People change their phone numbers all the time. Most will try to keep their old number if they can, but that may not always be an option. If they lost their phone or switched to a new carrier, they could end up needing to switch their number. Or there’s the possibility that they wanted a new number for some reason – perhaps to get a fresh start or to have a local area code after moving.
If someone you know got a new phone number and forgot to tell you, there are ways to find a number that has been changed, including:
- Looking them up on social media
- Using search engines
- Finding them on a people search website
Here’s more information on how each method works.
Checking Social Media to Find Someone’s New Number
The simplest method on how to get someone’s new number if they changed it is to check their social media, specifically their Facebook. Many Facebook users list their phone number with their account, especially since Facebook is always asking you to provide a phone number for your profile.
To find a number this way, you’ll need to:
- Go to that person’s profile.
- Click About.
- Click Contact and Basic Info.
If the person has chosen to provide their phone number to Facebook and make it public, then it will be listed under the Contact Information heading.
There are a few potential complications with this method. There is the possibility that the person hasn’t put their phone number on Facebook, or that they have but it’s their old number because they haven’t updated it yet. And even if they have tied their phone number to their Facebook account, they may have kept it private.
Of course, once you’ve found them on Facebook or any other social media site, you can always just send them a message asking for their new number.
Using Search Engines
Search engines can be hit or miss for finding people’s phone numbers. People typically try to avoid sharing their phone numbers online, which means that you’ll often come up with nothing. Still, it’s worth a try, as you may get lucky and find what you’re looking for.
The most effective way to find a phone number by name using a search engine is to simply search for the person’s name combined with the words “phone number.” The person may have provided their phone number online at some point, perhaps in a social media post that’s open to the public.
If you have the person’s old phone number, another option is to search for their name combined with that phone number. This could pull up profiles on any sites they use or databases where they’re listed. When you find someone with their old number, you can sometimes also see their new number in the process.
Try using a few different search engines, as you could get different results. You don’t need to use every search engine ever created, but it’s smart to use multiple options and go a couple pages deep on each of them.
Entering Their Information into People Search Websites
A people search website will typically give you the most comprehensive information about the person you’re looking for. FreeBackgroundCheck.org is among the best options for both the quality of its information and because it’s available for a nominal fee.
There are a couple ways you could try finding someone’s new phone number using this site. You could search under the Name tab and enter the person’s first name, last name, city and state, or as much of that information as you have.
Another option would be to search under the Phone tab and enter their old phone number to do a reverse lookup on them. This may bring up more of their personal information, and you could even find new cell phone number with old one. Even if their new phone number isn’t listed there, the information you get on them could help you figure out where exactly they’re currently located and run a new search using their name and location.
Finding a New Phone Number Can Be Challenging
You’ll likely have more luck finding someone’s new phone number if it’s a landline than if it’s a cell phone number, because landlines are public records unless the person goes through steps to make their number private. With cell phone numbers, this isn’t the case.
Still, you can find a new cell phone number by going through the procedure above. Give social media, search engines and a people search site a try to see what you can pull up. If you don’t have any luck, the next step would be finding another way to contact them, such as a message on social media or an email.
