85258 – Who Runs It, What It Costs & Is It Safe?

Short code: 85258
Type: Text short code
Operated by: Mental Health Innovations (registered charity)
Cost: Free
Category: Reporting scams and getting help
Verified: 13 August 2026

What 85258 is for

Shout is a free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone in the UK struggling to cope. It is run by the charity Mental Health Innovations and takes around 2,000 conversations a day.

Because it is text-based, it works when a phone call is not possible - and messages do not show on the bill, so it is private on a shared account.

What it costs

Free. Free and confidential on all major UK networks, and the conversation does not appear on your phone bill. Shout notes it does not work on a few networks that do not support short codes, including Lyca Mobile, Spusu and EcoTalk.

Text 85258 — how it works

Text the word SHOUT to 85258.
A trained volunteer replies and takes the conversation at your pace. You only share what you want to.
If life is at immediate risk, call 999.

Is 85258 safe, and is it spoofed?

A short code cannot be spoofed in the way an ordinary phone number can, because you are the one starting the conversation. The risk runs the other way: fraudsters send texts that claim to be from a service like this one and ask you to reply or tap a link.

If a text or call is trying to rush you, threaten you, or get a password, one-time code or payment out of you, it is a scam whatever number it shows. Read our guide to the UK number ranges scammers use and how to spot a smishing text, and forward anything suspicious free to 7726.

Where this came from

We do not guess short codes. Every entry in this directory was checked against the organisation that runs the code, or against gov.uk or the regulator:

Checked against these sources on 13 August 2026. Short codes and their charges do change — if the operator’s page now says something different, believe the operator.

Checking an ordinary number instead

Short codes are not in Ofcom’s numbering data — only full UK numbers are. If it is a normal 01, 02, 03, 07, 08 or 09 number you want to identify, put it into the phone number checker and you will get its type, its area and the provider Ofcom allocated the range to.

Other UK short codes

7726 · Report spam texts and scam calls 60599 · Report a suspicious HMRC text message 61016 · British Transport Police non-emergency reporting 159 · Stop Scams UK – the safe route back to your bank 999 · Emergency services (and emergencySMS by text)101 · Police non-emergency

All verified UK short codes › · UK area codes › · UK network operators ›

85258 — frequently asked questions

Is 85258 free?

Free. Free and confidential on all major UK networks, and the conversation does not appear on your phone bill. Shout notes it does not work on a few networks that do not support short codes, including Lyca Mobile, Spusu and EcoTalk.

Who runs 85258?

Mental Health Innovations (registered charity). Text SHOUT to 85258 to reach a trained volunteer, free, any time of day or night, from anywhere in the UK. We verified this against the operator's own published information on 13 August 2026; the sources are linked on this page.

Is 85258 a scam number?

No. A short code cannot be spoofed in the way an ordinary phone number can, because you are the one starting the conversation. The risk runs the other way: fraudsters send texts that claim to be from a service like this one and ask you to reply or tap a link.

I got a text from a short code I do not recognise – what should I do?

Do not tap any link in it and do not reply unless you are certain who the sender is. If it is marketing from a company you know, replying STOP to the short code shown in the message opts you out free. If it is unsolicited, forward it to 7726 free of charge and delete it - replying to an unknown sender only confirms your number is live.

85258 — Shout – free 24/7 mental health text support