diff --git a/addons/crm/tests/test_crm_lead.py b/addons/crm/tests/test_crm_lead.py
index ae0b9b10ccc..f4e32a50d90 100644
--- a/addons/crm/tests/test_crm_lead.py
+++ b/addons/crm/tests/test_crm_lead.py
@@ -735,10 +735,14 @@ class TestCRMLead(TestCrmCommon):
             lead_3,
             'Should behave like a text field'
         )
-        self.assertEqual(
+        self.assertFalse(
             self.env['crm.lead'].search([('phone_mobile_search', 'like', 'Hello')]),
+            'Should behave like a text field (case sensitive)'
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            self.env['crm.lead'].search([('phone_mobile_search', 'ilike', 'Hello')]),
             lead_3,
-            'Should behave like a text field'
+            'Should behave like a text field (case insensitive)'
         )
         self.assertEqual(
             self.env['crm.lead'].search([('phone_mobile_search', 'like', 'hello123')]),
diff --git a/addons/phone_validation/models/mail_thread_phone.py b/addons/phone_validation/models/mail_thread_phone.py
index 931dee5f565..059eeb399f2 100644
--- a/addons/phone_validation/models/mail_thread_phone.py
+++ b/addons/phone_validation/models/mail_thread_phone.py
@@ -68,37 +68,52 @@ class PhoneMixin(models.AbstractModel):
             raise UserError(_('Please enter at least 3 characters when searching a Phone/Mobile number.'))
 
         pattern = r'[\s\\./\(\)\-]'
+        sql_operator = {'=like': 'LIKE', '=ilike': 'ILIKE'}.get(operator, operator)
+
         if value.startswith('+') or value.startswith('00'):
-            # searching on +32485112233 should also finds 0032485112233 (and vice versa)
-            # we therefore remove it from input value and search for both of them in db
-            where_str = ' OR '.join(
-                f"""model.{phone_field} IS NOT NULL AND (
-                        REGEXP_REPLACE(model.{phone_field}, %s, '', 'g') ILIKE %s OR
-                        REGEXP_REPLACE(model.{phone_field}, %s, '', 'g') ILIKE %s
-                )"""
-                for phone_field in phone_fields
-            )
-            query = f"""
-                SELECT model.id
-                FROM {self._table} model
-                WHERE {where_str};
-            """
-            term = re.sub(pattern, '', value[1 if value.startswith('+') else 2:]) + '%'
+            if operator in expression.NEGATIVE_TERM_OPERATORS:
+                # searching on +32485112233 should also finds 0032485112233 (and vice versa)
+                # we therefore remove it from input value and search for both of them in db
+                where_str = ' AND '.join(
+                    f"""model.{phone_field} IS NULL OR (
+                            REGEXP_REPLACE(model.{phone_field}, %s, '', 'g') {sql_operator} %s OR
+                            REGEXP_REPLACE(model.{phone_field}, %s, '', 'g') {sql_operator} %s
+                    )"""
+                    for phone_field in phone_fields
+                )
+            else:
+                # searching on +32485112233 should also finds 0032485112233 (and vice versa)
+                # we therefore remove it from input value and search for both of them in db
+                where_str = ' OR '.join(
+                    f"""model.{phone_field} IS NOT NULL AND (
+                            REGEXP_REPLACE(model.{phone_field}, %s, '', 'g') {sql_operator} %s OR
+                            REGEXP_REPLACE(model.{phone_field}, %s, '', 'g') {sql_operator} %s
+                    )"""
+                    for phone_field in phone_fields
+                )
+            query = f"SELECT model.id FROM {self._table} model WHERE {where_str};"
+
+            term = re.sub(pattern, '', value[1 if value.startswith('+') else 2:])
+            if operator not in ('=', '!='):  # for like operators
+                term = f'{term}%'
             self._cr.execute(
-                query, 
-                (pattern, '00' + term, pattern, '+' + term) * len(phone_fields)
+                query, (pattern, '00' + term, pattern, '+' + term) * len(phone_fields)
             )
         else:
-            where_str = ' OR '.join(
-                f"REGEXP_REPLACE(model.{phone_field}, %s, '', 'g') ILIKE %s"
-                for phone_field in phone_fields
-            )
-            query = f"""
-                SELECT model.id
-                FROM {self._table} model
-                WHERE {where_str};
-            """
-            term = '%' + re.sub(pattern, '', value) + '%'
+            if operator in expression.NEGATIVE_TERM_OPERATORS:
+                where_str = ' AND '.join(
+                    f"(model.{phone_field} IS NULL OR REGEXP_REPLACE(model.{phone_field}, %s, '', 'g') {sql_operator} %s)"
+                    for phone_field in phone_fields
+                )
+            else:
+                where_str = ' OR '.join(
+                    f"(model.{phone_field} IS NOT NULL AND REGEXP_REPLACE(model.{phone_field}, %s, '', 'g') {sql_operator} %s)"
+                    for phone_field in phone_fields
+                )
+            query = f"SELECT model.id FROM {self._table} model WHERE {where_str};"
+            term = re.sub(pattern, '', value)
+            if operator not in ('=', '!='):  # for like operators
+                term = f'%{term}%'
             self._cr.execute(query, (pattern, term) * len(phone_fields))
         res = self._cr.fetchall()
         if not res:
diff --git a/addons/test_mail_sms/tests/test_mail_thread_phone.py b/addons/test_mail_sms/tests/test_mail_thread_phone.py
index cd5350a45de..0ad61f0e279 100644
--- a/addons/test_mail_sms/tests/test_mail_thread_phone.py
+++ b/addons/test_mail_sms/tests/test_mail_thread_phone.py
@@ -75,9 +75,8 @@ class TestSMSActionsCommon(TestSMSCommon, TestSMSRecipients):
         test_phone_records = self.test_phone_records.with_env(self.env)
 
         # test "=" search
-        # Currently not suported, returning results for "ilike"
         results = self.env['mail.test.sms.bl'].search([('phone_mobile_search', '=', '0475')])
-        self.assertEqual(results, test_phone_records[:5])
+        self.assertFalse(results, 'Search on phone_mobile_search: = should return only matching results')
         results = self.env['mail.test.sms.bl'].search([('phone_mobile_search', '=', '0475000000')])
         self.assertEqual(results, test_phone_records[0])
         results = self.env['mail.test.sms.bl'].search([('phone_mobile_search', '=', '0032475110606')])
@@ -105,12 +104,7 @@ class TestSMSActionsCommon(TestSMSCommon, TestSMSRecipients):
                          'Search on phone_mobile_search: +32/0032 likeliness')
 
         # test inverse ilike search
-        # Currently not supported, returning results for "ilike"
         results = self.env['mail.test.sms.bl'].search([('phone_mobile_search', 'not ilike', '0475')])
-        # self.assertEqual(results, test_phone_records - test_phone_records[:5],
-        self.assertEqual(results, test_phone_records[:5],
-                         'Seach on phone_mobile_search: not ilike not supported')
+        self.assertEqual(results, test_phone_records - test_phone_records[:5])
         results = self.env['mail.test.sms.bl'].search([('phone_mobile_search', 'not ilike', '101')])
-        # self.assertEqual(results, test_phone_records - test_phone_records[1],
-        self.assertEqual(results, test_phone_records[1],
-                         'Seach on phone_mobile_search: not ilike not supported')
+        self.assertEqual(results, test_phone_records - test_phone_records[1])