Call a Private Number for Free With *69
Following the 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, and to activate it, dial *69 (in the U.S.) on a landline or cellphone before another call comes in. After you dial, if a person answers, ask who is speaking. 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 the call is received.
Check Phone Provider Logs
Your telephone service provider keeps a log of your incoming and outgoing calls. To access this list, sign in to your account and enter your account password. 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 located under the billing and usage menu, for a match with the date and time.
Look up the Number With Reverse Number Lookup
If you’re able to find the number, use a reverse phone lookup. Type the number in Google or the public Yellow Pages to learn if the number belongs to a cellphone or a landline, and to find the location where the phone is registered.
Use a Service to Unblock Private Numbers
You can pay a service such as TrapCall to unblock a private number. TrapCall is 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 provide the caller’s address, and it offers a blocklist option to block future calls.
Activate Call Tracing to Unblock Callers
Some telephone providers offer a call-tracing service to put an end to 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.
