What to Know
- Dial *69 from a landline or cellphone before anyone else calls you.
- Check your phone provider logs, or use Reverse Lookup.
- Use TrapCall to unblock private numbers, or dial *57 or #57 to trace calls.
This article explains five different ways to track down and call back private numbers.
Call a Private Number for Free With *69
Following the FCC mandate to allow private calling, telephone companies created a service called Last Call Return that automatically calls the last number that called your phone, whether or not the call was private.
The service is free for many, but not all, providers, and to activate it, dial *69 (in the U.S.) on a landline or cellphone before another call comes in. After you dial, if a person answers, ask who is speaking.
The drawbacks of this approach depend on the phone service provider. For example, some providers supply a computer-generated voice that tells you the number along with the option to place a call. Other telephone providers call back the private number and don't provide you with the number.
In addition, *69 doesn't work with all phones, and some carriers limit the time window to activate the service to 30 minutes after the call is received.
Using *69 could make your problem worse. Some blocked calls are automated callers who want to confirm if your number is active. Their intent is to sell your number to other scammers. Calling back lets the system know you have an active line.
Check Phone Provider Logs
Your telephone service provider keeps a log of your incoming and outgoing calls. To access this list, sign in to your account and enter your account password.
Sometimes the numbers of private callers are listed here, unmasked. To find the number, check the phone log on your phone to find the time the blocked call came in. Then, look online at the call log, sometimes located under the billing and usage menu, for a match with the date and time.
The length of time call records are kept varies with each phone carrier. Typically, these records are held for one to seven years and can be used in criminal investigations.
Look up the Number With Reverse Number Lookup
If you're able to find the number, use a reverse phone lookup. Type the number in Google or the public Yellow Pages to learn if the number belongs to a cellphone or a landline, and to find the location where the phone is registered.
5 Best Ways to Find a Cell Phone Number Online
In some cases, you are required to pay a fee to get a full report. The fee may be refundable if the service is unable to provide information about the caller.
Use a Service to Unblock Private Numbers
You can pay a service such as TrapCall to unblock a private number. TrapCall is a tool that unmasks private and blocked callers. It can provide the phone number and the name the phone is registered to. It can also provide the caller's address, and it offers a blocklist option to block future calls.
Download TrapCall for Android
Download TrapCall for iOS
Activate Call Tracing to Unblock Callers
Some telephone providers offer a call-tracing service to put an end to unwanted calls that are harassing, obscene, unlawful, or threatening. In most cases, to activate this service, press *57 or #57. Some phone providers offer this service for free, while others require a small monthly fee.
Call tracing may not be available on mobile devices.
FAQ
How can I make my number private?
If you have an iPhone, turn off caller ID from Settings > Phone > Show My Caller ID. On Android, make your number private from Settings > Calls > Additional Settings > Caller ID > Hide number. To hide your number on a case-by-case basis on a smartphone or landline, mask your number using *67.
How do I block private numbers?
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Many businesses and private individuals run into situations when they need to make a private call. However, with the near-universal use of caller ID on landlines, VoIP, cable phone, and cell phones today, this is not as easy as it once was.
You can ask your service provider to make your number private, but there is a myriad of reasons why this might not be the best choice for your business. You want potential customers to have the contact information they need to reach you, and many people will not answer calls from an unknown number.
When you have one or two calls you need to make, though, knowing how to block your caller ID and make a private call is key. This will allow you to make a business call from your cell phone or your home phone if necessary, without giving out your personal number.
Blocking caller ID from your phone system at the office
You can make a private call from most landline phones by dialing a special “star” code that blocks caller ID. From a touch-tone or digital phone, you would:
1. Dial *67
2. Wait for the three beeps followed by the dial tone
3. Dial the number to make the call
On a rotary phone, you can accomplish the same thing by dialing "1-1" in place of the star, then "67". Dialing *63 and using the same process should block your name and not your number.
This method of making a private call only works for the call dialed immediately after entering the *67 code. You will need to dial it each time if you are making several calls and want to block the caller ID for each of them.
Busy business owners, professionals, and C-level executives may find themselves in a situation when they need to reach out to a client or potential customer quickly, but are away from the office. However, it would not be professional and would be a breach of their own privacy if the recipient of their call had access to their home phone number or personal phone number. Private calls are one solution.
This solution may also make it possible to reach someone you need to get in touch with, but who does not want to talk to you — perhaps a customer behind on their invoices or someone who has your number blocked.
Blocking caller ID from your cell phone
While most cell phone services allow you to dial *67 to block your caller ID temporarily, you can also turn off caller ID from your cell phone settings if you need to make a number of calls or if there is some reason why you want to make private calls all the time. If you have questions about making your number private all the time, you can dial 6-1-1 on your cell phone to reach your carrier’s customer service department.
From an
Android phone, you can block caller ID by selecting:
- Menu>Settings>Call Settings>Additional Settings, then “Hide Number”
From an iPhone, blocking caller ID is possible by navigating to:
- Settings>Phone, then toggling “Show my caller ID” to off
If you turn off your caller ID to make a few calls using this method, do not forget to turn it back on. Many people are unlikely to answer a call when they do not know who it is. For this reason, it may be difficult to get in touch with clients or those waiting to hear from you if you enable this feature.
(Example: iPhone anonymous caller ID option.)
If you wish to leave caller ID blocked, but need to turn it on temporarily to make a call, you can dial *82, wait for the beep(s) and then the dial tone, and make your call. This unblocks caller ID for that call only.
Smith.ai offers services that can help you manage outbound calls
Whether you are an overwhelmed small business owner with a lot on
your plate or an executive in a large corporation whose time is required on many topics, you could benefit from using smart systems and services to delegate and automate some of the key customer service tasks that are the most time-consuming.
While making calls with caller ID blocked is one way to keep your number private, this is not likely something you want to do all the time. When your business number is private, it could prevent potential customers from finding you and make
it more difficult to develop new leads. A “work smarter, not harder” alternative to this is to enlist the help of Smith.ai, whose virtual receptionists can make managing inbound and outbound calls worry-free. Our relevant services include:
- 24/7 answering services based in North America so your customers and potential customers will always reach a live person
- Outbound callback services that immediately reach out to those who send an inquiry via your website, leave a voice message, or otherwise contact your business
Our month-to-month plans are affordable and provide professional backup for your team, as well as handling other duties related to incoming and outgoing calls, scheduling, setting up video conferences or phone conferences, and more. Our system can display any number you want on the caller ID when someone calls in or when we make a call on your behalf. This means you disclose only the number you want your customers to see, never a direct or personal line.
Contact us for a free consultation today
You can reach the Smith.ai team today by calling or texting (650) 727-6484, using the chat option on the website, or emailing . Like our professional receptionists, we are available 24/7 to take your call or return a call based on your inquiry.
We are upfront about our plans and pricing, and we also provide complimentary consultations that can help you identify the services and solutions we offer to best support your business and your goals.
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