Google Phone Number Lookup | Do They Work?

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Google Phone Number Lookup | Do They Work?

If you want to perform a free phone number lookup through Google, you’re not alone. According to Business Insider, Americans received a whopping 225 billion robotexts, while robocalls reached 78 billion in 2022, a modest 8% increase from the year prior. So it’s fair and wise enough to look up a phone number owner before you give out your personal information and make financial decisions.

However, what are reverse phone number lookup tools? How do they work? And are they helpful and trustworthy? Read on.

How to research a phone number on Google?

If you’re a frequent Google user, you may have acquired some tricks that contribute to a more accurate search, such as quotation marks and plus signs.

  • Quotation mark — Use quotation marks on both sides of your search term (e.g. “(212)333-6789”), so that you get search results that exactly match what you enter.
  • Plus sign — Search as much information as you know and use a plus sign to link them (e.g. (212)333-6789 + California, or (212)333-6789 + Amazon), which will help narrow down your search list.
  • Site — You can specify which sites to search for your search term and you’ll get a list of results only coming from that site (e.g. (212)333-6789 site: www.facebook.com).
Screenshot from Google.com

Make full use of these tricks to run a free phone number lookup on Google, to see if you can get valuable info about the phone. If not, consider turning to third-party websites for help.

Phone number lookup from Google Play

If you search for a phone number lookup on Google Play, you’ll get dozens of applications offering phone lookup services, a popular way to find information on an unknown number. But instead of downloading them one by one and checking if they work for you, you can opt to use the ones offering official web pages.

Reverse phone lookup tools

These tools have millions of public records sources and can compile available public records into detailed reports. Therefore, when you enter a phone number or a name to run a search, they search their sources for matching public records and generate a detailed report for you.

Note that the results from phone number lookup tools may differ as these companies may utilize different sources. If you can’t decide which tool to start with, check the following recommendations that we’ve tried.

ToolsRecommended reasonSearch options
BeenVerifiedMost search optionsPhone, name, address, email, username, license plate, VIN
InteliusBest cross-reference phone searchPhone, name, address
SpokeoMost trustworthy and experiencedPhone, name, email, address

-BeenVerified

Boasting a 7-in-one search engine, BeenVerified provides quick, anonymous, and efficient access to public records with an easy-to-use interface. It searches billions of data points to potentially find out who’s behind those unknown calls.

In short, if you want to research online dates, verify online scammers, and identify the owner of a number, you can give it a shot. Don’t bother to google phone number lookup methods.

-Intelius®

Intelius is considered one of the most powerful reverse phone number lookup tools by our editors. Rather than applying all tricks above to perform a phone number lookup on Google, you can simply fill in a phone number on Intelius and initiate the search. Once you purchase a membership plan to view your report, you could find the following in the report, when available:

  • Owner details
  • Owner history
  • Additional contact details
  • Location history
  • Linked social media profiles
  • More

-Spokeo

Founded in 2006, Spokeo has been serving 20 million people per month and organize 12 billion records. It sifts through billions of phone directories and white page records to look for and, when available, summarizes the owner’s name and details into an easy-to-understand report.

How to run a reverse phone lookup?

The following screenshots are taken from Intelius on computer, but the steps are applicable for other search tools and devices.
  1. Go to BeenVerified, Intelius, or Spokeo.
  2. Check the box to continue, if available.
  3. Enter a phone number and click SEARCH.
  4. Verify your age that are 18 years or older.
  5. Within seconds, your report will be ready. Note that if the phone number you search contains lots of information, it may take longer. Click VIEW RESULTS to move on.
  6. Enter your first name, last name, and email address. Then click SAVE.
  7. You’ll get some basic information about the phone number, such as carrier, line type, and location. To get the full report, click GET PHONE REPORT.
  8. Click AGREE AND CONTINUE.
  9. Select your preferred membership plan and payment method to unlock the report. If you opt for a trial, ensure to cancel it prior to its expiration.
  10. Now you are able to check the report.
    The above image is from a sample Intelius report. Actual Intelius reports may contain more or less information.

The steps may be more or less on other search tools. Just follow the corresponding on-screen instruction to complete the search. Here are the reports from BeenVerified and Spokeo:

Phone report from BeenVerified
Phone report from Spokeo

FAQs

Why not recommend a free tool?

Well, most reverse phone number lookup tools are not free because it requires technology and manpower to create and maintain these tools and to create reports. Indeed, there are free counterparts.
But trust me, if they don’t charge you at the first, they can still find ways to seek profits from you, possibly by either stealing your info, asking you to pay when you want to view more, or whatever. So it’s strongly recommended to choose a formal, reliable, and confidential tool.

All product names, logos, brands, trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.

exclamation-blueThere’s no guarantee you’ll find the information you’re looking for with the tools discussed in this article. They all source their information from publicly available data sources, such as county, state and federal courts, government departments, and police records, and those sources may contain incorrect or incomplete data. It’s illegal to use these tools to make decisions about employment, admission, consumer credit, insurance, tenant screening, or any other purpose that would require FCRA compliance. Read the Fair Credit Reporting Act to learn more....

About this article

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Yuki's curiosity knows no bounds when it comes to knowledge. With two years of programming under her belt, she's embarked on thrilling projects that showcase her unique blend of creativity and analytical acumen. From developing a captivating poetry website to diving into the depths of data analysis and venturing into the world of mobile app development, she became excellent at Internet research and data mining.

But her journey doesn't end in the classroom. Prior to joining Super Easy, she has honed her writing skills as a contributor at SHEIN, delved into the intricacies of marketing as a specialist for an international e-commerce company, facilitated dreams as an educational consultant for a company assisting individuals in studying abroad, and lent her IT expertise as an assistant for britishcouncil.org. This breadth of experience has enriched her perspective on the digital landscape, making her a true expert in uncovering hidden gems on the web.

Yet, Yuki's interests extend far beyond the digital realm. When she's not crafting informative content, she's often found taking refreshing dips in the pool, embarking on thrilling adventures around the globe, or immersing herself in the captivating realm of theater. These passions not only rejuvenate her spirit but also serve as a wellspring of creativity, ensuring that her writing remains vibrant, engaging, and relatable.

About this article

round-success 12 Revisions

file-success Reviewed by BeenVerified

Yuki Huang

Writer

Yuki's curiosity knows no bounds when it comes to knowledge. With two years of programming under her belt, she's embarked on thrilling projects that showcase her unique blend of creativity and analytical acumen. From developing a captivating poetry website to diving into the depths of data analysis and venturing into the world of mobile app development, she became excellent at Internet research and data mining. Bu [...]

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