Article summary
Bulgaria WhatsApp Number Checker full process: 359 international format conversion, 9-digit mobile number rules, steps for screening activation and screening activity, result interpretation, common errors, and GDPR compliance points, helping you implement operations directly.
Filtering Bulgarian WhatsApp numbers revolves around three core steps: first, standardize the numbers into international format——+359Followed by 9 digits, the mobile number starts with 8, the local writing starts with0Remove it; then import the cleaned numbers into the number screening tool, select WhatsApp activation or active filtering; finally, process according to the return status classification. If the number format is incorrect, the screening results will have no reference value.
Quick Reference for Bulgarian Number Rules
First clarify the rules for Bulgarian numbers, so that there won’t be mistakes in later screening.
| Project | Rules |
|---|---|
| International dialing code | +359 |
| Mobile number length (excluding 359) | Currently it is a 9-digit number, with the first digit fixed as 8 |
| Common mobile number segments | 087, 088, 089 (local format including 0), correspond to 87, 88, 89 in international format |
| Local format | Starts with 0, a total of 10 digits, such as 087 123 4567 |
| International format | 359 87 123 4567 (remove the leading 0 of the local number) |
| Judgment formula | After removing the symbols, there must be 9 digits following 359, and the first digit must be 8. |
| Major operators | A1 Bulgaria (formerly Mtel), Yettel Bulgaria (formerly Telenor), Vivacom |
| Special Reminder | Bulgaria has implemented number portability, and the number prefix cannot be used to determine the current carrier. |
Key point: starting with the local format0It’s just the domestic long-distance prefix, not the number itself. So087 123 4567Convert to international format is+359 87 123 4567, rather than+359 087 123 4567This transformation is the foundation for the subsequent standardization steps.
Number Standardization: Convert local numbers into 359 format
The filtering tool relies on international dialing codes to identify countries. If not standardized first, numbers may be misclassified or directly considered invalid. Handle them in the following four steps:
- Remove symbols: Delete all spaces, hyphens, and parentheses, leaving only the numbers. For example
089 123 4567→0891234567。 - Change prefix: put
00Change the initial international prefix to+. The international dialing code for Bulgaria is 00, so00359 89 123 4567→+359 89 123 4567。 - Remove the leading 0 from the area codeFor local numbers starting with 0, remove the leading 0, then add in front
+359. For example0891234567→+359891234567。 - Verification: After removing the symbol, the number must meet
+359The last 9 digits, the first digit is 8. Regular expression that can be used for validation:^\+3598[789]\d{7}$。
Input example: comparison before and after standardization
| Original input | After cleaning | Can it be screened |
|---|---|---|
| 089 123 4567 | +359891234567 | Siftable |
| 088 765 4321 | +359887654321 | Can be filtered |
| +359 87 123 4567 | +359871234567 | Can be filtered |
| 00359 89 123 4567 | +359891234567 | Can be filtered |
| +359 2 981 2345 | +35929812345 | Landline phones are not treated as mobile numbers |
| +359 87 123 456 | +35987123456 | Invalid, only 8 characters after 359 |
If you have a 10-digit local mobile number (e.g.,0891234567), and spaces and symbols have been removed, so you can batch convert using formulas in Excel:
="+359"&RIGHT(B2,9)Among themB2This is the cleaned local number cell.RIGHT(B2,9)It removes the first zero, takes the last 9 digits, and then concatenates them+359。
On the AppShai, the sieve is open and active
Organize the standardized numbers into.csvOr.xlsxfile (it is recommended that the first column be the number field), then log inAppShaiCreate filter tasks:
- Choose a filtering platform: WhatsApp.
- Import the number file.
- Select filter type:
- Screening and opening: Check whether the number has registered a WhatsApp account.
- The sieve is active: Based on activation, further check whether the account has recent usage marks.
- Submit the task and wait for the result.
- Export the result file and process it by return status.
Recommended operation sequence:First open the screen, then activate the screen。 Step one: remove numbers without WhatsApp; Step two: identify recently active users from already activated numbers as priority access lists. These two steps allow for consecutive runs, avoiding repeated investment in many invalid numbers.
