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How to Track a TextNow Number – 2024

clock Updated: 1 week ago

How to Track a TextNow Number – 2024

You may be told that TextNow numbers or any VoIP numbers are anonymous and impossible to trace. But in fact, they work no differently to mobile or landline numbers. In this post, we’ll introduce how to find the owner behind a TextNow number, step by step.

How does TextNow work?

TextNow is an online communication app similar to WhatsApp and Skype. It works on different devices, allowing you to make unlimited free calls and texts over Wi-Fi instead of subscribing to a phone plan.

Can you trace a TextNow number to its owner?

Many users have reported instances of harassment from TextNow numbers. A Twitter user’s grandmother was scammed out of hundreds of dollars by a TextNow number1 while in another case, a user suffered from unsettling text harassment2. If you’re in a similar predicament, the best solution is to ignore the messages/calls or promptly report the number to TextNow.

Alternatively, you can request the user information from TextNow, which requires valid lawful purposes, or manually look up the TextNow number.

Tracing a TextNow number owner is possible. There was already a user reporting his actual phone number was discovered through a TextNow number3. Especially if the number is actively used, for example, being posted publicly or used for account sign-ups, it may leave digital trails for further investigation.

5 ways to track a TextNow number

Below we’ll show you different ways to look up a TextNow number. You can conduct the searches manually for free or use a third-party tool to get it done effortlessly.

1. BeenVerified – one-stop public information lookup

BeenVerified is a reputable people lookup tool and also a powerful digital phone book that searches through a vast amount of data from state and national sources. This tool can help you discover the TextNow owner and pull their contact details, social media profiles, and possible photos.

1) Go to the BeenVerified search page. Enter a TextNow number and click SEARCH.

3) After the scanning process finishes, you may receive a detailed report that identifies the possible owners. 

Scroll down and you’ll view some details about the owner. By clicking Search person, you can unlock a comprehensive background report.

Apart from reverse phone lookup, BeenVerified supports searching by name, email, or username. It’s efficient for various purposes. You can use it to reconnect with a lost friend or verify someone you’ve just met online.


2. PeopleLooker – reliable reverse phone lookup

PeopleLooker is also a top people finder that allows you to unmask a phone number with ease. Backed up by a robust database, it could offer you comprehensive background details about an unknown caller in minutes.

1) Visit the PeopleLooker homepage. Select Phone Lookup, type in the number, and click Search.

2) Unlock the report to check out who’s calling you with the number. You’ll be able to view a wealth of info about the person like address, social media accounts, public records, and more. 

You’ll see a red flag if the phone number is potential spam. PeopleLooker identifies spammers and telemarketers considering the search rates; high search volume usually indicates the call is spam. It also collects feedback from users, which you can see in the Comments section.  


3. Social Catfish – best for spotting fakes

Social Catfish is a professional dating investigation service with the goal of catching scammers and catfish. In online scams, people use VoIP numbers to hide their location. But this tool can tell whether a phone number is virtual or registered to a real person. Furthermore, it shows the owner’s background in detail.

1) Go to the Social Catfish phone lookup page.

2) Input the phone number and hit Search.

3) Wait until the full report loads up, and you may check if the phone number is possibly a VoIP number and obtain an abundance of in-depth information about the phone owner.


4. Google search – completely free search engine

If you don’t feel like using a paid service, Google is always the best free source of information.

Type the anonymous TextNow number into Google’s search bar and wait until relevant websites and pages appear. You’ll likely find linked social media profiles or online accounts, and they may reveal the person’s name or photos.

Google indexed almost all the web content, including a great many outdated or inaccurate information. So you’d better spend some time sorting out the results carefully.


5. IP address logger – free tool for tracking IP address

An IP address is a unique virtual address that identifies devices on the Internet and indicates the user’s approximate location. Third-party IP loggers like Grabify can help you track the IP address of a TextNow number. Here’s how:

IP address only indicates the general location of a device and won’t reveal any personal information like the user’s real name or physical address. 

