Finding somebody’s phone number by their name can be a complicated experience; however, if equipped with the correct tools and knowledge, there are plenty of ways to find this out. Everything these days starts with social media, search engines, and even apps that help us search for different types of details about people with whom we communicate, date, or even do business. In fact, it’s crucial to contact people to ask questions or send messages, but when you don’t have their numbers, you need to start with the Internet first.
Best ways to find phone numbers
These are the recommended options for finding people’s numbers when you need to contact them. It’s up to you to choose any of these options, but always remember that people can create fake accounts online, so you need to verify the information before you call people. If you get a cell number, for example, type it into the Google search and see if it’s linked to someone’s details or not. People can change numbers, and by verifying that, you’ll avoid contacting someone else.
1. Online phone directories
You can search for people’s phone numbers by looking for their names at an address in the directory books. The Yellow Pages and white papers are easy ways to find a person’s phone number, especially their landline number, as these are often automatically input into directories.
If you’re in the US, that’s not hard to do; many websites allow users to create accounts or even search for people for free by typing their first name and state. However, in other countries, it can be stressful, especially when you don’t have access to trusted search engines. That said, you still have sites in the UK such as:
- UKPhoneBook
- 192.com
- ancestry
In North America, the Canada411 works well for finding business snubbers from the name of the company or the representatives. But first, try to type the name correctly, as that may make the search less accurate than expected with Google.
For Australia, you have other sites, such as the White Pages, but be aware that most apps don’t work. They just show ads here and there, then search for numbers through Google, which you can do yourself.
2. LinkedIn
Many people provide their contact information on the internet on their professional networking websites so that potential employers can get in touch with them. LinkedIn is a great way to find people’s contact information, as it is readily available for people to contact them.
Here is how you can find the phone numbers of people through their LinkedIn profiles: So, follow these easy steps.
Open LinkedIn: You need to go to the LinkedIn.com website on your laptop or smartphone. But the first option is better, as that allows you to search and use the filter on big screens.
Type the full name: From the top search box on LinkedIn, type the first and last name of the person you want to find there.
Choose “people” as a filter: This is important when the name you type is linked to a company or service. So, make sure you click on the “People” button from the top bar.
Browse the profiles: Once you have a list of profiles, look for the one that looks associated with the same name you searched for.
Refine the search results: If you see too many profiles, you don’t have to spend days looking for the exact one. Instead, click on the All filters located at the top right corner of the screen. Then, type keywords, and nicknames, or choose the city or company linked to the person you need to find.
Click on the “Contact info”: When you find the profile of that individual or company, visit their page and click on the contact info link, which is in blue. You should get a pop-up window with all the visible numbers, profiles, and pages about them. Many add mobile phone numbers under that tab.
3. Other social media sites
On people’s social media profiles, they often sign up through their mobile phone numbers, so you can search through people’s “about me” section or information section on their profile, as phone numbers are usually posted publicly there automatically.
For instance, Snapchat, Twitter, or Facebook are good places to find mobile numbers if users add them under their personal information tab. Surely that can work, but unfortunately, not everyone is willing to share his or her personal number across Facebook and Instagram. For that reason, it’s worth it to check out the other options below once you see that that pen has no number on social media sites.
4. Free trial sites
There are a lot of websites on the internet that provide the service of allowing you to find people’s phone numbers by just their name. While you may have several options, you can simply call all of them until you find the person that you are looking for. These websites often offer a free trial that lasts for up to 7 days and can be canceled before you are charged anything. This is a great way to utilize the tools that are available to you without actually being charged for them.
Some apps claim to offer free phone number searches without the need for a credit card or any sort of payment. But later, you’ll see that everything they say is just a scam. So, if you see any free trial phone search tools, double-check their offer explanation before you type any payment details. Otherwise, paying for a premium service that helps is better than wasting time and money with useless trial services.
