How to Trace a Telephone Number for Free

Choose your desired reverse phone directory. This is the name for services that tell you the name of the owner based on the phone number, as opposed to the other way around. There are many others in addition to the ones previously mentioned, and many phone networks may provide a reverse directory service. You may need to try multiple sources before you successfully find a name or address.

Find your phone number. If you can, try to get the area code of the number as well. This is required for many of the searches, and it can easily be used to trace the vague location of the phone number without a specialized website. With the full number, your search stands a better chance of turning up a result.

Type the phone number into the relevant box on the website. The field on most websites is prominent, and normally under a "Reverse Phone Directory" tab. You should be able to see the field clearly. Type in the area code without parentheses, as most websites will add them in for you if needed.

Click the "Find" or "Search" button. This is generally located underneath or to the right of the field that is used to type in the number. This will initiate the reverse phone directory look-up. The website will search through its database to try to locate your desired number. Wait for around thirty seconds for the results to show up.

Look at the results. Generally there will only be one (there may be two if the owner of the number also runs a business, for example). Click on the name of the desired result to see the information linked to that profile. Sometimes the person's occupation is listed along with their name and address. You can usually find a vague location even from websites that charge for their service.