It used to be that everyone had a standard phone in their home and locating a number or address simply required opening the white pages and finding the name. Things have grown more difficult now that cell phones are widely used and many people do not even have landlines, and if they do their number may be unlisted.

Even with the invention of caller ID on most home phones, many numbers may appear without an identifying name and there are ways for callers to stop their details from showing up. Reverse phone lookup services have stepped up to these changing times to provide a very useful service to modern phone users.

There are two common uses for these services.

Searching for Names

If you are getting calls from someone and only a number shows on your caller ID, or you need to identify cell phone callers, reverse phone lookup directories can assist in finding the name registered to the number in question. Just by entering the number you will have access to whoever is initiating those calls of concern.

People looking for such services include those who need to check up on a number frequently calling their spouse or teenager's cell phone, since there is no public directory for cell phone numbers. Other people may use this when they need to know a name connected to a landline that is unpublished. If you have a phone number but aren't sure who it is connected to, a reverse phone lookup website can assist you.

Locating Addresses

another common use is to identify an address for someone, whether you know the name of the person or not. Once you plug into the contact information connected with a particular phone number most directories will give other sorts of data as well, which may include the address of the home phone or the address listed to a cell phone number.

This may not be a typical need for some people, but it does have its benefits in some situations. For instance, consider a parent desperate to locate a teenager who has run off or is still out long after curfew. If they can come up with numbers from the teenager's belongings or cell phone a reverse phone lookup could quickly tell them addresses and names of locations the teenager may be located.

Other circumstances may be looking for addresses to send out party invitations to your child's friends. If you have their phone number you can find their address and get the invite in the mail without calling and tracking down other busy parents.

Lookup websites can also give you access to other kinds of data, including income brackets and previous addresses, and one site even gives a map with an estimated pinpoint to the business or home's location.

There will be a small charge for any relevant reverse phone lookup service, but if your business or personal life requires particular information it is worth the money in the end. The fee is required because this sort of information is not simple or free to research, collect, and protect, so dispensing it on demand to others such as you must also collect a charge to make up for such serviceable costs.

There likely will never be a phone book for cell phone numbers, and even if there were it is probable many of the numbers would be unlisted as is the case with many home phone numbers today. The best way to get access to these numbers is to put up a minor charge either to do a one time number lookup or to join a lookup directory if you will be using the service on a regular basis.