How to check a private number that called you on your iPhone or Android phone. Scam and spam calls are getting more common. And they’re hard not to answer because the number comes up as “unknown.” When there’s no caller ID number, you can’t be sure if it’s a spam caller or an important call you’ve been waiting for.
Your phone rings, and it’s from an unknown caller with no Caller ID. Receiving a call from an unknown number can be quite frustrating and worrisome. Getting repeated calls from an unknown number could easily be termed harassment. If you’re ready to stop those annoying phone calls and unmask the Caller ID behind the unwanted calls, these are some of the best methods to reveal unknown numbers.
No Caller ID vs. Unknown Caller ID
There are important distinctions you should know. No Caller ID and an Unknown Caller are two different things.
No Caller ID means that the caller intentionally blocked their ID. On the contrary, an unknown caller means the Caller ID was not recognized even though it was provided. The best way to handle this is to turn on the option to block unknown callers on iOS. It sometimes blocks real callers, but it’s a good balance between being inundated with spam calls all day.
How to reveal an unknown caller using the *69 Method
You may have heard of or used *67 to conceal your number from someone you called. Did you know there are similar numbers you can dial to respond to these anonymous callers?
The first one is *69, which traces the number of the last person who called you. It works even for anonymous or hidden calls, so you can get the phone number and the exact time they called. Once you have that hidden phone number, you can block it on your phone, so it can’t call you anymore.
Dialing *69 may also provide you with the option to call a number back right then and there, so if you want to confront a scam or spam caller, you can. But don’t expect to get any information from them or be removed from their list.
Another number you can use to trace a call is *57. This is the number to use if you believe a scam or spam caller is harassing you. *57 gets you the phone number and call information *69 does, but it goes above and beyond.
When you dial *57, the information you obtain is passed along to the police. Your phone service will log a *57 call in a special way, so authorities can more easily locate whoever is harassing you and arrest them.
You’re also meant to call the police right after a *57 call with a written log of the calls from your harasser so that the police can act. If you feel an anonymous caller is contacting you too often, it’s worth using this number; otherwise, stick with *69.
Note: Many phone companies charge extra for *69 and *57 calls, so don’t be surprised to see a few additional charges on your bill if you use them. Also, not every phone company provides these services. Check with yours to see if it does.
You can block unwanted calls from callers with no Caller ID automatically
This is the best solution if you would rather not deal with hidden Caller IDs from unknown callers. Most mobile devices have a feature that enables you to bar numbers without a Caller ID.
Also, the good news is that it can be done on both Android and iOS devices. Here’s how easy it is.
Block Unwanted Calls on iPhone (iOS 13 or later)
- Select Settings on your phone.
- Scroll to the Phone option and tap on it.
- Scroll to Silence Unknown Callers and toggle it on.
All calls without a Caller ID will be automatically blocked from your iPhone. Also, this will keep them blocked unless you change the settings.
Block Unwanted Calls on Android
- Open your phone dialer.
- Tap the three vertical dots on your phone screen’s top/middle right side.
- Tap Settings.
- Select Block numbers.
- Switch on Block unknown callers.
Now, all calls from a blocked Caller ID will be barred from entering your phone.
Use Caller Identification tools for calls with No Caller ID
You can use anonymous Caller ID service providers to reveal an unknown caller. Some, like True Caller, screen the incoming Caller ID of unknown callers and identify them. Other caller identification tools allow you to search for unknown numbers to reveal the caller’s identity.
You can also use these identification tools to block unknown callers and prevent them from reaching your number in the first place. In addition, they can help you automatically block an incoming call from a spam caller.
These services are available as apps on the Apple App store and Google Play store. Install the app and set it up to begin screening the Caller ID of all incoming calls.
How to Use Caller ID Tools
While the steps might vary across different Caller ID tools, here’s the general way to set up these Caller ID tools:
- Open the website or app of your preferred tool.
- Sign up with your email or sign in if you already have an account. Then paste the unknown phone number into the search bar (as seen above).
If the trace is successful, you will receive the unmasked phone number containing the real identity of your caller.