Complete Guide: Unblocking a Number with Every Carrier

Is your professional number showing as "Spam Likely" or completely blocked by carriers? Here's what to do for each of the 4 major French carriers.

Important: Before requesting an unblock, make sure you've fixed the practices that caused the flagging. Otherwise, you'll be blocked again in a few weeks. Check our guide on the 5 mistakes that get your numbers blacklisted.

Orange: Unblocking Procedure

How It Works at Orange

Orange uses its own anti-spam detection system based on:

• User reports via the "Orange et moi" app
• Behavioral analysis (volume, duration, call patterns)
• Shared databases with other players

Dispute Procedure

1. Contact Orange Pro service: If you're an Orange Pro/Enterprise customer, call 3901 (business service)
2. Online form: Go to assistance.orange.fr > Report a problem
3. Provide documentation:
   • Proof the number belongs to you (invoice)
   • Description of your business activity
   • Bloctel/GDPR compliance commitment

Processing Time

Allow 5 to 15 business days. Orange verifies your activity is legitimate before removing the flag.

Useful Orange Contacts

Service	Contact
Orange Pro	3901
Orange Enterprise	0 800 100 106
Online Support	assistance.orange.fr

SFR: Unblocking Procedure

How It Works at SFR

SFR uses the "SFR Anti-Spam" system which relies on:

• Subscriber reports (long press + "Report as spam")
• A database shared with anti-spam partners
• Analysis of suspicious call patterns

Dispute Procedure

1. SFR Business portal: Log into your business portal
2. Customer service: Call 1023 (SFR Business Team)
3. Email: Send a request to abuse@sfr.com with:
   • The affected number(s)
   • Your business registration number
   • Description of your prospecting activity
   • Proof of Bloctel compliance

Processing Time

Between 7 and 21 days. SFR is generally slower than Orange at processing these requests.

Useful SFR Contacts

Service	Contact
SFR Business Team	1023
Abuse/Spam	abuse@sfr.com
Customer Portal	sfrbusiness.fr

Free: Unblocking Procedure

How It Works at Free

Free has a more technical and less interventionist approach:

• No automatic "Spam Likely" display
• Blocking based mainly on user reports
• Optional Hiya integration for subscribers

Dispute Procedure

1. Free Pro subscriber portal: Log into pro.free.fr
2. Contact form: Use the "Technical problem" form in your portal
3. Pro Hotline: 1044 (Free Pro/Enterprise)

Free particularity: Blocks at Free are often due to mass individual reports. If your number is blocked by many Free subscribers individually, there's no "central unblock"—each user must unblock you manually.

Processing Time

Variable. Free can be very fast (48h) or very slow (3-4 weeks) depending on their support load.

Useful Free Contacts

Service	Contact
Free Pro	1044
Pro Portal	pro.free.fr

Bouygues Telecom: Unblocking Procedure

How It Works at Bouygues

Bouygues uses a system similar to Orange:

• Automatic detection based on patterns
• User reports via the app
• Partnership with anti-spam databases

Dispute Procedure

1. Business Customer Service: 1064 (Bouygues Telecom Entreprises)
2. Customer Portal: entreprises.bouyguestelecom.fr > Support
3. Mail: For complex cases, send a letter to:

   Bouygues Telecom Entreprises
   Service Contentieux
   60436 Noailles Cedex

Required Documents

• Business registration certificate less than 3 months old
• Invoice proving the number belongs to you
• Sworn statement of Bloctel compliance
• Description of your prospecting activity

Processing Time

10 to 20 business days. Bouygues generally requests more documentation than others.

Useful Bouygues Contacts

Service	Contact
Business	1064
Customer Portal	entreprises.bouyguestelecom.fr

Third-Party Apps: Truecaller, Hiya, etc.

Warning: even if carriers remove your number from their databases, it may remain flagged in third-party anti-spam apps:

Truecaller

• Procedure: business.truecaller.com > "Unlist my number"
• Timeframe: 24-48h
• Limitation: Works to remove your number, but doesn't prevent new reports

Hiya

• Procedure: hiya.com > "Business" > "Reputation Management"
• Timeframe: 3-5 days
• Paid option: Hiya Connect allows you to certify your caller identity

Tellows

• Procedure: Create a pro account on tellows.com and claim your number
• Timeframe: 7 days

Global Unblocking Strategy

Step 1: Complete Diagnosis

Before requesting an unblock:

1. Check your reputation on all tools
2. Identify the source of the flagging (carrier, third-party app, or both)
3. Analyze your practices to understand why you were flagged

Step 2: Fix Practices

Implement best practices before requesting the unblock:

• Reduce call volume per number
• Verify your Bloctel compliance
• Implement number rotation

Step 3: Parallel Requests

Launch unblocking requests with:

1. Your own carrier (if applicable)
2. All 4 consumer carriers
3. Third-party apps (Truecaller, Hiya, Tellows)

Step 4: Monitoring and Prevention

Once unblocked:

• Monitor your reputation daily
• React to first signs of degradation
• Document your practices to facilitate future disputes

FAQ

How long before a number is completely "clean"?

Based on our observations and industry data, expect 2 to 6 months for a number to regain "neutral" reputation after an official unblock. Algorithms have memory.

Can I speed up the process?

Yes, by providing complete files from the start: business registration, invoices, Bloctel attestation, detailed description of your activity. Incomplete requests extend timelines.

What if the unblock is refused?

If a carrier refuses your request:

1. Ask for the specific reasons for refusal
2. Fix the identified problems
3. Resubmit after 30 days
4. Last resort: telecommunications ombudsman

Does unblocking with one carrier affect others?

No. Each carrier manages its own database. You must make separate requests to each one.

To avoid ending up in this situation, check out the 5 mistakes that get your numbers blacklisted. And to understand carrier differences, read our French carrier anti-spam comparison.

Conclusion

Unblocking a number is possible, but it's a process that requires patience and rigor. The best strategy remains prevention: never get blocked in the first place.

If you manage a fleet of numbers for prospecting, invest in proactive monitoring rather than reactive unblocking.

Check your numbers' reputation in real-time with HUHU to anticipate problems.