Finding an old friend you used to know through the Internet and search engines should work in most cases if that person has information on social media and public records. So, when you need to find someone you lost contact with for a long time in the US or other places, the Internet should be the best search method. But sometimes, there should be some tricks and hacks to search and get the details.
Now, here is how you can easily find a specific person online, even if you have not seen them for a long time.
Finding someone from your past
When it’s time to start searching for someone from your past, you have a couple of solutions that may help better than others. So, try the following options and make sure you use the Internet. Search the right way without adding any tool to your web browser, such as extensions, etc… just search online.
Take note of every detail about the person
If you want to find a long-lost friend, even if you don’t have their last name, start by collecting as many details as you can about them. That’s the most important thing to do, because if you have a username or an old email address you used to communicate through, things are going to be easier for you.
In fact, tracing people, you lost contact with even 20 or 30 years ago can be tricky without any of their contact details. But what if you have a phone number or home address? That could help you to find that old contact by asking people or directly searching in the city where you last saw them, etc…
Search through dedicated people search engines
Unlike Google, dedicated people search engines offer more ways to trace anybody, even if the last time you met was years ago. But for sure, there is a need for basic details like the following options:
- First and last name
- Any known username
- Nicknames
- The previous home address you knew about
- Any old cell phone number or even a landline one
- Old license plate number, if possible
- Do you have their old email addresses?
If you have any of the above details, many advanced people search engines can show you where the missing person lives, and what they do, and even provide you with up-to-date contact details. That can include any possible mobile phone number, multiple Facebook accounts, social media profiles, emails, or even other accounts found on sites or blogs.
Start your search with Google
Whether you’re a regular Google user or not, searching anything on the Internet without this big search engine is a waste of time. Google search brings billions of details, numbers, addresses, and contact information from millions of sites and social media profiles.
So, type your friend’s first name, and last name into the Google search and look for any profile or detail. Then, make sure you carefully choose the exact search results with any detail that you think is associated with your friend’s name and not with anyone else.
The best thing here is that you can easily find the person you lost contact with for free. Thanks to Google’s advanced search, users have other filters and parameters to use. So, give it a try and see if the search engine brings your best friend’s details to your smartphone screen or laptop.
YouTube
Don’t you think that YouTube is another search engine? In reality, millions of users use the platform all over the world. In the US alone, there are 197 million users who are active monthly.
Now, coming to our main goal, which is tracing a specific missing person or somebody you have not heard from for a long time, Youtube can show you any information or channel on that person’s name. So, don’t hesitate to search the site directly, then avoid mistyping the name.
Search by the picture if you have any
This is another working method that allows us to search for people we miss through any of their pictures. But of course, that won’t be accessible to everyone because if there is no photo. It won’t be possible to trace that guy or lady on social media or other sites.
Some reverse image search engines, like TinEye or Google Images, offer lots of details and huge databases. So you can try them. Start by uploading the file of the photo you already have about the person you need to find. Then click on “search” and wait a few moments.
If the search system detects any person who probably has the same photo on any of their profiles, blog posts, etc… you can browse the linked pages and see the details.
Use LinkedIn
LinkedIn is very popular among professionals and people who are looking for jobs or have their own businesses. But when someone has a profile there, there should be their name, location, job title, and even other personal details. The profile contact information of the person behind it is clear once you browse the page.
If you know some places where your lost friend used to work, type that location in the exact search filter. LinkedIn has one of the best search systems for people, and that’s free.
Now, there are some tricks you have to do, like guessing the actual job title of the person you are no longer in contact with. If they used to study law, for example, make sure you put their names and add “lawyer” to the search filter.
LinkedIn is a good place to find people you’re missing, so, use the search system the right way.
Site-based search
This is the right strategy to follow when it comes to tracing a missing person or a family member that you’re not able to find in the real world.
Here is how it works:. Let’s say, for example, that the person you’re looking for is a man. Let’s imagine that he’s located in the United States and somewhere in the state of California. So, by limiting the search area to California on Facebook or Instagram, there should be a high chance of finding that same person.
Apply the same strategy to dating sites. If he’s still single, you may find him on Tinder or, if not, on Facebook dating. Just ensure you create a testing account with a female name, then delete it after the search.
Here is another example, if you used to know someone who is a firefighter, journalist, physician, or who has any other job, try to find forums on Google and Facebook groups where members share the same interests or work title. Then, search for any member in your friend’s name.
Sometimes, that won’t work unless you type their username, nickname, or middle name. That’s why we recommend trying all the possible variations of search by changing the name to abbreviations or usernames that people might use.
Get help from local authorities
When someone loses a loved one for decades, it becomes a true story that can inspire millions of people to reconnect with missing friends or relatives. Recently, a Chinese man found his son after 24 years of search.
The son was kidnapped in the late 90s, and from that time on, the father decided to search for his son all across the country. You know that China is a vast country with over 1.3 billion people, but that doesn’t stop the guy from tracing his son.
This should be a good example of strong will. Second, it means that you can also find your loved one if you get help from your local authorities and government agencies.
What you need first is to provide investigators with every piece of information you have about the person you no longer communicate with. That can be the full name, any memorial picture, photos in sunlight, games or toys he plays with, etc.
That can help the investigator compare the DNA of that person with others who are probably lost or missing. For many reasons, many people who lost contact with their friends and families won’t even know about that.
For that reason, it’s recommended to give others the details they need to know about your loved one in order to help you find where they live and even show you any of their contact numbers.
Conclusion
To track down someone who is your best friend, a relative, or another person from your days of college or work, try social media in the first place. Type their name in Facebook and see if it returns any profile that you can identify by photos.
Second, use people-search engines that can speed up the process of finding loved ones and use any of their old contact details, like numbers, emails, or even full names and addresses. And finally, keep note of every piece of information you find about that person; later, you can search for it on Google.
