If you’re like me and you get tons of calls from unknown numbers, then learning how reverse phone lookup works can be a game changer. Whether it’s spam, potential harassment, or repeated calls sparking suspicions of cheating, not knowing who’s behind the number can be frustrating, and you might not always have access to the best spy apps on the market to get the job done.
A reverse phone lookup tool helps you identify a caller without answering the call and is especially useful when you’re looking to protect your privacy and avoid unwanted contact. These methods range from using mobile applications and social media platforms to scam tracking tools and third-party websites to even something as simple as a Google search if done correctly. Here’s how reverse phone lookup works in five easy ways.
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What Is Reverse Phone Lookup?
Reverse phone lookup is an identity verification tool that helps find the identity behind a phone number. It basically works in the opposite way of a phone book, where you use a person’s name to find their phone number. Instead, reverse lookup uses a person’s phone number (or email address or other info) to find their name and other profile information.
While the best spy apps give you deeper insight into someone’s device activity, including all their incoming and outgoing calls, reverse phone lookup tools scan databases to give you information on the caller that’s linked to their phone number. This might include their social media profiles, online images, criminal record and employment history, and even their friends and other associates.
How Does Reverse Phone Lookup Work?
Reverse phone lookup utilizes extensive databases that aggregate contact information from various sources, including phone directories, social media, and public records. So if, for example, your mystery caller’s number is linked to any public data, the tool will cross-reference the phone number to identify the name connected to it. This can be particularly useful if you are looking for more information about a specific number, whether you’re trying to track a cheating spouse or need a parental control app to better monitor your child’s device.
Now that you’re familiar with reverse phone lookup and its inner workings, I will show you five easy methods for its practical application. We’ll take a close look at each one, and I’ll let you know when best to use it from my experience.
Method 1: How To Find Someone With Reverse Lookup Apps
Third-party apps are the best and most reliable method to use reverse phone lookup. These apps already have access to vast databases and can easily and accurately uncover who’s behind those mysterious late-night calls your partner has been getting, making them nearly as useful as a boyfriend spy app. Here are a couple of reverse lookup apps I tested.
Searqle
Searqle is a powerful tool designed for reverse phone lookups as well as other forms of reverse search. It excels in uncovering detailed information about individuals, making it an excellent choice for verifying unknown callers, reconnecting with old acquaintances, or conducting background checks.
From my experience, Searqle provided accurate and comprehensive data by searching through over 1.3 billion public records, including phone numbers, addresses, emails, and criminal records.
When testing Searqle, I found it particularly useful for reverse phone lookups. After entering a suspicious phone number, the platform quickly generated a detailed report that included the owner’s name, known addresses, and even their social media profiles. The user interface was intuitive, and the search process was both quick and confidential, ensuring privacy while I conducted my investigation.
Searqle Features
- Extensive Database Access: Searqle gathers information from over 1.3 billion public records, including addresses, phone numbers, emails, and court records.
- Background Checks: Searqle helps users identify criminal records, marital status, or job history associated with an individual.
- User Confidentiality: All searches are private and protected by advanced security measures, such as Cloudflare encryption.
- Quick and Comprehensive Reports: The system generates detailed, easy-to-understand reports within seconds.
- Flexible Search Filters: Users can refine searches with options like location, age range, and more for improved accuracy.
Read our full Searqle review.
Pros 
- Comprehensive and detailed database; over 1.3 billion public records
- Versatile search methods, including by phone, email, and name
- Private and secure search process
- User-friendly interface and quick search results
- Offers detailed filtering options for more accurate searches
Cons 
- Only offers monthly subscription plans; no one-off payment option
Social Catfish
When I used Social Catfish, I was quite impressed by its simplicity and detail. When I entered a phone number from a suspicious text I had received, the app returned a detailed report within minutes containing the person’s name, known social media profiles, email addresses, and even related images. It became clear that the app excels in online identity verification and protecting users from catfish scams or fraud.
However, it’s pricier than other reverse phone lookup services, and some of the detailed information is behind a paywall. That aside, it’s a great tool that works for a variety of users, from individuals trying to verify online contacts and their identities to businesses conducting background searches on employees and even photographers who want to snuff out unauthorized uses of their photos.