1) Prepare a link to a post, a video, or a funny meme that you think will attract the phone owner to click.

2) Go to Grabify. Paste the link in the box and click Create URL.

3) Copy the New URL. Or click View Other link Shorteners to disguise the link in other formats.

4) Send the link to the TextNow phone number, and say something to lure the user to click the link. Otherwise, the tracking won’t work.

5) Once the owner clicks the link, Grabify will record the IP addresses.

6) Look up this IP address on WhatIsMyIPAddress. You can see which city the person is in.

FAQs:

Q: Is it legal to track a TextNow number?

A: Yes, it is legal to track a TextNow number for valid reasons, such as ensuring your safety, dealing with harassment, or verifying the identity of an online contact. While the methods above may help you identify the phone number owner, they won’t provide their real-time location. 

Q: How to tell if a phone number is from TextNow?

A: When you call the TextNow number, the voicebox may say something like “this TextNow user is unavailable”. There are also some signs for you to identify a TextNow number. For example, the search may show you the user is in a state that doesn’t align with the area code or indicates the number is not linked to a specific carrier.

Q: How to report a spam phone number?

A: You can report incidents of fraud and harassment to abuse@textnow.com along with the phone number and date the number contacted you. You can also report it if a Textnow number owner impersonates you4.

Q: What if I can’t find any information on the TextNow number?

A: Tracing a TextNow number can be challenging, so it’s likely your initial attempts yield no results. If that’s the case, try obtaining more details from your interactions with the phone number owner. Look for additional information such as an email, social media account, or images, and use the provided methods to enhance your search process. 

That’s it – an easy guide to trace TextNow numbers. These methods also apply to looking up a Google Voice number or TextFree number. If you have any idea or experience about looking up VOIP or virtual phone numbers, feel free to leave a comment below.

  1. [GreenEyedGoddess]. (2020, Mar 7). The owner of the @TextNow number 804-505-9832 called my gma today and tried to scam her out of 399 dollars. Twitter. https://x.com/GrneyedGoddes/status/1236099988238643201?s=20 ↩︎
  2. r/TextNow [Ok-Translator9958]. (2023, November 17). is there a way to figure out who’s texting me from a textnow number?? [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/TextNow/comments/17wu7uk/is_there_a_way_to_figure_out_whos_texting_me_from/ ↩︎
  3. r/RBI [youngrichandcute]. (2019, May 22). Someone found my REAL number as well as my TextNow? Possible? [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/RBI/comments/brk8ov/someone_found_my_real_number_as_well_as_my/ ↩︎
  4. Computer Repair Questions [youngrichandcute]. (2023, Jul 14). I’m am trying to lookup a text now number that was messaging someone that was pretending to be me. [Online forum post]. Justanswer. https://www.justanswer.com/computer/mhhbf-i-m-trying-lookup-text-number-messaging.html ↩︎

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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....

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Brinksley is a dedicated content writer for Super Easy who's on a mission to discover efficient ways to tackle everyday tasks and enhance daily routines.

With over 5 years of experience in content creation, she has explored a variety of domains including computer issues, tech news, social media, digital marketing, life hacks, and more. The diverse expertise empowers her to craft well-informed content that genuinely benefits the audience.

When she’s not writing, Brinksley immerses herself in the enchanting world of books. She’s also an enthusiast of live shows, relishing the magic of various concerts and band performances. Her rich life outside of work, together with a wealth of experience and passion for writing contributes to unique insights in her writings.

About this article

round-success 59 Revisions

file-success Reviewed by BeenVerified

Brinksley is a dedicated content writer for Super Easy who's on a mission to discover efficient ways to tackle everyday tasks and enhance daily routines. With over 5 years of experience in content creation, she has explored a variety of domains including computer issues, tech news, social media, digital marketing, life hacks, and more. The diverse expertise empowers her to craft well-informed content that genuine [...]

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