Caller ID has been around for a surprisingly long time — the initial patents date back to 1971, with commercial use starting in 1984 — and for most of us, it would feel strange to pick up a call without knowing who’s on the other end (or at least, what their number is).
Nowadays, almost any incoming call is going to have caller ID on by default, but that doesn’t stop some from popping up as “Unknown Caller” or “No Caller ID.” If you keep getting these calls and want to get to the bottom of who’s behind them, here’s what you need to know.
Using *69 To Identify the Last Incoming Call
The first thing you’ll need to pay attention to is what your phone said when the call came through. If a call comes through to your phone with no name or number, you’re first (and easiest) option is going to be using *69, which triggers the return last call feature.
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How to use *69:
You’ll simply want to dial *69 on your phone and press call.
By dialing *69, some telephone systems will prompt an automated response that reads you the number of your last incoming call and then offers you the option of calling back. Note that other carriers, however, will simply connect you directly to the number that phoned you last. This may be a deterrent for some people, as you risk automatically being put on a call with someone you likely don’t know. An additional downside to using *69 is that it only works for the last incoming call, so it’s ineffective if you’ve received another call at some point after the “No Caller ID.”
Using *57 To Trace Calls
If you’ve been receiving harassing or threatening phone calls, or scam calls that are specifically targeting you, the *57 service code provides another way to find out who called you. Note this feature is known as call trace, and is often pay-per-use, meaning that your service provider will charge you a certain amount upon use. Running a *57 trace can cost anywhere from $1 to $10, and is generally only charged if the call trace is successful, though that can vary depending on your provider.
How to use *57:
To use the service, dial *57 right after you receive the call and press call. Follow the phone company’s voice-prompt instructions and wait to see if the trace was successful (a recorded message will let you know). It won’t always work, but it’s worth a try if you’re being harassed.
Note that by dialing *57, you won’t be directly given any information; rather, your service provider will keep a record of who called and release the information to law enforcement should you contact your local authorities to follow up on the call. Again, this feature isn’t free, and is best used when you are being harassed, threatened, or in some way targeted, rather than just out of curiosity’s sake.
Enable Call Identification (and Blocking)
Caller ID is pretty much a default setting with modern cell phones. But if every call you receive (minus the ones from your contacts) appears to be a mystery, it’s worth double-checking that you have certain caller ID features enabled, as well as some call blocking features.
How to Enable Call Identification on iPhone:
- Open your settings
- Select “Apps”
- Find the “Phone” app on the list and select it
- Scroll down and select “Call Blocking & Identification”
- Turn “Business Call Identification” to “On”
- Bonus: You can also reduce annoying spam calls by enabling “Silence Junk Callers” in the same menu
Note that you can also enable “Silence Unknown Callers” from the same menu after step 3, but it isn’t advisable since it might block completely legitimate calls, nor will it help you find out who keeps calling.
How to Enable Call Identification on Android:
- Open the Phone app
- Select “More options” (it might also just appear as three vertical dots)
- Select “Settings”
- Select “Caller ID and Spam”
- Turn “See caller ID & spam” to “On”
- Bonus: On some phones, you can also limit spam calls by enabling “Filter spam calls” in the same menu (certain phones will have this as part of an automatic Call Screen feature, so don’t worry if you don’t see it).
Contact Your Service Provider
If no built-in phone features seem to be helping, and *57 isn’t returning any successful traces, a last resort could be to contact your service provider directly. It’s not a guarantee they can help, but in the case of severe spam or harassing calls, working with your service provider might help shed some light on who’s on the other end of the line — or at the very least, an identifiable phone number.
Using Spokeo To Identify Your Caller
If you’re able to get your hands on an actual phone number, you’re likely one step away from finding out who’s calling by using a search tool like Spokeo. Simply go to Spokeo’s reverse phone lookup tool, enter the number, and see what information is available for your caller. It will usually return the name of the registered user of that number, along with the geographic location and the name of the telephone service provider where the call originated.
Depending on the individual caller, you may also see a physical address, one or more email addresses associated with the phone number, and even social media or dating-site usernames associated with the number. Armed with that information, you can do further Spokeo searches using the caller’s name, physical address, or email address.
Obviously, you won’t need to do that if you recognize the number (“Oh, it’s my cousin Phil!”). But it’s tremendously useful if you’re being harassed or believe you’ve been approached by a scammer.
Something to be aware of is that it’s possible for criminals to spoof the incoming phone number to make it appear that the call is coming from a legitimate or familiar source. If that’s the case, searching the number will turn up its legitimate owner, but — and this is important — Spokeo’s Phone Reputation Score, which shows on phone number searches, will also tell you if that number’s been the subject of complaints lately (if you’re a victim of this, check out this guide). If it has, that can be a sign that scammers have been spoofing it.
No Caller ID? No Problem
Once you’ve tracked down the number behind a “No Caller ID” or “Unknown Caller” and put it into a search tool like Spokeo, the mystery of who’s behind a call should be solved. And remember, Spokeo’s people search tool works for more than just unknown phone numbers — you can look up the vaguely familiar person who just followed you on Instagram, find out who’s living on your street, or even use it to reconnect with friends, teachers, or long-lost family members!
