How to Find Whom a Phone Number Belongs to and Ways Block Them?

The other day, one of my closest friends called me during the afternoon when I was quite busy with my project. I normally don’t attend calls when I’m busy or at work. But this friend never calls me up, unless it is an emergency, and I knew she was in some kind of trouble, and required my help, pronto. 

I attended the call fearing the worst, but it turned out that she was receiving a couple of calls from a few phone numbers and wanted me to find out how to block them. Besides, she also wanted to know whether I could identify the phone number owner. 

I told her to relax and would visit her at her house once I was done with my work in the evening. She really had nothing to worry about. Once I was done with my work, I spoke to my team, and we decided to do some research and find solutions to this issue. 

It turned out quite easy, and we want to share the solutions with you. So, if you are fed up and want to know how to find whom a phone number belongs to and ways block them, then we have you covered. 

Significance of knowing whom a phone number belongs to

Before we head to the solutions, we wanted to take a quick look at why you should make it a point to know to whom a phone number belongs. It could be a criminal or a major fraudster for all you know. 

You do not want to risk yourself or your family by letting go of what might seem a small matter to you. So, how do you know their identity? Do you call them back or ignore it? The problem with ignoring these kinds of calls is that they tend to get frequent. 

Not to mention, it could be a friend who is in trouble. It could be somebody who is trying to contact you about a job position that you had applied a few weeks ago. Perhaps, it might have been the contractor you called back a few days, about a major renovation at home. 

Knowing who called up is important, because you set your mind at ease, finding out the truth. Through this post, we will look at some simple solutions that are mostly free on how you can find the identity of the caller and block them if not required. 

How to find whom a phone number belongs to?

1) Use search engines

The easiest way to find out the identity of somebody is to look up your dear friend, Google. Yes, that is correct. In America, Google is hit a million times by users to find out information on many things.

Besides, the algorithm is so diverse and programmed such that, finding out the truth takes a matter of seconds. You can find out whether the number is a landline or smartphone number. Then you can find out the identity, whether they are an individual or a business.

Though it is not the best method, it is the quickest. You can find out reviews or feedback about a particular number, that can help you decide on the phone number. Besides, you can also find the area code of the phone number. 

So that way you can find out the origination of the number. If it is from your native or country, then you know that it could be your relative or close friend. You can call on the same phone number and find out. 

When the phone number is listed publicly, then you may know the GPS location as well. You can do the following to learn more about the phone number owner:

• You need to go to google.com.
• Type the phone number using the proper format.
• It can be done for free.
• You can click on the enter button.
• You can view the search results.

2) Visit the social media

You can visit social media, because when the number belongs to a business or organization, then it may appear. Not all calls have to be blank calls or from telemarketers. They could be from a company that you had applied for or from somebody else. 

You can check the number on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. But scammers know how to hoodwink social media as well. They provide a fake number that may be somebody else’s. So, you have to be careful.

3) Call the number

The final option that you have would be to call the number back. Though it is somewhat risky, it is quite simple, because you may want to know who dialed you in the first place. Sometimes, the number might not accept incoming calls. 

You can make use of the *67 before dialing the number, as it helps hide your number. If you call up, and the person at the other end, does pick up the call, and you do not want to talk to them, then you can simply cut the call. 

Please use *67 before dialing the number, so that your number is not displayed, and your privacy is maintained. When you are intrigued by somebody’s phone being dead, then please read our piece on how to know if someone's phone is dead.

4) WhitePages

You can also use WhitePages. This method can be used to trace the owner of the phone number. You need to enter the phone number along with a specific area code. Then you need to click on the search icon, to find the results that are displayed.

However, you are given only the basic information. When you want more information about the phone number, then you may have to use the premium account. 

5) Truecaller App

Our next method to find the owner of the phone number would be using Truecaller. Most of our team members have Truecaller installed, and we can vouch for the fact that it is extremely reliable. 

You would be astounded to know that there are close to 200 million users registered on the phone number app. The app is extremely useful as it highlights spam & telemarketing calls with a red color. 

Besides, you are provided with the details of the person who is calling you. So, you can decide whether or not to attend the call and block that number. 

