new phone, who dis

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Used to express or feign ignorance in order to avoid unwanted communication, typically in response to a text message from an unknown or unrecognized number, implying that the recipient has a new phone and thus does not recognize the sender's contact information.

Register: Internet, humorous, slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

My phone rings, interrupting my thoughts. Glancing down at the screen, I smile when I see Laurie's name. “Yeah?” I answer pointedly. “New phone, who dis?” Laurie starts to laugh.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “new phone, who dis” mean?

Used to express or feign ignorance in order to avoid unwanted communication, typically in response to a text message from an unknown or unrecognized number, implying that the recipient has a new phone and thus does not recognize the sender's contact information.

Is “new phone, who dis” formal or informal?

new phone, who dis is generally Internet, humorous, slang.