How to interpret the screening results
Different tools do not have identical definitions of states; the following is a general semantic:
| Return state (common semantics) | Meaning | Recommended handling |
|---|---|---|
| Activated / Registered | The number registered on WhatsApp | You can proceed to the next step of active screening or compliance reach |
| Activated and Active | The account exists and shows signs of recent use | Priority access list |
| Activated but inactive | The account exists but has not been used for a long time | Downgrade processing or continued observation |
| Not enabled / Not on WhatsApp | The number is not registered on WhatsApp | Removed from the list |
| Cannot be confirmed / unknown | Privacy settings or data restrictions make it impossible to judge | Review separately, do not make a direct judgment |
Note: If a ‘Unable to Confirm’ status appears in the results, it means that a definite conclusion cannot be given for this number at the moment. It is recommended to arrange a second review, rather than directly treating it as not activated or inactive.
Common mistakes in filtering Bulgarian numbers
- Treat the leading 0 of the local number as part of the number itself：
0891234567Submitting directly may be recognized by the system as missing area code or invalid number. The correct approach is to convert it to+359891234567。 - Mixing up 359 and 389: 389 is the area code for North Macedonia. Entering one digit incorrectly completely changes the target. Bulgaria is 359.
- Use a landline area code as a mobile number: The first digit of a Bulgarian mobile number is 8,
02、032、052The ‘area code’ is for landlines and should not be treated according to the mobile number format. - The number of digits has not been checked: After 359, there must be 9 digits; having one more or one less will cause the filtering to fail or be misjudged.
- Thinking that number segments equal operatorsBulgaria already allows number portability. 087/088/089 are just historical number segments and cannot be used to determine which operator a number currently belongs to.
- Sift directly without washing first: with spaces, parentheses,
00Dirty data in the prefix can cause batch tools to misidentify. Standardize first, then create the task.
WhatsApp usage in Bulgaria
WhatsApp can be normally downloaded and used in Bulgaria and is one of the common instant messaging tools there. The Bulgarian market has long had several competing chat applications, for example, Viber also has many users in some Southeast European countries. Since Meta and WhatsApp have not publicly released monthly active user numbers by country, this article does not provide unverifiable data such as penetration rates or rankings. The most reliable way to determine whether a particular number is on WhatsApp is to directly verify the number itself using the activation filter.
Compliance Considerations
- Bulgaria is a member of the European Union, and the processing of personal data is subject to the GDPR. Numbers used for screening must come from legitimate sources and have a corresponding legal basis for processing (such as user consent, performance of a contract, legitimate interests, etc.).
- The screening results are data quality signals and do not equal user consent to receive marketing. Before reaching out, please confirm the local regulations and the reach allowed by WhatsApp.
- You must not use the screening results for harassment, fraud, or bulk spam messages, nor attempt to bypass WhatsApp’s anti-abuse mechanisms.
Bulgaria and Surrounding Countries Area Code Reference
If you are working on multiple Balkan or Southeast European markets at the same time, be careful not to mix up the country codes.
| Country | International dialing code |
|---|---|
| Bulgaria | +359 |
| Romania | +40 |
| Greece | +30 |
| Turkey | +90 |
| Serbia | +381 |
| North Macedonia | +389 |
| Albania | +355 |
| Hungary | +36 |
Reminder: The length and format of mobile numbers vary by country. Do not apply Bulgaria’s 9-digit rule directly to numbers in other countries.
Information Sources and Verification
The phone number format section of this article is based on the ITU-T E.164 international numbering plan and the numbering schemes published by the Communications Regulation Commission (CRC) of Bulgaria; operator information comes from publicly available data from A1 Bulgaria, Yettel Bulgaria, and Vivacom. The official number of WhatsApp users in Bulgaria has not been released, and this article does not cite market data that cannot be verified.
Operational recommendations
A new batch of Bulgarian numbers is recommended to first run a small sample on AppShai to confirm that the returned status matches expectations before expanding to the full batch. By enabling filtering, you can confirm that numbers are on WhatsApp, use active filtering to locate recently available accounts, and only then will the final exported list have actual business value.
About AppShai AppShai
AppShai (AppShai)is a globally leading number ecosystem processing platform, deeply integratingglobal mobile number coverage, batch number generation, intelligent deduplication, multi-dimensional comparisonand other core capabilities, providing Number Checking and verification services covering220 countries and regionsfor global corporate and individual clients.
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We will continue to develop and support more platforms, stay tuned.
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We provideself-service filtering mode, agency-operated filtering mode, refined layering mode, and customized solution mode, flexibly adapting to the different usage scenarios of individual developers, small and medium teams, and large multinational enterprises.
The core advantage lies inone-stop integration of global mainstream application ecosystems, returning high-precision filtering results in real time, helping you significantly reduce customer acquisition costs and improve global digital operation efficiency.
