How To Trace And Find Out Who Owns A Textnow Number In 2021
Suppose you receive a spam message or call from someones TextNow number, and you want to know the identity of the person using it. How will you track and reveal the owner of the TextNow number?
According to TextNow support, the owner of a TextNow number cannot be tracked because TextNow does not disclose information about the identity of the person using the particular number.
But dont worry anymore, in this article, Ill show you three ways that you can use to trace and find out who owns a TextNow number.
Sounds good? Lets get started!
Dont Miss: How Do I Obtain My Police Record
Can Textnow Messages Be Recovered If Theyve Been Deleted From Your Phone
Lets say that youve had important text messages through an app like TextNow or Text+, but theyve been deleted from your phone. Is there anyway for these texts to be recovered?
It depends on your phone. If your phone is fully encrypted , then the data is likely unrecoverable.
If its not encrypted, the deleted data will still exist on your phones internal memory it just wont be visible to you.
This data can be overwritten by filling your phones storage completely full with new data. On Android, there are some tools that are able to assist with this.
However, even if the data has been overwritten on your phone to the point where it can never be recovered, the data may still exist on the apps servers.
Because this is a stored on their hardware, there is nothing you can do to delete it.
While GDPR and CCPA may give you more control over how your data is stored, these may not be sufficient to have the data removed if you are under investigation.
What Parents Need To Know About Texting Apps
ALAMANCE COUNTY, N.C The Alamance County Sheriffs office says two messaging apps called TextMe and TextNow is how a 16-year-old was able to send threatening messages to fellow students.
TextMe and Text Now are two similar apps. The apps let users send text messages and even make calls .But the receiver doesnt recognize who is contacting them, because the apps assign random phone numbers to the calls and texts.
But users cant remain anonymous during criminal investigations. Both apps allow police to access records.TextNow gives police access to the email address connected with the account, first and last name and IP address.
Popular messaging apps like Kik, Blendr or Whisper take things one step further. There is no phone number associated with them. These can and have been used to send threats and even nude pictures.
To be honest a lot of parents havent heard all the apps that the kids use because they jump from app to app and they are loading them up so quickly. You need to watch their behavior you need to get their phones sometimes and just go through it. a police officer said.
Experts say parents need to be on the lookout for disappearing messaging apps, which self-delete messages after they are sent. While most parents are aware of Snapchat, other similar apps include Kaboom, Telegram, Speakon, and Bleep.
In Other News
Recommended Reading: Do I Have To Pay For Police Academy
Read Also: How Much Is A Police Scanner
Can The Police Track A Texting Apps Message
In nutshell, the Police or any government agency can track a message sent by a second message app. This is because a virtual texting app is already linked to a Google or a Facebook account. Once the Police would know the related Google or Facebook account, they can easily know the registered phone number.
How Can I Find Out Who Sent Me A Text Message For Free
There are a few different ways to find out who sent you a text message for free. One way is to use the phones history function. You can look back at all the text messages that have been sent to your phone and see which ones originated from a text app number. Another method is to track down the person who sent the message. This is done by calling the text app number and asking them to send you a message again. If they dont answer, you can try calling them again at a later time or using some other methods to contact them.
Recommended Reading: What Training Do You Need To Be A Police Officer
Create Second Textnow Account
You may create a new TextNow account, get a new number, and text that person. You will have to form a relatable or convincing story that would be appealing to the other person.
Once you engage the other person with your appealing stories or build a good rapport with that person, it is likely that you might be able to find out the identity of that person.
Read Also: How To Train My Dog Like A Police Dog
Can I Get An Old Phone Number Back
You might be able to get back your old phone number. Changing phone numbers is inconvenient and, at times, unnecessary. Maintaining the same phone number while changing phone plans or carriers is entirely possible.The carrier maintains the number, however, and you can inquire about reinstating your old number.
You May Like: How Many Police Officers In Chicago
Can Texting App Numbers Be Traced
Lets say somebody was determined to figure out who you are, but youre using a free texting app. Is it possible for them to trace the number?
It depends. While the average person will not be able to trace a number from texting apps, it is still possible for law enforcement to figure out who is using it.
