How To Find Out Who Texted Me - Techwalla

Get the latest news and alerts! Later Notify

1. Tech Support
2. How To

How to Find Out Who Texted Me By Steven Melendez Fact Checked Techwalla may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Learn more about our affiliate and product review process here. If you receive a text message or a call and don't recognize the number, you can use ordinary search engines or specialized phone number directories to attempt to find out who texted you. Image Credit: Nicola Katie/E+/GettyImages

If you receive a text message or a call and don't recognize the number, you can use ordinary search engines or specialized phone number directories to attempt to find out who texted you. If you are receiving unwanted contact from a phone number, you can block it on your phone or contact your phone company for help. Keep in mind that caller ID can be faked. If you're receiving threats or harassing messages, consider asking the police for help.

Advertisement

Finding a Phone Number

Video of the Day

If you get a text from a phone number you don't have in your contacts or otherwise recognize, and don't want to text back to inquire who sent the message, you can do some online research to attempt to find out who owns the number.

Advertisement

We Recommend

Video of the Day

You can type the number into an ordinary search engine such as Google or Bing to see if the number pops up on any business or personal websites that might indicate who owns it. If the number is being used to send scam messages, you may also come across reports of that on various forums and complaint sites when you do your search.

Advertisement

If a typical search engine doesn't provide a clear answer, you can also try typing the number into the search field of a social media site such as Facebook or LinkedIn to see if it's associated with a user profile. See if the name that appears is familiar to you.

Phone Number Reverse Lookup Tools

Traditional phone directories let you type in or otherwise look up a person's name to find a phone number associated with it. Reverse lookup directories let you search for a phone number to find people and businesses associated with it.

Advertisement

We Recommend

Some popular ones online include Whitepages and ZabaSearch. If you encounter a phone number you're not familiar with, you can type it into one of these services for free and see if a name appears. Try multiple people search engines, since they each have different databases, if the first one doesn't give you a useful result.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Blocking Unwanted Calls and Texts

You can block calls and texts from certain numbers on most modern phones.

On an iPhone, tap the (i) button next to a phone number you received a call from or in a text conversation in the Messages app. Tap the phone number again if needed, and then scroll to the bottom of the menu and tap Block this Caller.

Advertisement

On an Android device, the exact steps vary slightly based on your phone manufacturer, but you can usually block messages through your messaging app. Check your phone's documentation for the exact steps if you can't see how to do so in the app.

You can also contact your phone carrier for help blocking unwanted messages.

Advertisement

Be Wary Caller ID Spoofing

It is possible to fake the number where a call or text comes from. That's typically known as caller ID spoofing. It's also possible to scam phone companies into assigning someone's phone number to another, unauthorized phone or to send text messages or make calls from a stolen phone.

Advertisement

Advertisement

As a result, you should use caution if you receive unwanted calls or texts from an unknown number. Don't assume the person the number is registered to is actually the one contacting you, and resist the impulse to reach out in anger about unsolicited messages.

Handling Harassment or Threats

If you're receiving harassing or threatening texts on your phone, consider contacting your local police. They can work with your phone carrier to research who is behind the messages and ideally help you put a stop to it, potentially prosecuting whoever is sending the messages.

Keep copies of the texts so that you can show them to investigating officers.

Advertisement

Advertisement

references

• Techcrunch: Facebook Won’t Let You Opt Out of Its Phone Number ‘Look Up’ Setting
• Whitepages: Home Page
• FCC: Caller ID Spoofing
• ZabaSearch: Home Page
• Apple: Block Phone Numbers and Contacts on Your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch
• Lifewire: How to Block Text Messages on Android or iPhone

Techwalla may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Learn more about our affiliate and product review process here.