AT&T is the second largest cell phone network in the United States. It is said that they have over 128 million subscribers.
That’s impressive.
If you think about it, they have access to the personal information of millions of people, including cell phone numbers. The question is: do they give out any of this information to the public? Is there an AT&T cell phone numbers directory?
Those are great questions, especially given the fact that finding the owner of a cell phone number can be tricky (AT&T could provide a useful cell phone service that would help a lot of people on their information search).
We’ve all been there before; there’s a number that pops up on your caller ID, and you’re wondering who the heck is calling you. AT&T could solve your problem if that number belongs to one of their customers.
In 2016, it estimated that people lost $9.5 billion dollars to scam callers. It’s sufficient to say that it’s time for us to stop picking up the phone when unfamiliar numbers call and start looking up who is calling us before giving them a callback.
Pro Tip: Read our guide on Whose Number is Calling Me?
There are a plethora of other reasons why one would not want to answer a phone call.
That being said, does AT&T share their list of cell phone numbers and other personal information with the public? Does AT&T have a cell phone directory?
In terms of cell phone numbers, they do not. They don’t have a directory for landline numbers, either.
Do You Miss The Paper Phone Book? Read Our History Lesson On How The Phone Book Evolved Into A Digital Phone Directory
Is there an AT&T Cell Phone Number Directory?
All AT&T cell numbers are not available on their website. For landline numbers. AT&T suggests going to Whitepages or Yellowpages and looking up the number. Either way, you can’t lookup cell phone, landline, or unlisted numbers on their website.
But whyyyyyyy…???
Do you blame the multi-billion dollar company? They know what their customers want!
I understand that it’s tough when AT&T has so much information that they are keeping all to themselves. AT&T has a long history of not allowing anyone to access their private cell phone directory of numbers and other personal information, so they more than likely will never change their policy.
Understand this; most people don’t want strangers poking around at their personal information. Or perhaps they need to keep their information private for a good reason.
Maybe you think in the world of the digital age everything should be open to the public. Some people would agree with you. However, AT&T is a successful company that understands what their place is in the world of cell phone providers. Not providing these numbers to the public is an example of not only risk management but also customer satisfaction.
Check Out The Answer To This Question: Is There A Verizon Cell Phone Number Directory?
If AT&T provided their internal database of cell phone numbers for anyone to access, they would lose some of their customers and possibly face a major backlash. You can see why they choose not to share this data.
What If You Really Need To Find Out Who Is Calling You?
Although there is a good reason to keep cell phone numbers private, there are also good reasons not to. If you are getting a number that is harassing you, or perhaps you are being targeted and might be in danger; it might be a good idea to perform a cell phone lookup.
If a number keeps calling you, of course, you can just block it, but what if you want to know who it is (who knows who this person is or what they are up to). Another point; what if they call you from a new number every time you block them?
This can be a tricky situation if you feel like you're being taken advantage of or in danger (or even just annoyed). Here’s what you can do to try to lookup that number.
Trick #1- Type The Number In Google
When looking up a phone number, the first place you can go to is Google. Once you have accessed Google’s search bar, type the whole number in (including the area code).
Read our guide on how to use google to lookup a phone number
If it is a spam caller, other people may have reported the number, and you should see the available information on the results if they have. You can click the results that pulled up if you think that they will have value.
If the phone number is associated with a business, that business should pop up in the search results. Since the number appears on Google attached to a business, I’d say it’s safe to call them (but do so at your own risk).
If it is a personal AT&T cell phone number, it will more than likely not pop up on Google, but you might as well look at some of the results just in case.
Trick #2- Type The Number In Facebook’s Search Bar
If a number is associated with a user’s Facebook profile, their profile will pop up after typing in the said number.
Additionally, if a person has shared the number you are looking up in a Facebook post, that Facebook post can pop up if you search the number. This could lead to finding out more about the number (such as who owns it).
For example, you have more than likely seen these posts before:
Hey guys, lost all of my contact information! Please text me with your number. 777-777-7777.
Sorry if that is your number (lucky you)! Regardless of why they shared the number, you might be able to see this information as long as you have a Facebook profile. Be careful if you find the person associated with the number.
If you’re thinking of messaging them on Facebook, think long and hard before doing so. It’s definitely a risk.
Trick #3- Our Free Daily Happy Hour
To avoid wasting time, you can try our daily Happy Hour where you can search a reverse phone number for free. All you need is an account with us (which is also free).
Learn More About Our Free Happy Hour!
What If You Can’t Find Information On The Number?
I have a simple solution to that. Don’t call it (sorry for being so straightforward). If the caller really needs to get ahold of you, they will leave a voice message.
Important Tip: It is crucial that you don’t let your voice box get full as I have in the past and I’ve missed some great opportunities and important messages. It may be easier to weed out spam callers if your voicemail box isn’t full.
Keep in mind that if someone is serious about getting ahold of you, they will leave a message.
Also, keep in mind that spam callers will use any way possible to con you. Calling back could be how they get you into a serious web of trouble. DON’T CALL BACK UNLESS YOU HAVE VERIFIED THAT THE NUMBER IS A SAFE NUMBER!
Ok, got it? Good.
Keep these tips in mind when you are looking up a AT&T cell phone number. Safe searching is incredibly important in an age where people find any way to rip you off or worse, put you in a dangerous situation.