As you've probably figured out already, it's not easy to find the owner of a cell number that called you, nor to find the number of someone you'd like to call. A simple, searchable "online version of the yellow pages" just doesn't really exist like we'd like it to. Fortunately, there are tools and services that can help find the owner of a cell phone number or dig up someone's personal or business numbers.
Cell phone lookup services are available in two forms: a) find a number by searching for some other information you know about the caller, or b) look up someone's number to see who owns it, called a reverse number search.
Below is a comprehensive look at the best ways to use the internet to find phone number information.
If someone is spamming you, consider blocking their phone number. To prevent someone from finding your number when you make a call, learn how to hide your number with *67.
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People Search Engines: Best for Reverse Phone Lookups
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What We Like
Best way to track the owner of a number.
Find cell number by name, or vice versa.
Includes lots of other identifiable information.
What We Don't Like
Some services cost money to find numbers.
Information is sometimes outdated, so numbers are no longer active.
The best way to find cell phone numbers online is with a people finder tool. These websites gather lots of information about the person, which might include not only their number but also their full name, address, email, job history, relatives, etc.
Most of these websites let you search by whatever information you already know. For example, you can find who owns the phone number (if you know the number) or which numbers belong to the person (if all you know is their name, email, username, or address).
Some of these sites can even be used to find relatives and neighbors, meaning you could ultimately find someone's brother's phone number, for example, if all you know as a starting point is his sister's name.
One great (and free) example is TruePeopleSearch. For a fee, you can get lots of other personal details with BeenVerified or TruthFinder.
Try your best to make a people finder tool your first choice when looking up phone number information. Most of them employ techniques like web searches, social media profiles, reverse username tactics, and other methods.
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Social Media: Track a Number and Other Personal Information
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What We Like
One-stop source for lots of other detail about the person.
Ideal for cell phone tracking because of the massive user base.
What We Don't Like
Usually no search function just for finding numbers.
There are hundreds of millions of people active on varioussocial mediasites all over the world. Many people use thesewebsites to share information with each other, and yes, that does often include phone numbers. Simply type the person's name into thesite's search functionand see what comes back.
Some people might have their social media profile set to private or might require you to connect with them on the service before you can view personal details like their phone number. However, others are wide open, and their phone number and other details might be entirely public.
Depending on the platform, you might be able to search for a number using the person's name and find who owns a phone number if you don't know their name, all at no charge.
LinkedIn and Facebook are two examples. Learn how to find people onFacebook if you're looking for someone's number there.
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Web Search Engine: Find Cell Phone Numbers Across Multiple Sites
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What We Like
Mobile phone search is performed across multiple sites at once.
Lets you add accompanying data for better results.
What We Don't Like
Many results are auto-populated and don't include valuable information.
A reverse phone number lookup with a web search engine like Google is another useful way to track cell numbers. This is the best way to search the web as a whole to see which cell phone directories have that number listed.
If the number is posted on a blog, website, public job profile, people search engine that's not listed above, etc., it will show up here. From there, you can do some more digging on that specific site to learn whose number it is and maybe even find their email and other contact information like a physical address.
Using a search engine to research phone numbers works for not only cell numbers, but also landlines and toll-free numbers. For example, you can find an 800 number by searching "800 number" <company>, or look up a company's number with a search such as "contact us" XYZ (for XYZ's support number).
Try adding other relevant details to the search to help narrow down the results. A simple search should be enough since phone numbers are unique to each owner, but if you also know where the person lives, where they work or went to school, what the company name is, the person's first or last name, etc., it could help locate the correct information.
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Use a Site Built for Finding Cell Phone Number Information
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What We Like
They focus solely on finding phone numbers.
Very straightforward and easy to use.
Most are completely free.
What We Don't Like
Usually have less information than other sites.
Most don't show cell numbers, only landlines.
The search engine method above is useful for looking up cell phone numbers when you're not sure where exactly to search. However, if you didn't have luck with that method, there are sites made specifically for finding phone numbers and digging up who owns a number.
While most number lookup services focus on landlines, these have been confirmed to work when you're looking up a name associated with the number, or for doing the opposite (locating a number from the person's name):
- Spy Dialer: See the owner's name and where the area code is from. You can also hear the person's voicemail message.
- NumLookup: View the person's name and which carrier the number currently belongs to. It can also make calls and send texts to the number, and might even link to their social media accounts and list other details like their age, address, household members, etc.
- USPhonebook: Simple website that lets you find a number by name and find a name by a cell number search. It also lists possible relatives.
- InfoTracer: Not free, but queries over half a billion mobile numbers to match a name with the cell phone number. It also includes lots of other personal details after you pay.
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Find a Cell Number With Just a Username
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What We Like
A great choice if social media searching doesn't work.
Can dig up multiple sites on the same person with one search.
What We Don't Like
Isn't as guaranteed as other lookup techniques.
Much like brands, most individuals use the same username all over the web, so knowing it can help you find all the other sites where they have a profile. This is a great jumping-off point to eventually finding their cell phone number.
Instant Username Search is a neat free service that identifies where a particular username has been registered. Search for a username, and use the links that say Taken to visit each site, which will hopefully ultimately lead you to the person's phone number!
Some examples of the dozens of sites it supports includes Instagram, YouTube, Medium, Patreon, Facebook, and Reddit.
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