5. Private investigator
If you have no use otherwise finding people’s phone numbers, then you can hire a private investigator. A private investigator can find out a lot of information about a person, as they have tools and contacts that the average person does not have access to. You can instruct a private investigator to do as much or as little research as you want, and all of the prices can be arranged before you commission them to work for you.
Private investigators can find out information that is not in the public domain. This can prove helpful when looking for somebody’s personal information that might not otherwise be readily available to you.
6. Employment
If you know where a person is employed, then you can call their workplace and ask them for their phone number. This is far easier than searching all over the Internet, and it means that you can go directly to them. That being said, remember that you don’t repetitively ring their workplace to the point where it becomes harassment. But you can call them up and leave a message with your phone number, asking them to call you back.
If that person is important and you should contact him right away, ask the company’s customer service or sales if you can call that specific person. Of course, you’ll need a solid argument to justify your needs. But if that’s not as simple as it looks, request a call and leave your mobile phone number, so they can reach you later.
To find a company’s contact number, use Google, then type the name of that company and add words like a phone number or related details.
7. Find the number directly
The easiest way to find out a person’s phone number is to go directly to them and ask them themselves. This way, you can receive a direct answer from someone and know that they will either give you their phone number or explain why not.
That said, this may look simple in theory but not easy in reality, especially if you can’t justify the reason why you need that person’s number. So, always start by introducing yourself, then show them your interest and ask for their number in a polite way.
8. Background search sites
Some websites, such as Instant Checkmate, sell the personal information of people, and this includes phone numbers. The tool used advanced search algorithms to collect data from search engines, social media sites, private databases, and even more. Thus, you may find out if someone’s name is real or fake by searching for their details, including any known phone number, email, or address.
While it may not be the most ethical means of acquiring a phone number, it is a very effective way to search for people’s information. Some websites will charge you money, but some allow you to have free access to a person’s personal information, from their home address to their phone number.
When looking for accurate background check sites, make sure they show details about the number in your state or country. That’s because many sites specialize in local directories, and they just allow searches for limited areas.
There are a lot of smart tools that are on the internet that allow you to search for people’s phone numbers. This is based on telesales and other phone companies uploading the information that they have on individuals, which provides people with the tools they need to find the phone numbers of people using solely their names.
9. Lead411
Lead411 is a person-based platform that has a high success rate in matching you up with an email address. However, it is currently improving the infrastructure to allow for a more user-friendly interface. Consequently, that allows people to find the mobile phone numbers that they are looking for faster. Lead 411 is a sales platform where the user is offered a free trial for 7 days and then a reasonably priced plan for use after this time period.
10. Get the number with mutuals
A great way to find out people’s phone numbers, knowing just their names, is to find out their social media accounts and then find out their mutual friends. After that, you can slowly begin a trail to track down their phone number. If you can find the friends of the person that you are looking for, then you can easily ask them for more information about the person. Or directly ask them for the person’s phone number. But expect many to reject the requests, as a sit may look suspicious.
That’s why you need to look for the right friend and tell them why you requested that specific person’s number from a friend and not directly.
Respect other people’s privacy
Keep in mind that while you are trying to find a person’s phone number, you respect their level of privacy and don’t delve too deeply into their personal information. It can be easy to fall into a wormhole when it comes to finding out information about people. However, it is important that you always remember to not cross the line when it comes to appropriate and inappropriate behavior when it comes to people’s personal choices about their privacy levels.
When trying to find out people’s information, it is important to consider the fact that they might not want to be found in the first place. Some people are elusive and intentionally do not want to be found. And this wish must be respected, not ignored.
Searching for a person’s personal information on the internet can quickly cross into the waters of cyberstalking. So it is very important that you respect the wishes that others have and do not cross the line when it comes to people’s privacy levels.
Some people don’t want to be found online. Instead, they want to live a more exclusive lifestyle where they don’t have their personal information routinely shared. This must be respected and taken notice of when you are investigating a person’s details.
