We all use smartphones to communicate with each other as smartphones have become the de-facto medium of communication. This also means that we share phone numbers with people as a starting point for any social relationship.

This is all for the good - but how can use phone numbers to identify people? How can we make sure they are who they say they are? These are all great questions. In this article, we will take you through some simple steps we all can take to verify the identity of any phone number:

1- Google Search

The first thing that can be easily done to find the owner of a phone number is to just search for the number on Google Search. If the phone number has ever been listed on any website, the chances are that Google is aware of it and can provide you a list of web pages the phone number is listed on. This does not directly mean that you also know the owner of the phone number, but can provide you with enough auxiliary information to understand the owner.

2- Web-based phone directories

Your second-best course of action is to use a reverse phone lookup tool like NumLookup to search for the number. NumLookup is free to use and can provide you with detailed information for any phone number. You can get not only the owner’s full name but may also be able to see the following information about the phone’s owner:

• Social Media Profiles
• Emails
• Work History
• Address
• Family Information
• Photos
• Businesses Owned (including any websites)
• And other personal information

Numlookup requires no sign-up or registration. Plus, all searches are kept fully anonymous. This is a great tool to look up anyone you don’t know well.

3- Ask the person directly

If you received a missed call from someone, the best option sometimes is to call or text the person directly and ask them who they are. If you want to keep your identity a secret, you can also reach out to them using a different phone number. This trick works really well. Most people will not hesitate to at least give their first names when asked.

4- Pay Attention to the Area Code

You can also infer the person's location using their phone's area code. Area codes are usually the first 3 digits of the phone number. If you are not sure, you can google the area code to learn which city the code belongs to. If the area code does not look familiar, you can then ask the person why they are using a phone from a different area code.