This is because the company behind the app likely keeps permanent logs of each numbers usage. Because apps like TextNow are sometimes used for unethical or even illegal purposes, the apps may be required to keep information about who was using each number.
Some of this information may include:
- The registered account information when signing up for the app.
- Logs related to usage of the number
- The IP and geolocation of the device when the app was used.
- The devices unique identifier .
- When the phone number was registered to your account.
Even if you sign up with a fake email and use a VPN every time you use the app, this may not protect you completely. Due to unique information tied to each device and the phones reliance on nearby cell towers, it is extremely difficult to remain completely anonymous while using a phone.
Review Of Your Harassment Evidence
The review process totally depends on where you live and the person working your case. States like Michigan are far behind in terms of Internet/cyber/virtual” crime. States like California are on top of their laws and continually adapt to the changing times. While it would be nice to be able to expect that your detective will do something promptly about your harassment, it may not be the reality.
Also Check: Where Can I Watch Fashion Police
Can Textfree Messages Be Traced
Yes! Any messages sent or received on TextFree are stored in the secure servers of TextFree, and when messages are received, they are stored in an encrypted file in order to block any attempts to access them without your Personal Access Key. The messages CAN be traced if the carrier is subpoenaed but will not read their contents without that key. You can always use a new email address for any messages you send or receive through TextFree that you dont want people accessing with ease.
Theres nothing wrong with giving your number out through Textfree it does also provide anonymity since all messages go through our servers which no one else has access to without your code.
Can You Find Out The Owner Of A Textnow Number Without Going Through Police
No. TextNow claims that they are unwilling to give out the identity of people behind phone numbers, due to privacy concerns.
This is a default policy for companies like TextNow, and is honestly for the best in most cases.
People use texting apps like TextNow for a wide variety of cases the overwhelming majority of them perfectly legitimate. It would be a huge breach of privacy for companies to freely give out information about their users to anyone that asks for it.
As mentioned earlier, TextNow may share data with law enforcement should they receive a court order to do so.
You May Like: What Happens If A Police Officer Hits Your Car
Smartphone Apps For Anonymous Texting
While anonymous text messaging apps were limited a few years ago, there are now a great deal of them in both the iOS App Store and Google Play Store. Since there is such a surplus of apps, Ive shortened down the list to a handful of my favorites below.
- Smiley Private Texting
With all of the apps above, youll be able to send and receive text messages from a phone number given to you, sometimes local but other times not. Youll either have to sign up with an email address or username and password, but its quick and painless and will get you anonymously texting in under a minute.
If you dont mind spending money, theres another cool app that gives you as many burner, or disposable, numbers as youd like to make phone calls and send text messages. Burner starts you off with a one-number free trial with 15 calls and 15 texts. Credits can be purchased for additional numbers.
Note that a lot of these service do not work with short code, so if youre signing up for a new website or service, you might not receive a text.
If there are any other apps that you use, whether on your computer or smartphone, let us know in the comment section below and well be sure to check them out! And if youre looking for more ways to stay anonymous in life? Weve got tons of helpful ideas.
Follow Gadget Hacks over on , , and for more tips.
Can You Trace A Phone Number From A Text Message
To find the cell phones carrier, one would have to do a reverse lookup in the international mobile subscriber directory .
Typically, youll need the persons total 10-digit phone number and SIM card serial number. For example, if someone texts you, they only give you six digits of their ten-digit cell phone number. If they text *******, the eight asterisks mean that they want you to use dots in place of alpha characters so that highlighting and copying all ten digits is possible because it doesnt matter what order any letters are next to each other when working with digital media.
You May Like: Can You Be A Police Officer Without A Degree
Poke Around Social Media
While many of us wouldnt dream of putting our numbers on social media for all to see, others arent so private. In my testing, most social networks arent great about letting you search by phone number Facebook, for example, returned no results for a phone number that was clearly visible on my friends profile, and a Facebook spokesperson told me this was the intended behavior. LinkedIn proved similarly fruitless. That means this wont be a good step when youre starting from scratch, but if you have a few ideas of who it might be, you can look up their profiles on social media to see if they have their number listed. If nothing else, it can help confirm your suspicions.
