Last updated: June 4, 2023
Looking for an effective way to identify the owner of an unknown phone number? The answer may well lie in two social media giants: Facebook and WhatsApp.
Indeed, these two platforms have evolved to become real reverse directories. Thanks to a dedicated feature, they can help you identify an unknown phone number.
Facebook, in particular, is known for its ability to collect an impressive amount of information about its users. Faced with incessant requests from the platform, many people end up associating their phone number with their account.
This means that by using these two tools as reverse directories, you may well be able to unmask the owner of an enigmatic telephone number. Let’s dive into the details of these innovative methods.
Use Facebook as a Reverse Directory
Facebook offers a free reverse directory solution. It works for mobile numbers and sometimes landline numbers.
The procedure is quite simple. To do so, follow these steps:
- First, open your web browser on your device.
- Then click on the icon three points to the right of the address bar.
- Choose New incognito tab.
- A new window appears. Go to the lost facebook account recovery page.
- In the Facebook search bar, enter the unknown phone number.
- Finally, press Starter ou Search.
As a result, the name, surname and photo of the person associated with the phone number should appear. For more details on this person, do not hesitate to consult his Facebook profile.
Limitations of number search on Facebook
Although Facebook serves as an excellent free reverse directory, it has a notable limitation: the user must voluntarily provide his telephone number. This is not always the case, and the information is not necessarily up to date. Indeed, since Facebook has been around for several years, it is possible that the person has changed their phone number.
We therefore recommend verifying the phone number given on Facebook by other means, such as by consulting another telephone directory.
Also, the number listed on Facebook can be a landline or a mobile, and not necessarily the one you are looking for. In this case, we advise you to try another free reverse directory, such as WhatsApp.
WhatsApp as a Reverse Directory
To identify the owner of a phone number using WhatsApp, follow these steps:
- Open the app Contacts on your phone.
- Click on Add. Enter a random name and the phone number in question.
- Then open the WhatsApp application.
- Refresh your WhatsApp contacts.
- As if by magic, the name and profile photo associated with the number will appear.
It is important to note that this method only works if the owner of the number also uses WhatsApp. However, given the growing popularity of the app, chances are you can identify the owner of the number.
This method can even help you get phone numbers that asked to be on. red list with their operator.
Pay attention to the validity of numbers on WhatsApp
While WhatsApp offers an effective way to act as a reverse phone book, caution should be exercised. The platform has certainly simplified the way we can circumvent the restrictions of telephone operators, but it is not without flaws.
Most of the time, you can trust the information displayed. However, it is important to note that the number that appears on your screen is not always reliable. Some services offer create virtual phone numbers for WhatsApp registration.
This is where caution is in order. The number displayed on WhatsApp may not correspond to the real number of the user.
As we previously advised for Facebook, we suggest that once you find a number on WhatsApp, you check its validity using other services, such as traditional phone books. This extra step can help ensure the accuracy of your searches.