Tech Solutions

Everything About Free Phone Number Lookup Tools

Written by Jason
November 13, 2024
5 Mins Read

Having a phone number looking up tool is useful for those times you get unexpected unknown numbers calling you. But some services are more reliable than others, as they’re dependent on how much information is actually available about the phone number.

In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about phone number looking up.

What is a Phone Number Lookup?

A phone number looking up service is also known as a reverse phone number search. As the name suggests, this is where you start with a telephone number, which you search in a database. Provided there’s information available, the search will tell you who the number belongs to.

A phone number lookup reverse free service is often enough to find this information, especially if it belongs to a public business. You won’t usually have much luck with a private cellphone or landline number, although a reverse number search could tell you in which city the number is registered.

Is Phone Number Lookup Legal?

Reverse phone number looking up is legal in the United States, apart from some specific purposes. The general principle of a reverse number search is that it uses public databases, which, as the name suggests, anyone can access. Public phone records are essentially no different to old-school phone books, except they’re kept online.

That said, there are a few situations where it’s illegal to use a phone number lookup reverse free service. These are:

  • Telemarketing (e.g., using a cold call script to sell a product or service)
  • Stalking or harassment
  • Committing fraud

It’s also illegal for citizens to use private databases for phone number looking up. Police departments have much better telephone number records, and it’s against the law for people to use these for anything but investigating criminal activity. But considering you’d have to break the law to access them, this is fairly obvious!

Top 5 Free Reverse Phone Number Lookup Sites in 2022

If you’re having trouble with spam calls or crank calls, using a phone number looking up service can at least get you a step closer to knowing who’s calling you. Of course, this is best combined with a phone with number blocking, so you can prevent them from calling you again. It’s worth knowing whether it’s a legitimate call before you block it, though.

So, here are some of the best phone number lookup reverse free services you can find online:

1. NumLooker

One of the main advantages of NumLooker is that it has a massive database of phone numbers. As such, it’s one of the more likely platforms to give you a hit when you reverse search a phone number.

It’s pretty easy to use: you paste the number into the search bar and let it do its thing. There’s even a filter option so you can narrow your search criteria, which is helpful if the number isn’t registered or a business is using several similar numbers.

2. CocoFinder

CocoFinder also has a sizable database that pulls from several public sources. As such, you should get a hit if the number is registered somewhere. This also means it can give you further details, such as postal and email addresses associated with the phone number.

One of its main advantages over its competitors is its mobile-friendly site. While this doesn’t sound like much, the chances are high that you’ll conduct the reverse number search on your cellphone, so it helps to have a usable website!

3. US Phone Lookup

US Phone Lookup is very similar to NumLooker in that it’s simple to use and has a very clean design. Like CocoFinder, you can find addresses and emails associated with the telephone number you’re looking up.

It’s a good option if you don’t want there to be a trace of your phone number looking up activities (provided they’re legal!). While it’s limited to US numbers only, this isn’t a massive problem for most.

4. US Phone Search

US Phone Search links even more details with a phone number. These include location history and social media accounts. This information might not be helpful if you’re looking up spam callers, but it’s useful if you’re dealing with crank calls.

As the name suggests, it uses US phone numbers only. However, you can also conduct searches using other details, such as a name or postal or email address.

5. TheNumberLookup

TheNumberLookup will likely produce the most detailed results of any service we’ve listed. It uses loads of databases, including publicly-registered business details associated with a phone number.

It’s the newest service listed, so its databases aren’t as extensive as others. However, if it’s got information on a phone number, it’ll give you the most information.

Which is Right?

The phone number looking up service you choose will depend on your needs. If you’re searching personal numbers, go for ones that’ll give you social media and email address information. For business numbers, any of the options will be fine.

Why are VoIP Numbers More Compatible with Phone Lookup Services?

VoIP numbers and their associated services are more useful when it comes to phone number looking up platforms. Specifically, they’re more confidential because you can select an area code different to where you’re based. You can also choose what information you present to the public, meaning it’s possible to search numbers directly in a VoIP app rather than using third-party software.

Plus, if you identify a spam call, you can report it in the app so it’s labeled appropriately. This can help block a number or warn users so others won’t get caught out by it.

Similarly, it’s easier for carriers to track down spam callers because all the necessary data is stored in the VoIP database. As it’s done online, there’s plenty of accessible information to ensure it’s harder for users to conduct illegal activity.

You can set up VoIP phones for home as well as downloading apps on your cellphone. In fact, most current landline phones use VoIP rather than traditional telephone lines.

Receive a Better Phone Number Lookup Experience with Textr Team

Textr Team offers an excellent platform for remote teams to collaborate and communicate – both within the team and with customers. Its VoIP service allows you to look up and manage phone numbers in a single app, giving you greater access to data.

You can easily save and share contacts and link personal information to them, making it easier for everyone to use. Plus, you can set up and separate personal and work numbers within the app, meaning you don’t have to share information with other users if you don’t want to.

Download the app today to see how it can help you with everything from communication to phone number looking up.

About the Writer

Written by Jason

B2B marketing specialist with expertise in lead generation through text messaging. Unlock your business potential with his proven strategies.

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