Many people may feel anxious when receiving a text message or call from an unknown number, but experts have revealed several ways to trace the caller and uncover their identity. Liz Perez, popular on TikTok, recently shared a video detailing what to do when you receive a call from an unknown number.
**How to Proceed:** If you receive a text message from an unknown number, mobile payment apps like Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, or PayPal can help you assign a name to that number. All you need to do is copy and paste the number into your chosen payment app to reveal the identity of the mysterious sender. However, this only works if you already have an account with one of these apps, and the sender must also use their real name and number in the app.
**What if you don’t want your name and phone number easily accessible?** Make sure to disable the setting that allows the payment app to share your name and phone number with others.
If you have an iPhone, you can automatically block numbers not in your contact list using the "Silence Unknown Callers" feature. Calls from unknown numbers in your contacts will still go to voicemail and appear in your recent calls list, but your phone will not ring for them. To enable this feature, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings, then Phone.
- Scroll down to "Silence Unknown Callers." Toggle the switch to the right to enable the feature.
If you have a Samsung Galaxy phone:
- Open the Phone app and tap the More icon (three vertical dots) at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap Settings, then Block numbers.
- Turn on the switch to block unknown calls.
For other phones, look for your phone model name and "block calls" to find the necessary steps if needed.
Google Voice provides you with a free phone number that you can use for local and international calls, texting, and voicemail. Here are the steps to do so:
- Download the app for iOS or Android, or visit voice.google.com/u/0/signup to get it for your computer.
- Sign in to your Google account.
- Review the terms and proceed to the next step.
- Choose a phone number from the list. You can search by area or city code.
- Verify the number and enter a phone number to link it to your Google Voice account.
- You will receive a six-digit code to input for the next step.