Social Catfish Features
- Identity Verification: Social Catfish can verify phone numbers, names, email addresses, and images to prevent online fraud.
- Detailed Reports: I was impressed by how comprehensive the results were in providing background information on individuals, including their social profiles, online activity, and criminal history.
- Fraud Detection Tools: The name suggests it, and my experience confirms that Social Catfish is excellent for spotting online scams and potential catfishing attempts with its online profile verification.
- Address and Email Search: It is always nice when reverse phone lookup tools offer a variety of search options, and Social Catfish ticks that box by providing address and email searches.
- Image Search: Social Catfish’s image search tool makes a big difference in scam prevention. By allowing users to perform reverse image searches, they can verify who they are actually communicating with on social media platforms.
Read our full Social Catfish review.
Pros
- Excellent identity verification catches online scams and catfish
- Detailed background reports include multiple forms of information
- Multiple search options
- Image search
- High success rate
Cons
- Pricier than competitors
- Takes a bit of time to generate deep reports
Spokeo
Spokeo is one of the most comprehensive apps for reverse lookup. It pulls data from over 12 billion public records, including social media profiles, addresses, and court records.
From the first time I used Spokeo, it was clear it specialized in gathering data from extensive public databases to provide detailed information about phone numbers, emails, and addresses. This makes it especially popular among private individuals and businesses that receive spam or suspicious calls and emails.
I found Spokeo easy to use. All I had to do was enter a phone number that had been calling me repeatedly before it promptly generated a report showing the name associated with the number, known addresses, and potential relatives.
Spokeo Features
- Comprehensive Database Access: Spokeo pulls data from over 12 billion records, including social networks, public records, and online listings. Its database extends to court records, which can identify the target’s criminal history.
- Multiple Search Options: During my testing, the app let me perform reverse lookups by name, phone number, address, or email address. You can also search using specific areas and area codes.
- Affordable Pricing Plans: I was able to conduct free searches using just names and phone numbers; however, the results were limited to contact information. There are also affordable subscription packages, from monthly and quarterly plans to professional plans for businesses.
- Privacy and Anonymity: Spokeo offers identity protection for users, meaning the person I’m looking up can’t see that I searched them. So, I didn’t need a VPN or other privacy protection measures.
- Social Media Integration: Spokeo also helps you find social media profiles connected to the searched phone number.
Read our full Spokeo review.
Pros
- Extensive database with regular updates
- Flexible subscription plans
- User-friendly interface
- Offers additional search methods and customizable search filters
- Quick and accurate
Cons
- Some users feel the reports are not comprehensive enough
- The auto-renew of the subscriptions has been criticized
Using social media to reverse lookup a phone number can be an effective approach, although results can vary depending on how much personal info the person you’re looking for shares online. Many platforms allow users to connect their profiles to phone numbers, making social media a viable option for reverse lookup. Here are some common approaches:
- Try The App’s Search Features: Platforms such as Facebook have a search feature that lets you find people using names and phone numbers. All you have to do is input the number into the search bar, and if the number is linked to a user profile, you may see results that include names, profile pictures, and mutual connections. While not as handy as a top-rated Facebook spy app, this can be a good start at digging into someone’s online profile.
- Messaging Apps: Messaging apps like WhatsApp, iMessage, and Telegram are also great tools. On WhatsApp, in particular, if you have the phone number of the target saved in your contacts, you may be able to access the name and profile picture associated with that number. Of course, this will depend on if the person’s privacy settings are set to display this information publicly within the app. If you need more insight into someone’s WhatsApp activity, you’ll need to use a specialized WhatsApp spy app.
- Search Public Profiles: Searching public profiles on platforms like Twitter (X) or Instagram can sometimes reveal valuable information tied to a phone number. These platforms don’t allow direct phone number searches, but it can be worthwhile if you suspect that a specific person is calling or spamming you to search their name and look through their profile for publicly listed contact information.
