More than a decade ago, making a landline call is the most convenient way to talk to someone far away. Since landline numbers were listed in a public directory along with the owner’s name and address, people back then didn’t have much problem looking for ways on how to find someone by their phone number.

However, things have completely changed. Cell phones have replaced most landlines. Although they are more convenient to use, cell phone numbers are not properly registered in a public directory. This makes the whole process of looking for someone through his/her number complicated. Fortunately, you can still identify unknown numbers with some few tricks on the Internet.

• Reverse cell number lookup sites – These sites can provide you with the name and address you need by simply giving them the unknown cell phone number. You can get search results in as fast as a few minutes. However, these sites don’t always have the information you are looking for. Not all cell numbers are registered on their database.

Another thing with these sites is that most of them require you to pay for their services. Some trusted sites may return your money once your search yields no result but many won’t do this. Giving them your money is sometimes a gamble so always ask yourself first if this task is really important to you.

• Google – Sometimes, people list their number on the Internet. You can easily look it up yourself using search engines like Google. It is the easiest way on how to find someone by their phone number. Doing this won’t cost you any money but the chances of you finding out who owns that number is very low. This is also a great way to avoid embarrassing yourself or getting bullied. Insensitive people may give you a false number to trick you. You may think that you have the number of a pretty girl when in fact it is actually the number of your local radio station or some other person.

You may have your own reason on why you are looking for ways on how to find someone by their phone number but you should remember not to abuse this. Do not stalk people or invade their homes with the information you will get from this. You should respect that most people want privacy in their lives. Only do this if you simply want to know who is calling or texting you or if it is an important matter.