We earn a commission from brands listed on this site. This influences the order and manner in which these listings are presented.
Advertising Disclosure
Last Updated: Apr 2024

Best Reverse Phone Search Services of 2024
Reveal unknown callers in seconds

Reverse phone lookup allows you to quickly find out who's calling you. Expose unidentified numbers, telemarketers, and scammers in a matter of seconds.

Our Top 3 Reverse Phone Lookup Services
We Recommend
Intelius
Intelius
exceptional
9.9
Enjoy unlimited searches
Search Now
BeenVerified
BeenVerified
excellent
9.3
Ran 32+ million reverse phone searches
Search Now
Spokeo
Spokeo
excellent
9.1
Scans billions of records
Search Now
You can discover someone's age, income, and criminal records using a reverse phone search.

46,468 people

visited a background check site for phone lookups this month

social-proof
Oops, something went wrong.
Looks like this page needs a second chance.Please try again later.

Note: Some or all background search services featured on this site are not subject to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 USC 1681 et seq., ("FCRA") In order to make decisions about consumer credit, employment, insurance, tenant screening, or any other purpose that would require FCRA compliance, make sure you choose the appropriate service for you. Be advised that only consumer reporting agencies may provide consumer reports. This is applicable, but not limited to, a background search, credit background check, criminal background check, and/or driving record.

We find the 10 best options, so you can make informed decisions on tons of products and services.

Finding the Best Reverse Phone Lookup of 2024

Discovering a missed call on your phone from an unknown number can be a frustrating experience. While you’ll naturally be curious about the caller’s identity, you could also worry that it may be someone you don’t want to speak to or a sales call you’d rather avoid. As a result, you may be reluctant to return the call and could miss out on speaking to someone who had a legitimate reason to contact you.

With a reverse phone lookup, you can discover the mystery caller’s identity within seconds by putting the number into an app and then seeing the details of its registered owner. But with many apps providing different levels of detail on the person you’re looking up, choosing the right solution isn’t always easy. 

To help you find the best reverse phone lookup service for your needs, we’ve reviewed and compared some of the top options on the market.

What are reverse phone lookup apps?

Reverse phone lookup apps allow you to search phone number details and see information about the organization or individual who owns the number.

Some people use these apps if they have missed a call from an unknown number and would like to check who the person or company is before calling back. Alternatively, you may use one of these apps if you receive a phone bill that includes calls to a number you don’t recognize. 

As a general rule of thumb, it is typically easier and less expensive to find information about landlines than cell numbers, although it is still possible to find details about the latter.

Depending on the service you choose, you can normally access reverse phone lookups either through a web browser or mobile app.

Note that even an accurate phone number lookup service may be of little use if you’re having difficulty with nuisance or spam calls from automated numbers. These callers often use techniques known as spoofing to disguise their identity. This involves the spammer manipulating the caller ID to give the impression the call is originating from a local or safe number.

How to choose the right reverse phone lookup app for your needs

When you’re searching for the best reverse phone lookup app, try to find a service that gets its information from public records. You can then feel reassured that the company hasn’t engaged in any underhand, or possibly illegal, activity to obtain its information.

If you’re not particularly tech-savvy, look for a service that offers a simple and user-friendly interface, as many of the most intuitive apps work in much the same way as traditional internet search engines. All you’ll need to do is type in the number and then you’ll see all the information held about it.

If you already have an idea about the geographical origin of the call, consider an app that will allow you to target your lookups to a particular state or country. Alternatively, you may want to choose a tool that enables you to customize the kind of data you receive. For example, you could request details about an individual’s social media presence or employment status.

As with any service, you should also check the level of customer support available when choosing an app. As well as offering help centers and FAQs, some of the best reverse phone number lookup services provide phone, live chat, or email support.

Also, consider looking for a provider that offers all the software integrations you need, which is especially important in a business setting. Some apps have integrations that allow you to simultaneously search hundreds of numbers, while others will work alongside your customer relationship management software.

When it comes to cost, this typically depends on the level of detail you require about the number you’re searching. Although there are several free services available, these may not provide all the details you need and your reports could be limited to basic details such as an individual's name or approximate location.

How do reverse phone lookup apps work? 

When you use a reverse phone lookup app, you can either receive a single report for a one-off fee or, if you frequently receive calls from unknown numbers, you can sign up for a monthly subscription to the service. 

With a subscription-based service, companies will often bundle your phone number finder app together with other people and background check services. As a result, some of the more detailed paid reports include information such as: 

  • Photos
  • Addresses
  • Levels of education
  • Social media profiles
  • Other associated numbers
  • Links to any messenger apps
  • Criminal record details

Some apps also allow you to listen to the outgoing message on the answering service of the number you’re searching.

Several providers carry deals and special offers when you take out a plan, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for any discounts that will keep costs down. For instance, some services offer discounts if you’re looking up a high volume of numbers, while others offer new customers a certain number of lookups for free or a quota of free lookups per month.

FAQs 

What are the benefits of using reverse phone lookup apps?