Dont forget messaging apps, either. If you use Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger or even Twitter, search your messages for the number in question once again, using multiple formats to see if maybe that person has messaged you their number in the past.
Text Message Harassment Evidence Submitted
One thing you need to realize is that what you have seen on television is not reality. No team of sexy female and ripped male detectives are going to ponder over your evidence in a sleek and stylish boardroom. Nobody is going to be drawing up poster board size charts of your evidence to share with their fellow law enforcement officers and nobody is going to rush to aid you and your family. The only exception to this is if youre a celebrity and/or your case is newsworthy. And even if you feel your case is worth of being on the news, it most likely won’t be unless it involves a celebrity, since the police are already overloaded with crimes of bigger importance . Sorry, the truth sucks sometimes.
After your evidence has been submitted it should go to a detective. Do not mistake a detective for a police officer, as they are two completely different roles. A police officer does not have the capabilities of a detective. A detective is a promotion from “officer.” A detective is able to overstep jurisdiction boundaries to inquire about information. So, with that being said, it really is important to take your case to a person who can truly investigate the case.
So lets say you did properly submit your evidence and it did go to a detective. You can now expect that they will review your text message harassment evidence.
Don’t Miss: Can I Sue The Police For Negligence
Track Down The Mystery Person Who Just Texted You
New phone, who dis?
-
Send any friend a story
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share.
Give this article
The rise of texting has birthed a new kind of awkward social interaction: the text with no name attached. Do you ask who it is, risking the shame of a friend realizing you didnt care to save their number? Or do you text back, pretending you know whats up, hoping theyll drop enough clues to give away their identity?
You could just ask them, of course. Most people wont be offended by a simple Sorry, but I must not have put your number in my phone Im such a scatterbrain! Who is this? But there are a few other ways you might be able to figure it out for yourself.
Note: If youre receiving harassing or threatening text messages, you can silence or block the offending number, which can offer a temporary reprieve while you speak to the police or a lawyer.
Is There An Untraceable Text App
Untraceable messaging apps are available, but none of which offer you a fake or disguised phone number.
Instead, they require the other person youre attempting to message to also own and use the same app. Typically, these applications use user IDs in place of phone numbers.
Some notable examples include:
- Wire
- Wickr
These services are designed specifically for security, and may not be able to hand over any data even if they wanted to because they dont collect or store any of it.
They are often used by people living under dangerous regimes, where the ability to communicate freely is difficult.
Recommended Reading: Can The Police Bug Your House Without You Knowing
How To Trace A Text App Number From Text Free
If you want to give it a try, then you can learn how to trace a text app number by using the same services. Since there are so many second text apps out there, you first need to identify the service they have used. If you can find it, then it would become easier to do text free number tracking.
To learn how to trace a number from a text app, you can follow this simple drill:
Step 1: Identify the second text app
Firstly, you need to identify the second text app that the other person has used. I have listed a few of the popular options above, but you can explore the range of the available apps out there on your own.
For instance, lets consider that they have used Text Free, which is one of the most popular second texting apps.
Step 2: Create your Account on the Text App
Once you have identified the app used to send the text message, you can create a new account. If it is the Text Free app, then you can just go to its web version and sign-up to create a new account by entering your email id and setting up a password.
To continue how to track a Text Free number, you need to link either your Google or your Facebook account to the application.
Lastly, the application will display a list of the supported virtual numbers. You can simply select any preferred number of your choice that would be linked to your Text Free account.
Step 3: Trace a Text App Number
Limitations
Can Police Trace Anonymous Text Messages
Can anonymous texts be traced? You cant. If the SMS is sent through a gateway located in a country with no data retention laws or the pc used to access this service used a VPN located in a country with no data retention law, neither a private citizen nor police can find out who sent the text message.
Dont Miss: Does Ring Security System Call Police
Recommended Reading: What Handcuffs Do Police Use
How Do I Permanently Delete My Textnow Account
There are a few ways to permanently delete your TextNow account. You can:
-Delete the account through the app itself.
-Delete the account on your computer by typing in this command: delete my text now password and pressing Enter.
-Delete the account by calling TextNow customer service and asking to delete the account.
-Delete the account by going to your settings and deleting the TextNow section.