Find an unknown cell phone number: Reverse search – here’s how it works – 2024-04-03 11:54:19

2024-04-03 11:54:19

Missed call from an unknown number? Use these tricks to find out who called you without having to call back.

The most important things at a glance

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When an unknown number appears on your smartphone, curiosity is usually high. Was it the nice acquaintance from the last party – or a less exciting contact?

Find cell phone numbers with reverse search

This can sometimes be found out using the so-called reverse search, for example using the reverse search at Das Telefonbuch.de. Here you can enter mobile numbers and landline numbers to find out the owner’s name. However, this only works if the connection owner has agreed to the entry in the reverse search.

Alternatively, you can also carry out the reverse search using the app. The free app from “dasoertliche.de”, for example, is suitable for this. The application is available for iOS and Android.

1. Download the app and install it on your smartphone.
2. When you open the app, the input field “Who or what are you looking for?” appears on the start screen.
3. When you tap on it, the standard search opens first. In the field to the right you will find the “Backward search” tab.
4. Here you simply enter the mobile or landline number whose owner you want to find out. If the number is stored, the owner will now be displayed.

However, the chances of success when reverse searching cell phone numbers are rather low because only a few are entered in the phone book. If you haven’t had any luck this way, you might be able to get it working with Google.

Find cell phone number owners using Google

There are a few things to keep in mind when searching on Google.

1. Enter the landline or cell phone number into Google.
2. Make sure you put the number in quotation marks – for example “0170 123456789”. In this way, Google only specifically searches for this sequence of numbers.
3. With a bit of luck, the search engine will, for example, spit out a company to which you can assign the number.

Alternatively, you can also search for the number on portals such as “Tellows”. In these databases, in which a number of numbers are stored, you can, for example, check whether other users have already complained about advertising calls.

Quiz: How well do you know your way around smartphones?

Phone number search using voicemail

The mailbox can also be helpful in finding out the cell phone owner. You can listen to the cell phone owner’s announcement when you make a direct extension to their mailbox. Depending on your provider, you will need to insert two specific numbers between the area code and the telephone number.

Remember that the person you are calling will see your call even if you don’t answer voicemail. You may want to suppress your phone number for this call. You can read how to do this on your smartphone here.

Mobile phone area codes assigned in Germany and their mailbox code:

Provider	Phone prefix	Code
Deutsche Telekom	01511, 01512, 01514, 01515, 01516, 01517, 0151, 0160, 0170, 0171, 0175	-13-
Vodafone	01520, 01522, 01523, 01525, 01526, 01529, 0162, 0172, 0173, 0174	-50-
O2	01573, 01575, 01577, 01578, 01579, 01590, 0163, 0176, 0177, 0178, 0179	-33-

1. For example, if the number displayed is “0170-123456789”, the area code 0170 shows that the number was assigned by Deutsche Telekom.
2. Their mailbox code is 13, so you have to insert 13 between the area code 0170 and the number 123456789 – so you dial “0170-13-123456789”.
3. The codes remain valid even after you change provider.

By the way: If the area code of your own phone number belongs to a different mobile operator than stated in the table, this may be due to the phone number being ported previously. If a customer transfers his phone number to another provider, he will of course also keep the area code.

Suppress phone number
With a practical key combination, you can suppress your own phone number from making a call with any smartphone. Open the dial pad/numeric keypad on your smartphone. Enter the key combination #31# and append the phone number to be dialed. Your call is shown as unknown on the callee’s display.

The WhatsApp trick

A search via the WhatsApp messenger service can also be very promising.

1. To do this, you must save the unknown number in your smartphone’s address book.
2. Then open WhatsApp and tap the symbol with which you can compose a new message.
3. In the address book that now opens, select the unknown number. The chat window then opens.
4. Here in the window you can read a suitable name for the number if the person is logged in to WhatsApp and has given a name there.

This trick doesn’t just work on WhatsApp. On other messengers or social networks such as Facebook, Twitter or TikTok, users also provide their telephone number to verify the account.

For example, if you have entered a number on your TikTok account, you should remember that other users can of course also find you. If you don’t want this, you can deactivate a corresponding option in the privacy settings.

So there are four ways to find out cell phone numbers for free

1. Use the reverse phonebook search on the internet or via the app.
2. Try to find phone numbers via Google or portals like Tellows.
3. Call the caller’s voicemail directly to listen to their voicemail message and find out their name. To do this, add the following digits to the phone number after the area code: 13 for Deutsche Telekom, 50 for Vodafone and 33 for O2.
4. Use the WhatsApp trick: Save unknown number in the address book and view the contact information for the number in WhatsApp.

If a repeated call involves stalking, harassment or even a threat, you should definitely contact the police and ask them to find the caller for you as quickly as possible in order to finally stop the harassment.