How to Use Google for a Reverse Phone Lookup

Have you ever received a call from an unknown number and wondered who the caller might be? Or, have you simply just wanted to snoop on your friends and find out the numbers they use to call you? If the answer to both of the above questions is a definite yes, then there a solution for you; Google Reverse Phone Lookup. This might come as a surprise to many people who only thought Google was used for performing online searches.

As much as Google is an online search engine, you can still use it to conduct phone number lookup and find out who your anonymous caller might be. The following is a simple breakdown on how you can use Google Reverse Phone Lookup services to search for a caller behind a specific number.

Understanding a Reverse Phone Lookup

As the name suggests, a reverse phone lookup is a method used by different people to find and know who is registered under a particular number. All that is required of you is to type the new number in an online directory or a search engine and wait for the results to be displayed. However, what you should bear in mind is the fact that not every number can be located in this type of search. Though this might be disappointing to some of us, there is still a way of finding these numbers. I will explain how as we move forward.

Using Google to Perform a Reverse Phone Number Lookup

Some few years ago, Google was a goldmine when it came to searching for new phone numbers and their respective owners. However, come November 2010, Google closed down the phone lookup service after numerous people complained about finding their personal information online without their consent. However, though the service was terminated, you can still find a handful of numbers online. To perform a reverse phone lookup, follow the steps below.

Type the Target Phone Number

The first thing to do is to open Google in your web browser and type the full phone number as it appears. Press the “Enter” button on your keyboard. You can choose to use the hyphen between the numbers or type the numbers without the hyphens.

View Names Associated with the Searched Number

Depending on the information available on Google, you should be able to view the people associated with the searched number. In most cases, if the number is attached to a business, you will be able to know the name of the business, location, and in some cases, the owner (s) of the business. On the other hand, if the number is registered to an individual, getting the name of the owner can be impossible at times.

The good thing, however, is the fact that if the number you were searching for has been associated with a social media account, you will be able to know the person based on the social media information present online. Therefore, if there is a social media account associated with the number, simply follow the social media link and do a bit of digging based on the information found.

Using the Name to Find the Number

In some instances, you may know the number, but the name might be a mystery. This usually happens when a new number comes through, and you have apps that tell you the name of the caller. In some cases, these apps may not be as accurate as needed, and hence making it essential to find out yourself who might have called you. Here’s how you can find out the number of a person by using his or her name.

Use Google

In your Google search page, enter the name of the person of interest, and their corresponding zip code and press “Enter.” The result obtained may include their address, phone number, name, and their current and past locations. The result may bring back different results based on the person you searched. For instance, if the person you are looking for has had a change of address, you might get different addresses. Apart from this, you might get different addresses associated with the searched number. Past locations may be due to the fact that the person might have changed their location but kept their phone number.

Removing Yourself From Google Directory

As previously stated, Google withdrew its public listing in 2010. However, this still doesn’t mean that you can’t locate some people online by using their names or phone numbers. Therefore, if you might be suspecting that someone is looking up for your information, you can take drastic steps to remove your personal information online. You can do this by visiting the Google Legal Removal Request webpage. Read the privacy policies and if you are okay with them, submit your information. Google will review the information presented and remove it from their database accordingly.

Should you rely on Google Reverse Phone Lookup?

Google reverse phone lookup, unlike other services, is free for use. Apart from this, the lookup service uses user information based on what the person of interest has placed online. However, if the number has not been registered, it might be hard for you to find out who the real caller might be. Apart from this, it’s very rare for people to place tons of their personal information online due to increased cases of identity theft. Therefore, in such a case, you might consider using the services of apps which indicate the name of a person when they call your number.

Should you pay for this Information?

The idea of whether to pay or not solely lies on what you might be looking for in the first place. As a piece of advice, paying for this type of information is not recommended. This is because the information you will pay for can be found online for free. Apart from this, the information available on some of these pay services may not be as accurate as you might want. Therefore, it wouldn’t be advisable for you to pay for these services.

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