How to Do a Reverse Phone Lookup and the Best Services to Try
Knowing the identity of a new caller has been made seamless by emerging innovative technology. Looking up a number online is a revolutionary solution for anyone looking to unravel the mystery of an unknown texter and caller. Most legitimate sites for reverse searches do not need your personal information to generate results. Additionally, reverse searching isn't as complicated as it sounds. However, phishing sites pose an insurmountable threat to this endeavor.
Here is a step-by-step process for conducting reverse phone searches safely.
Find Reliable Reverse Search Services on the Internet
The internet is home to both free and premium reverse search service providers. If you already have a service provider, type the address in the search bar. If you have no idea where to start, conduct some basic research online until you find a great fit. Reverse search sites should appear on the search results page ranked in order of popularity. However, this doesn't mean that the most popular tools will always be the most effective, but that's a reasonable assumption, for starters.
Key In the Number in the Search Bar
After deciding which reverse search site to use, enter the phone number in full, including the country code. Some sites will have the option to copy and paste it from your call log or messenger.
Be Patient as Results Are Generated
Your search results should show on your screen a few moments after clicking the search button. If the search was successful, the results should show info such as the name used to register the phone number, the businesses they own, and the home address. The type of phone used to contact you will sometimes be included, whether a landline or cell phone. If your search is unsuccessful, it could mean that the number is unregistered, and results are, therefore, restricted.
Advance the Search to Verification
More often than not, personal phone numbers are unavailable, unlike for businesses. You get more refined information if the number you reverse search is registered to a business. You can get the name, address, the caller's position in that organization, or voicemail recordings. Where you need more data available in the search results or more clarity on the person, verification of the caller might be required to confirm the details provided in the first search results.
Use the buttons marked "for more information" or "advanced search." You can use additional online verification tools to refine your search if these options are unavailable on your tool.
Reverse Search Services Worth Looking At
There are countless reverse search options that deliver exemplary results using phone numbers. While many do not require paying for a search, some might require paid memberships to generate refined results.
Here are the top services that guarantee a successful reverse search.
Reverse Search Using Engines Designed to Find People
When looking for concrete data on a person, you should first look at people's search sites. For instance, you can use PhoneHistory or PeopleFinders to find more details about a caller using their phone number. The public records hold information such as phone numbers, contacts, emails, official names, locations, job history, and close relatives. Hence, this is a great service if you're concerned about an unknown caller or getting spam messages from a new number. Subsequently, it is worth noting that most service providers are firmly against misusing their tools to commit crimes.
Search on Social Media
Millions around the globe use the internet every day. Many have signed up on social platforms using personal information such as contacts, careers, addresses, and emails. Finding anyone with so much digital footprint is effortless. An advantage of using social media is the availability of connections, if any, between you and the person and showing any previous interactions. However, you can only see this if the search is successful.
You have a greater chance of finding someone through Facebook than on most socials. The platform is a pioneer in the industry and has collected massive user data. However, other social media platforms, especially Instagram and TikTok, will come in handy if FB fails.
Use Search Engines
Google, Bing, Opera Mini, or Yahoo are useful for initial broad reverse searches. A productive way to use search sites is by looking through online phone directories. Although the method is limited, it is great for unraveling phone scammers by checking if the number has been put on any scam blocklist. Where a number was previously published elsewhere and had not appeared in the previous searches, it should appear in these results and potentially redirect you to the host site. Ultimately, you'll have enough data to perform additional searches to find the details you need.
Leverage Reverse Search Engines
These websites are designed to reveal the identity of callers using as few personal details as possible. Finder Spyder, though fictional as it's used in movies, is a good example of a site that can find a person's name and address based on their area code. Some sites offer free access to voice notes of the person you intend to identify. Information on the caller's current service provider or other personal details is also freely available. These sites have already been tested and proven to work.
Conduct Searches Using the Person's Primary Identity
If you have a slight idea of the person calling and want to be sure without asking them, you can do a reverse search all across the internet through any of the above-listed methods. If you're in business, a client might feel insulted if they realized you have not saved their number. So to avoid losing good business, you can use any of the above tricks but instead use their name and add the phone number for confluence.
Conclusion
Usually, websites that ask for upfront payment in exchange for caller identification are bogus. Genuine reverse search sites require the caller's number or other personal details first. Also, if a site is asking for too many details, chances are that they are wasting your time and might not give any results. Think about it, if you had all these details about the caller, why would you need their reverse search services?