Searching a phone number on a reverse lookup app can enable you to find the details of a person who has been contacting you, before you return the call. Likewise, these services also allow you to check that a person or a company contacting you is really who they claim to be.

Are reverse phone lookup apps safe and reliable?

The reliability of the data you receive will depend on the provider you choose. Furthermore, you are more likely to receive an accurate phone number lookup with a paid service. In terms of your own data, the best phone lookup services will also have vigorous privacy policies for their customers.

Can people see if they’ve been searched for with a reverse phone lookup app?

No, the person you have looked up will never know that you have checked their details. Likewise, the best reverse phone search apps should also ensure your search history isn’t visible to other users.

Our Top 3 Picks

    1
    Intelius
    Intelligent background checking Visit Site
    • Best for - A variety of pricing options and trial periods
    • Pricing - From $24.86/month
    • Reports Offered - People searches, reverse phone lookup, criminal records searches
    Intelligent background checking
    Visit Site

    Intelius has a variety of search term options and pricing plans, which makes it a perfect fit if you know exactly what kind of information you're looking for. While many other background check providers require a flat monthly fee for all services, Intelius allows users to choose a monthly plan specific to the type of search they're most interested in.


    For example, someone using the service to look up details about homes in their neighborhood could choose Intelius's unlimited reverse address lookup plan. With it, they can find property history, ownership information, property tax details, property value, and contact information. 


    In contrast, someone interested in conducting background checks could choose the site's unlimited people search plan. For the price of the plan, they get criminal history, social media, address history, photos, relatives and associates, lawsuits and civil judgments, traffic violations, and financial history.


    These search options, including the criminal records search, public records search, and people search, are all available directly from the site's homepage. But because the pricing structure varies according to search type, knowing how much you'll need to pay for a particular service can become confusing. 


    Why we chose Intelius: Intelius regularly updates its search engine to ensure it consistently delivers quick, confidential, and accurate results. It is one of the most thorough background check services available and has access to over 20 billion public records. 


    Our experience: We were impressed by the various types of unlimited searches and different pricing plan options offered by Intelius. But we encountered several "special offers" during the pre-billing process, which made it difficult to determine each service's monthly cost. For example, the unlimited address search plan was initially advertised as $29 a month but was later reduced to a special price of $4.99 during checkout.

    Read Intelius Review

    PROS

    Provides multiple search options
    Offers various trial periods
    Has access to 20 billion public records

    CONS

    Confusing pricing structure
    Subscription cancellation can be lengthy
    intelius logo
    Intelius
    Visit Site
    2
    BeenVerified
    Billions of phone data points scoured instantly Visit Site
    • Best for - Reverse phone searches
    • Pricing - From $26.89/month
    • Reports Offered - Phone search, people lookup, criminal records
    Billions of phone data points scoured instantly

    BeenVerified's web search is extensive and delivers results within minutes. It scours billions of records from public data sources and the deep web, turning up a wealth of information like address history, phone numbers, education and employment history, and criminal history.


    While most background check services require consumers to enter search terms like a name, phone number, or address, BeenVerified includes an additional social media search option (which looks at more than 120 social media networks). This allows customers who only have a person's username to run a background check.


    This is especially helpful for anyone conducting business transactions via social media who wants to avoid falling victim to scams, which, according to the Federal Trade Commission , are rising. In 2021, more than 95,000 people reported losing nearly $770 million to social media fraud—up from $258 million in 2020.


    Why we chose BeenVerified: BeenVerified offers affordable access to public record information with seven different search options for a single monthly subscription fee. It also has a satisfaction guarantee, which promises users one-on-one assistance or a refund if they're unhappy with the results.


    Our experience: We like that BeenVerified lets users monitor any changes on previously run reports. But while this service provides mostly accurate results, our report did contain a few addresses, emails, and academic institutions that weren't associated with the subject of our search.


    Read BeenVerified Review

    PROS

    Provides seven search options in one
    Offers a seven-day trial period for $1
    Searches billions of records

    CONS

    Reports per month are capped at 100 
    Search results are not always completely accurate
    beenverified logo
    BeenVerified
    3
    Spokeo
    Billions of records that enable you to search an...Visit Site
    • Best for - Speed and flexibility
    • Pricing - From $19.95
    Billions of records that enable you to search anyone

    Spokeo isn’t just fast and affordable; it’s also flexible. The service has a total of 6 types of tailored search you can run. Depending on what you’re looking for, you can either get the broad strokes on your subject’s background or hone in on specific information such as court judgements and arrest records.

    Read Spokeo Review

    PROS

    Search by social media network username
    Real time searches
    Low monthly subscription fee

    CONS

    Limited searches per month
    Some search options difficult to locate

46,468 people

visited a background check site for phone lookups this month

social-proof
Editorial ReviewsRead all reviews
Editorially researched
Unbiased information
Highlights, pros & cons
Intelius
Intelius
Intelius
Read Review
BeenVerified
BeenVerified
BeenVerified
Read Review
Spokeo
Spokeo
Spokeo
Read Review
Read all reviews