Is there any way to trace a phone number to its owner? And what can you do to find out the owner’s identity behind that cell number with online tools? Now, it’s not about privacy issues these days; you may have received a call or a text message from a specific number you don’t recognize. So, when you try to find the real name of the person who owns that number, many options can look easy to use. However, the truth is that lots of services and sites offer nothing more than general guidance without real value to the reader.
In this guide, I’ll share my best methods and tactics that can tell you who owns a particle phone number.
Reverse phone number lookup tools
If you’re looking for a trusted method to find out the name of the person who owns a phone number, then reverse search tools are the best. I tested all the following options, and they worked well. So, you don’t have to waste time with a lookup solution you can’t trust.
These are the best services that can tell you who owns a particular phone number. But they can also show you where that person is located and even see their photos and social media profiles. All that depends on many factors, such as data availability, in what country that suspicious person lives, and more.
Intelius
If there is an online platform where you can look up who owns a phone number, it will be Intelius. The platform traces any cell phone number to its owner and shows you the details in a clear way. All you need is a simple search for the exact number that called or texted you. Make sure you skip the country code in this case if it’s in the US. Therefore, if the number you’re trying to identify is international, then use the other options below. This is only working for US numbers (both cellular and landlines).
To find the name of a person who owns a particle phone number, sign up with this tool and get access to lots of features. After you click on “search”, you may easily uncover the following details when that’s possible:
- See the phone number owner’s real name
- Their social media accounts
- Any email address they use, like Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, etc…
- Their previous and current home address
- Any known aliases
- Any potential other phone number they use as a second contact option, etc.
Spokeo
With this US-based reverse phone number lookup tool, you can get almost everyone’s details in one place. So, you may see the full name of the caller behind that number you can’t identify online. Thus, you can tell if that’s a friend, a scammer, or someone else from your workplace, etc.
The site provides multiple search solutions and more than just a reverse mobile number lookup. So, you can try their search by email, by full name, or even by address. Furthermore, the tool has a great phone directory that you can browse by state and area code.
Because of its up-to-date database, Spokeo is the best way to find out who owns a phone number in the United States. It can provide you with other information linked to that number, including the following ones:
- The full name behind the number
- Possible online profiles on social media or dating sites
- Any email address
- The address of the person associated with that number
- Public records, including ownership details, net worth, etc.
- Possible associates and relatives behind that caller
Of course, the search is confidential and secure, which means the person behind that number doesn’t know that you searched for them using a reverse lookup tool. So, you can easily uncover the real person’s identity linked to that given contact number. And that’s helpful in many situations.
Other ways to identify phone numbers
With all the telephone number lookup options, it’s a waste of time to use the wrong ones. Search engines still work well for this type of research. You may get the person’s name linked to a landline number. However, only paid tools can show you the name of the person’s cell number. Anyway, try the following options:
Google search
Thanks to Google search features, you can access the phone number records to find out who owns a particular number. But you should have some time to spend browsing lots of pages, as that’s not easy to do. Some number records show up easily in the first age of Google. But you may come across another phone contact with similar names, addresses, and profiles on hundreds of pages.
In that case, you see the search results of other people. So, you need to double-check the number you typed. That could be wrong because of a country code or other typing issues.
Google has a clear reverse phone number search. You can know the owner of it by name, address, or other information. But that’s only possible if the person has that particular phone number under their Facebook page, accounts, or other linked social profiles. Google can help you verify the phone number, and if it belongs to someone, you can guess, but that will take some time to achieve.
The LinkedIn search directory is my best method for finding the name behind a phone number and vice versa. If that number you’re trying to trace belongs to a business, chances are you’ll find it there with the company details. Also, if there is a person who used that exact contact number under their LinkedIn profile, you may see their full name and location.
LinkedIn is also a good place to know the real name of the person behind international phone numbers. It’s a global platform where millions of business owners and professionals meet online. You can type the number and discover who is behind it in seconds. Additionally, there is an advanced search filter that the site provides. Users can easily filter out unrelated profile names by city, words, or other terms.
Please remember that in some cases, the people to whom that contact number belongs, may not include the country code. Thus, you need to have a good understanding of the country code in that number.
TrueCaller
Who said that you can’t find the owner of a phone number without paying? The TrueCaller app is an easy way to see the name of someone linked to his cell number. I prefer using it for callers that I can’t identify with Google. Best of all, TrueCaller is a free number-lookup app. You can install it on your iPhone or Android device in a few seconds. Therefore, their online web tool works well for this search.
You need to visit their site and type the whole number. After that, discover who that number is possibly registered to. However, the main issue with this tool is that the database is not updated as most people expect. In general, TrueCaller shows the name of the first person who used the cell number and not the actual one. In other words, if someone else has used a mobile number years ago, and removed it or changed it, the new owner’s name won’t be displayed next to that number.
