Tips and Techniques: Dial Back Incoming Private Calls

What to Know

• Dial*69 to call back the private number. Or try*57 or**#57** to trace the call.
• You can also check your phone provider logs. If you find the private number, run it through a number lookup service.
• The TrapCall app can unblock private numbers.

This article describes how to call a private number using five different methods.

Call a Private Number for Free With *69

Following an FCC mandate to allow private calling, telephone companies created a service called Last Call Return that automatically calls the last number that called your phone, whether or not the call was private.

The service is free for many, but not all, providers. To activate it, dial*69 (in the U.S.) on a landline or cellphone. This only works for the most recent call, so be sure to dial this before another call comes in.

The drawbacks of this approach depend on the phone service provider. For example, some providers supply a computer-generated voice that tells you the number along with the option to place a call. Other telephone providers call back the private number and don’t provide you with the number.

In addition, *69 doesn’t work with all phones, and some carriers limit the time window to activate the service to 30 minutes after you receive the call.

How to Hide Your Number With *67

Using *69 could make your problem worse. Some blocked calls are automated callers who want to confirm if your number is active. They intend to sell your number to other scammers, and by calling back, you are letting the system know it reached an active line.

Check Your Provider’s Logs for Private Numbers

Your telephone service provider should keep a log of your incoming and outgoing calls. To access this list, sign in to your account and look for a menu option under your line that indicates call history.

Sometimes the numbers of private callers are listed here, unmasked. To find the number, check the phone log on your phone to find the time the blocked call came in. Then, look online at the call log, sometimes under the billing and usage menu, for a match with the date and time.

The length of time call records are kept varies with each phone carrier. Typically, these records are held for one to seven years and can be used in criminal investigations.

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Find Out Who’s Calling From a Private Number With Reverse Number Lookup

If you see the number on your phone but it doesn’t have a name associated with it, you might not want to call the private number back until you know who it is. For this, use a reverse phone lookup tool likeWhitepages to get more information. Or, type the number into Google to see if it belongs to an established business or if there is a public record with the owner’s name attached.

5 Best Ways to Find a Cell Phone Number Online

You may need to pay to get a full report of who owns the private number, but it might be refundable if the service can’t provide any helpful information.

Use a Service to Unblock Private Numbers

Another way to call a private number is to pay for a service such asTrapCall . It’s a tool that unmasks private and blocked callers. It can provide the phone number and the name the phone is registered to. It can also reveal the caller’s address and offers a blocklist option toblock future calls .

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Activate Call Tracing to Unblock Callers

Some telephone providers offer a call-tracing service to end unwanted calls that are harassing, obscene, unlawful, or threatening. In most cases, to activate this service, press*57 or**#57** . Some phone providers offer this service for free, while others require a small monthly fee.

Call tracing may not be available on mobile devices.

FAQ

• How can I make my number private?
  If you have an iPhone, turn off caller ID fromSettings >Phone >Show My Caller ID . On Android, make your number private fromSettings ; search forCaller ID and enableHide number . To hide your number on a case-by-case basis on a smartphone or landline,mask your number using *67 .
• How do I block private numbers?
  Block private numbers on an iPhone by turning onDo Not Disturb or using theSilence Unknown Callers feature by going toSettings >Phone >Silence Unknown Callers . If you use a landline, use * 77 . You can alsoblock numbers on Samsung smartphones orblock unknown callers on Android and iOS.

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