6) With the help of WhatsApp

We highly recommend this method, because it is simple and free of cost. You can enter the phone number on your WhatsApp and search for profiles having that number. When the phone number owner has a profile, then it is shown on the search result. 

We feel that it is an efficient method of finding out the owner of a particular phone number. Moreover, it is free to use as well. 

How to Block a Phone Number on Android/iPhone?

When you want to block a phone number on your Android and iPhone, then you need to make use of your phone settings. However, they can always call up using another number. This is a common trick used by telemarketers, and of course, scammers. 

Let us see, how we can block a phone number on your Android/iPhone.

How to Block a Phone Number on Android?

You can block a phone number on your Android device. however, it depends on the model, year of manufacture, and the OS that is installed. The best way to begin things would be to head to the call log. 

• You have to go to the call logs. You can do that by tapping on the “phone icon” option.  then tap on the “recents.”
  

• Choose the call you want to block.  Then use the “i” option or the three-dot option. Use the block option that appears.
  
• You can then choose the block or report spam.
  
• On the pop-up window, you can choose the block.
  
  

• You can check the box next to the report call as spam.

How to Block a Phone Number on an iPhone?

If you own an iPhone, then the process is quite the same as above as mentioned for Android. 

• You have to use the recents option on your iPhone.
• Then call on the list.
• Choose the “i”, and then select the block this caller.

• You must confirm your choice, and you are done.

How to Block a Phone Number on Landlines?

If you own a landline, which is ideal for businesses, or if you are an entrepreneur in the United States of America. You can dial *60, and then dial the number that you want to block. We may want to inform you, that it works depending on the network you are using. 

You may need to activate the call-blocking feature. You may hear an audio message informing you to activate it first. Once it is activated, the number can be blocked effortlessly. That is, it, you are done. 

The main reason you are making the effort to know the identity of the phone number is because you want to know who is calling. This way, you can either block them or respond depending on who it is. 

However, if you are getting unwanted messages from the blocked number, then you may want to read our article on why am I still receiving texts from a blocked number?

What are common unknown callers in our daily lives?  

Sadly, several callers can keep calling us on a regular basis. They can be pretty annoying and frustrating. Picture this, you have just arrived back home from work, after a long and tiring day at the office or field. 

Your smartphone or landline rings. You attend it thinking it is somebody important. But it turns out to be the pesky telemarketers or scammers. Your frustration really knows no bounds because you are looking for somebody to prepare you a hot cup of coffee, but you get this call instead. 

Below are some callers who will pursue your number on a daily basis:

Telemarketers 

The telemarketers are probably the most common callers, and they need to be blocked at all costs. They keep pestering you for buying their product or service. Sadly, they are real workers who have monthly targets to be met and have to do a job. 

But, when you are not keen on getting their products or services, then you can politely decline or block their numbers. 

Scammers 

Unlike telemarketers, scammers are fraudsters. They are after your money. You may have heard about a recent scam involving a call centre from a developing where your social security number was requested from them, and all your money would disappear. 

The issue here is that they are so good at their job, that you think that they are from a bank or even the police, that you are tricked into giving all your details. Please take precautions from these scammers. 

Call from a new number from an old acquaintance 

You may get a call from a new number from an old acquaintance. Sometimes, the phone number could be an old friend. Though it is a rare occurrence, it may happen, so you may want to be careful about the tone when attending the call.

What type of information can we get from a reverse phone number lookup? 

You can make use of reverse phone number search using a paid or free website. Some of the results include the personal information of the individual who is calling you up. It could also be somebody else using the phone number, so you never know. 

• Complete the name of the person.
• Permanent address & email id.
• Social media details.
• Background check and educational information. 
• Marital status and criminal record.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

This is it. The next time, you are getting those annoying calls, you know what to do. Instead of calling them back immediately, you can check who they are. You never know, who you are dealing with.

You can use search engines, use social media, and finally, call them back. You may want to make use of a reliable reverse phone lookup service also. They can provide you with authentic data about the owner of the phone number.

Now, you can find out who called you, and also keep your entire family safe from these mischievous characters.