So, what you see there is the previous owner’s name and not the real one who called you. That’s why you should verify that name with Google. To do that, type the digits and click search. Next, see where they are or view their social profile or pictures to confirm that identity.
Here is an example screenshot where I found the name of someone using their mobile number only. Also, I found the Facebook ID behind that number. Consequently, that helped me locate the exact FB profile in a minute or so.
What about public records databases?
If you come across one of these government websites, you know they can provide you with useful public records. But this is where many people find confusion. In reality, public records databases only provide court records and similar data based on someone’s name. So, you only need to type the correct name and not the phone number. Thus, these sites do not have the reverse phone lookup input field like what we talked about above.
I tried some of these sites, like archives.gov, and typing a mobile number into the search box won’t be that helpful. These days, these databases work well for background check lookups. You can do that by the first plus the last name of the guy you’d like to identify. So, it’s better to use an appropriate phone lookup service instead of public record sites.
Is there an online directory that lists phone numbers and owners?
The real thing nowadays about phone directories is that most of them are landlines or business contact details. That means you can easily find that number through Google or on Facebook, as they’re already indexed by search engines. However, when it comes to fake claims in so-called phone directories, I don’t prefer using them, and I don’t recommend you do so.
That will be just a waste of time. There is no real value in that phone number browsing through pages. They list everything they can get from social media sites and Google that you can get yourself for free. But the most important thing here is that these free phone directories can only list business numbers and not cell phone ones.
What about WhitePages?
If you used White Pages, you probably know it’s a good place to search for phone numbers and identify the guys behind them. However, it’s not free; in fact, the White Pages reverse phone lookup provides the name of the person for a fee. Also, you may only see the spam score of that caller number and the last time the data was updated.
White Pages Premium can provide you with details about the user, including their name and aliases, age, and date of birth. But when it comes to subscription pricing, I don’t think it’s worth it. Other tools have more data at lower prices. Even more, white-page reports are not that accurate in many cases, as the sources of the details may not be updated frequently.
Limitations in identifying owners of phone numbers
You might be wondering who is texting your partner, or you probably want to know if someone is lying about their details online. Thus, the reverse phone number lookup can help a lot. But when it comes to limitations, don’t expect to find every owner’s information based on their given contact number.
It’s possible to see the name associated with that cell number on some tools, but not all of them show what you expect. The address, for example, could be the one used years ago. And it’s not that accurate, like seeing it on the map.
Social media apps like Instagram or TikTok can help in the investigation. However, we can’t trust all the details that are available on these platforms. Twitter, for example, is another popular social network with millions of fake profiles. That means, even if you see that number mentioned somewhere under someone’s Twitter profile, don’t assume it’s the real person who owns it.
That anonymous user could be a scammer who steals the identities of other people through their public records. That’s one problem that needs intention. Finding a name with a contact number is not a tell-tell sign; they are the same person who called your partner, for example.
That could be a scammer from dating sites or hookup apps that send random texts to numbers in their databases. When we talk about the way these people got your number, you may not get a clear answer. That’s how the Internet works, unfortunately.
What if the search for the phone number owner’s name fails?
The fact that spammers may use fake numbers may complicate the search for their real names. So many people from around the world receive spam texts and get annoying calls from international numbers they can’t identify.
Also, those fake caller IDs could be used by people from different countries, and that’s why it’s not that easy to trace them. In this case, it’s better to find a certified phone detective who can help you uncover the name behind it.
These phone detectives have sophisticated techniques and smart ways to trace the origin of a phone call or a text message. Many of these private investigators have years of experience with US numbers and other places. So you can count on them.
The phone detective may deploy some unseen technologies, like those used by investigation agencies, to find out the real owner of a specific phone number. Of course, that won’t be as fast as a minute, like using the reverse lookup tools. But that will give you access to trusted information you can use later.
These detectives will ask you for basic details, such as the last time you got the call or the text, and any other details you remember. For example, if you can tell them if the voice was from a male or a female, that could accelerate the investigation for their full name and address.
Also, if you have exchanged emails with that person, tell them about the contact details. Every piece of information counts; these ideas count. So, when you take note of details linked to that cell phone number, you help that person tell you who that number is registered to with a name, city, and even photos.
Conclusion
If you follow the above tips and tricks, you’ll be able to find out who the real owner of a phone number is. So, you may see the full name of that person, along with their address and maybe images found on their social media accounts.
Also, tracing the origins of cell numbers is not the same as landline ones. That’s why a good reverse phone number lookup tool is a good solution these days. Meanwhile, the information these tools provide may need verification with Google or other search engines. In all cases, I encourage you to take note of every piece of information you uncover behind that number. That could diversify your search methods first, and second, that may show you secret contact numbers and details of that suspicious caller.