- Search Professional Networks: Many users on professional networking platforms like LinkedIn include their phone numbers in their contact details, especially if they use the platform to grow their business or professional network. While phone numbers are typically hidden behind privacy settings, if you’re connected with the person or have some professional ties, you might be able to access this information.
Method 3: Use the Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) offers an online ‘Scam Tracker’ tool that is useful for reverse phone lookups, especially if you’re concerned about a phone number linked to scams. Here’s how to use the service step by step:
Step 1 – Visit the Better Business Bureau Website’s Scam Tracker
Step 2 – Navigate to the ‘Scam Tracker’ page by clicking on the relevant tab in the homepage’s main menu.
Step 3 – From the dropdown menu next to the search bar, select ‘Phone Number Used’.
Step 4 – Enter the phone number and search.
Step 5 – Review the results. The report will show if the number has been flagged for fraudulent activities or scams.
Method 4: Use Other Third-Party Tools
Many third-party websites claim to offer free reverse phone lookup services when, in fact, they lock the information behind a paywall. If you’re going to use a third-party provider for reverse lookup, it’s best to choose from one of the trusted tools I mentioned above, as I have reviewed them from experience.
However, there are other reliable options available, especially for business needs. One such tool is IPQS, formerly known as Agni. With IPQS, businesses can prevent fraudulent signups and detect suspicious user profiles by validating phone numbers globally. This makes IPQS more suited to verifying phone numbers in detail and at a large scale. As such, most people won’t need a tool as sophisticated as it is or its advanced verification or fraud detection, and Spokeo or BeenVerified should have all the information you need.
Method 5: Use a Search Engine Like Google
Using a search engine like Google to look up a phone number may seem overly simplistic, but it can sometimes do the trick. Many phone numbers are listed on social media profiles, websites, or public directories, and a quick Google search can pull up a name, business, address, or relevant related information.
Simply typing the phone number in quotation marks can bring up web pages, news articles, or user-generated forums where the number may have been mentioned or used. I’ve personally used this method and, at times, found it helpful in identifying businesses or individuals connected to the number, especially when it belonged to a publicly listed entity. You can try variations of the phone number, with and without area code or hyphens.
However, reverse phone lookup with Google has its limitations, as private or unlisted numbers won’t appear in search results. Also, sometimes Google brings up irrelevant pages or results hidden behind paywalls, requiring you to use a paid service for full access, and even then, you can’t be sure you are getting accurate information.
Another option is the Gmail search bar. You can search for their phone number directly within Gmail, and Google will scan your emails to see if the phone number appears in any prior correspondence.
How To Reverse Lookup A Phone Number - A Step By Step Guide
Let me show you how to install and use boyfriend spy apps. I’ll use my top choice, Spynger, as an example. Follow these steps:
Step 1: Go to Spokeo’s Official Website
Go to Spokeo’s website by entering the URL in your browser. The homepage features a search bar where you can begin your reverse lookup.
Step 2: Click on Phone Number Above the Search Bar on the Landing Page
Once on the homepage, select the “Phone Number” option above the search bar, as Spokeo offers multiple search types, such as name, address, and email.
Step 3: Enter the Phone Number and Click Search
Enter the 10-digit phone number you want to identify in the site’s search bar. Once entered, press the “Search” button to begin generating results.
Step 4: Review Search Results
Spokeo will display a detailed report that includes the owner’s name, location, and additional information about the phone number you searched for.
Conclusion: How Does Reverse Phone Lookup Work?
The most reliable of the five methods I discussed above is to use a trustworthy reverse lookup app. Third-party websites and search engines can provide basic information, but they often lack accuracy, privacy, and ease of use.
Reverse lookup apps, on the other hand, get data from vast databases and offer detailed reports that can help you identify unknown callers quickly and efficiently. They also offer contact management tools such as blocking and blacklisting. Here are my top three reverse lookup apps and who they’re best suited for:
- Searqle: Offers excellent filter options to give your search focus and ensure high levels of accuracy
- Social Catfish: Produces the most detailed reports and is best when you suspect catfishing or fraud.
- Spokeo: Delivers quick results from its extensive and updated database, which is better than its competitors.
