Updated on 4/19/2022 after additional testing and to reflect SpyDialer site design changes
These days when the phone rings and I don’t recognize the number, I usually just ignore the call. If someone really wants to reach me, they’ll leave a message. But when I’m expecting a call back from a doctor or am just curious about who called, I turn to a reverse-number lookup service.
The problem is that if you Google "free reverse number lookup" or some similar term, you'll get a lot of ;"people search" sites that claim to be free but actually charge a fee or provide a free trial to a recurring fee service (which you have to remember to cancel, and they may not make it easy). Some sites I found are just plain deceptive, claiming free search and just forwarding you to the people search sites for affiliate commissions.
Read more: How to Prevent Spam Callers from Leaving Voicemail
There is one free service I’ve found that does a far better job than the rest, SpyDialer.com. The site says they gather information from publicly available sources and has "billions" of phone numbers in its database. That sounds like an exaggeration, though I’ve tested it on mobile numbers, landlines, and Google Voice numbers, and most come back accurately. And, I’ve used it for months whenever I see a local number that I don’t recognize – I found missed calls from doctors, the pharmacy, my hair salon and more (often, the calling number didn't match the number I called for an appointment or prescription). SpyDialer will also tell you if it’s known spam. Occasionally, the service will show “No Record Found” (and it only works for US numbers) – it's not perfect, but it's pretty good.
IMPORTANT NOTE: One big downside to SpyDialer is that the interface is ugly and cluttered with ads, including ads for people search services that may cause you to click on an ad rather than the site's own search box. Here is what it looks like when you search for a number using the correct boxes so you don't get misled by one of the ads.
1. Enter the number in the box and make sure “Phone” is highlighted in black.
2. SpyDialer will tell you what type of number it is – mobile or landline—and give you the option for "Hear Voicemail," “Name Lookup,” “Photo Lookup,” or “Phone Spam.” Make sure “Name Lookup” is selected and click on “Search.”
3. Here is the SpyDialer results page. You’ll notice the caveat that the data may be out of date. That always shows up.
In addition to phone numbers, SpyDialer also lets you lookup people by name or email address.
Read more: How to Tell if Your Phone Has Been Cloned
[Image credit: incoming call concept via BigStockPhoto, Screenshots via SpyDialer/Techlicious]
For the past 20+ years, Techlicious founder Suzanne Kantra has been exploring and writing about the world’s most exciting and important science and technology issues. Prior to Techlicious, Suzanne was the Technology Editor for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and the Senior Technology Editor for Popular Science. Suzanne has been featured on CNN, CBS, and NBC.
From Skippy on March 04, 2020 :: 3:55 pm
I just tried spydialer for two cell phone numbers and they were both incorrect. These are numbers that these individuals have had for many years and the names came up wrong. Stop trying to get us to use bad websites.
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From Mel on March 04, 2020 :: 5:11 pm
I did a screen shot of my results its not free there is a.50 charge or 10 day free trial
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From Josh Kirschner on March 04, 2020 :: 6:34 pm
SpyDialer is free. If you’re getting something asking for a fee, then you clicked on one of the ads (easy to do) rather than the correct service. And from the screenshot you sent me, it looks like that’s exactly what happened. Follow the instructions exactly as we have them listed above and you’ll get the correct, free result from SpyDialer.
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From Mel on March 04, 2020 :: 7:14 pm
I sent the screen shot to your email Now it says only works in the usa Whats up with that When were you going to tell us that?
From Josh Kirschner on March 04, 2020 :: 8:43 pm
Hi Mel,
We hadn’t tested it for non-US numbers. We’ve updated the story to make it clear that it is US only.
Best,
Josh
From Josh Kirschner on March 04, 2020 :: 6:38 pm
SpyDialer isn’t perfect, but it has worked for the vast majority of numbers we’ve tested it with. It’s also the only free service we’ve found that will reliably give you an answer, as opposed to trying to upsell you into free trials or charge you fees.
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From Mel on March 04, 2020 :: 8:48 pm
Kinda important isn’t it????
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From Mark on April 22, 2021 :: 6:30 pm
It’s typical of USA websites to assume the USA is their only market. Who would have thought that the Internet is readily accessible (and used) by non-Americans?
Of course, the title of the site would have been “Find out who called me from the USA” by a considerate author.
From Swillias Vaughn on April 23, 2024 :: 6:28 pm
I’ve been using SpyDialer for years and it’s been on point for me.
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