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Should I Change My Number After A Breakup? (Pros & Cons)

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changing your number after breaking up, should you change your number after a breakup

After a breakup, most of us are susceptible to impulsive decisions. Sometimes, we feel so overwhelmed by everything we’ve been through that we just yearn for a chance to start over. The idea of a new beginning inspires hope, but we may think it’s necessary to change all our contact details to get that new start. This begs the question, Should I change my number after a breakup?

Honestly, you have to consider the pros and cons of changing your number after a breakup before making a decision. On the one hand, it can provide you with a clean break from your ex, giving you the freedom and room to move on without constant texts or phone calls from them. On the other hand, it may inhibit the possibility of reconciling with your ex by adding unnecessary blocks between the two of you while also causing certain inconveniences with respect to account details and social contact.

In this day and age, there are many ways to limit the amount of access someone has to you. There are apps that allow you to identify unknown callers, block numbers, and hide your contact details from other people.

Unless your ex was a stalker who was willing to move heaven and earth to be in contact with you, it may not be necessary to change your number.

But, at the same time, if the cons of this decision don’t really deter you, then it may be therapeutic and smart to change your number after a breakup.

Read the pros and cons of both arguments that I’ve detailed below, and then think about them. Sleep on it, and I’m sure that you’ll make an informed decision thereafter.

You need to read this article: What he thinks when you don’t contact him

Pros Of Changing Your Number After Breaking Up

changing your number after breaking up, should you change your number after a breakup

Your ex won’t be able to contact you

Part of what makes moving on so painful and difficult is the thought of your ex coming back. Regardless of who ended the relationship, space and time apart are crucial for healing. If you are dead set on moving on from your ex, perhaps you should change your number after a breakup.

Preventing messages and calls that could trigger you during the healing process can be a game changer for some.

As difficult as it is to break contact with your ex, it can speed things along and give you the space needed to process your feelings and adjust to this drastic change in your life.

More often than not, it is unhealthy or inappropriate for ex-partners to remain in contact after a breakup.

Most of us cannot manage a close friendship with someone we are in a serious relationship with.

Someone ends up hung up on the other person, or the weird friendship that persists has a negative effect on the possible romantic relationships you both could be pursuing with other people.

Perhaps, your ex has hurt you in such a way that remaining in any contact with them negatively affects your health and well-being.

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In all of these situations, there’s a strong argument for why you should change your number after a breakup.

You can make a clean break from the past

It may feel like a stretch of the imagination to say that changing your number is enough to start over in life, but perhaps it can be a step that symbolizes or ushers in a new chapter.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve changed my number for this reason.

I wanted to start over and limit the access certain people from my past had to me. It may not have been directed at anyone particular or at a specific ex, but it certainly did help in creating distance from people I was romantically involved with at some point.

In a way, it helped me move on and begin again.

I think it would be foolish of me to underestimate the impact or significance a phone has in my life.

A phone call or message from the right or wrong person can drastically change the course of your day and, in some cases, your life.

If you want a clean break from the past, then you should change your number after a breakup.

You need to read this article: Why can’t I move on from my ex?

It makes it harder for your ex to stalk you

If we could all avoid toxic people, I’m sure we would. But, the interesting thing about toxic or manipulative people is that they are really good at concealing their nature.

When it does rear its ugly head, you may find yourself wrapped up in the exhausting and stressful clutches of your ex.

Once triggered, an ex with toxic habits may end up stalking you at every turn.

Rather than being respectful, they may say or do things to trigger painful memories and emotions within you.

How can you expect to heal and move on when someone infects your mind and heart regularly?

It’s a different story if your ex is just having a hard time with a breakup. What we are talking about are people who have bad intentions and thrive in chaos. You may not understand what drives them, but it may not even matter.


After a breakup, your priority has to be loving yourself and not dealing with the uncontrollable behavior of your ex.

Cons Of Changing Your Number After Breaking Up

changing your number after breaking up, should you change your number after a breakup

Reconciling is harder when your ex can’t contact you

If you are uncertain about whether you want to reconcile with your ex or not, it may not be a good idea to restrict their access to you.

Think about it for a second.

If you or they are not on social media and you change your number after breaking up, how are they supposed to get in contact with you?

Granted, an ex who is driven to reconcile will find a way.

But, placing too many blocks in front of your ex may cause them to give up on the idea of getting you back.

It’s inconvenient to update all your account details

When I changed my number a few years ago, I didn’t take into consideration all the accounts that I had linked to it.

Certain bank accounts and credit card facilities required a branch visit for me to update my contact details.

Apart from that, I had to update all my social media account details, among other important things.

If your accounts were to get hacked and you tried to change the password, you’d have an issue if it’s still linked to the old number.

From a convenience and technical perspective, changing your number could prove to be time- and energy-consuming, especially when you don’t need to.

It makes it harder for other people to contact you

When changing your number, it isn’t just difficult for your ex to contact you but for other people as well.

If you offer a service or run a business, it can cause a significant loss in revenue if clients only have access to your original number.

At the same time, I’m sure there are people from the past who may want to get in contact with you for personal reasons.

This may inhibit their ability to do so.


What if someone you struck out with in the past is now available and thinks about getting in contact with you?

Are you really prepared to close the door on all these possibilities by changing your number after a breakup?

Final Thoughts

If you feel compelled to change your number after a breakup, you should do it. Take the necessary steps to update all your important account details in advance, forward your new number to the people you want to remain in contact with, and start over.

Is this necessary to do if you want to move on or heal after breaking up?

No, it isn’t.

But, in certain situations, it may be.

If you have an ex who is problematic and will do anything in their power to thwart your attempts at moving on, then this may be the best course of action.

With that being said, I hope you found this article on whether you should change your number after a breakup insightful. If you’d like to get your ex back, grab a copy of my eBook by clicking here. Alternatively, if you’d like help moving on after a breakup, check out my services page for more information on my email coaching package.

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