AnyWho looks like a harmless online white pages: name lookups, reverse phone lookups, address search. It's been around since the dial-up era, and plenty of people remember it as the phone book's website. Today it belongs to Spokeo. California's data broker registry lists AnyWho.com among Spokeo, Inc.'s websites, next to Spokeo.com, PeopleWin, ThatsThem, FreePeopleDirectory and Family.me.
The practical consequence: you opt out of AnyWho at Spokeo. AnyWho's own opt-out, privacy and terms addresses now forward to the matching pages on spokeo.com. Spokeo's privacy policy says its Remove A Public Listing tool covers public listings on Spokeo.com and Spokeo's other websites, except ThatsThem.
Checked on October 18, 2026: anywho.com/optout, /privacy and /terms each redirect to Spokeo, the California registry lists AnyWho under Spokeo, Inc., and we read Spokeo's opt-out page and privacy policy (revised June 25, 2026). We did not submit the form. Older guides, ours included until this update, sent AnyWho removals to the PeopleConnect Suppression Center; that no longer matches who runs the site.
What is AnyWho?
AnyWho offers free people search, reverse phone lookup, and address lookup. A typical AnyWho listing shows:
- Your name and age
- Current city and address details
- Phone number
- Links to fuller reports
Its phone-book heritage gives it long-standing search-engine authority. AnyWho listings often rank high when someone googles your name or phone number, which makes removing them worth the ten minutes.
Before you start
Because removal runs through Spokeo, you'll need:
- A working email address you can check right away. Spokeo emails a confirmation link, and the request only goes through once you click it.
- The URL of your Spokeo listing. Spokeo's form takes a profile URL (or the purchase URL for that listing), one listing at a time.
How to remove yourself from AnyWho, step by step
Step 1: Find your listing on Spokeo
Search your full name at spokeo.com, narrow it by city or state, and open the profile that matches you. Confirm it by age, past addresses and relatives, then copy the full URL from the address bar. Do the same for any other listing that is yours.
Step 2: Open the opt-out page
Go to spokeo.com/optout. Typing anywho.com/optout lands you on the same page.
Step 3: Submit the removal
Paste the profile URL, enter your email address, complete the CAPTCHA, and click Opt Out.
Step 4: Confirm by email
Click the link in Spokeo's confirmation email. Nothing is processed until you do.
Step 5: Repeat per listing
Each listing has its own URL and needs its own submission.
How long does removal take?
Spokeo's opt-out page says requests are processed in 24 to 48 hours, depending on the request and the amount of data.
Verify the removal
After two days, search your name and phone number on anywho.com in a private browsing window, then check spokeo.com and peoplewin.com. Spokeo's policy says the tool covers its other websites, but it does not say how quickly AnyWho follows. If an AnyWho listing is still up after Spokeo is clear, give it another couple of days, then contact Spokeo's customer care through the link on its opt-out page.
ThatsThem is the exception: Spokeo runs it but leaves it out of the tool, so it needs its own opt-out (see our ThatsThem guide).
Why your listing can come back
Spokeo's opt-out page says it keeps receiving new and updated records from public sources, so your information may reappear without notice. A move or a new phone line can create a new listing your old opt-out does not cover.
Re-check every few months. Defynta's free scan includes a link to AnyWho so you can check it yourself, but we do not read AnyWho automatically yet, so Web Watcher monitoring cannot alert you about this site.
Related sites to check next
Other Spokeo sites: Spokeo (the full walkthrough of the same tool), PeopleWin, and ThatsThem, which needs its own opt-out.
Separate opt-outs: Whitepages (the other big legacy directory), USPhoneBook, and the rest of the master list.
Frequently asked questions
Isn't AnyWho just the phone book? Why worry about it?
The white-pages framing undersells what's there. AnyWho is one of Spokeo's people-search sites, and a basic listing that ties your name to your number and city is the first step toward your front door.
Is removal free?
Yes. Spokeo's opt-out costs nothing and takes a few minutes per listing.
I removed my landline listing from the phone company years ago. Why am I on AnyWho?
People-search data comes from public records and commercial feeds, not from your old carrier's directory. Unlisted numbers from the landline era don't carry over as removals here.
I already used the PeopleConnect Suppression Center for AnyWho. Am I covered?
Don't count on it. AnyWho is now Spokeo's, and PeopleConnect's Suppression Center page names TruthFinder, Instant Checkmate, Intelius and US Search, not AnyWho. Keep that suppression for those sites, and file AnyWho through Spokeo as above.
*AnyWho is one of many sites resolving your name and number to your front door. See which of the sites we track list your name with a free Defynta scan.*
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