How to Call a Blocked Number: What You Need to Know

Cindy Ellis - October 26, 2022

Blocked numbers have been around for decades and continue to be a problem. The issue with blocked numbers is that people will call you and you won’t know who they are. With spam calls and scam calls on the rise, it becomes important to call back these blocked numbers.

Scam calls and blocked numbers have become such a problem that people are doing surveys. One such survey, from Ben Treanor, questioned over 1,000 people and found that people get more than three scam calls and at least one scam text message per day.

The good news is that you don’t have to be powerless when it comes to blocked numbers. There are several methods to unblock the number, reveal the number, and call it back.

What Is a Blocked Number?

Blocked numbers can be one of two things. Primarily, blocked numbers are numbers that you have blocked from calling you. When people call you from a blocked number, it goes straight to voice mail and your phone won’t even ring. On the other hand, blocked numbers may also refer to someone who’s intentionally hiding their caller ID. People whose number you blocked may also call you from other numbers.

Can Blocked Numbers Call You?

Blocked numbers can call you, but it doesn’t work the same as a regular number calling you. When you block someone’s number, you’ll no longer get their calls. Therefore, your phone won’t ring, and you won’t get any messages. For the caller, the phone call will go straight to voice mail.

Blocked numbers may also call you from a different device. When you block someone’s number, you don’t always block all of their numbers. For example, if someone has a home phone or a different cell phone, they can still call you from that. It’s best to use a people search tool to block all of the numbers associated with someone.

How Do You Unblock a Number?

The best way to call a blocked number is to unblock the contact. Depending on whether you’re using Android or IOS (Apple), the steps will vary. Android users can open their settings and select “blocked numbers.” From there, you can click on the number to unblock it. The steps are similar for IOS and also involve unblocking the caller from the settings tab.

The process for blocking numbers and unblocking numbers on a landline is a bit different. On landlines, simply dial *60 after the phone call. Once you enter those digits, your phone provider will give you instructions to block the number. When unblocking numbers on a landline, you need to dial *82. From there, your provider will walk you through the steps to unblock someone’s number.

Are Blocked Numbers and Private Numbers the Same Thing?

No, blocked numbers and private numbers are not the same things. Private numbers have their identity hidden, but they haven’t been blocked by the people they’re calling. On the other hand, blocked numbers are blocked because people manually block the number. Both types of numbers can be prevented from calling you.

How to Call a Blocked Number

There are several methods to help you call a blocked number. That said, some methods work better than others. The method that works best for your situation also depends on what the blocked number is. For example, your game plan will change if you need to call back many numbers or if the person who called was blocked manually.

We’ll take you through the best methods to call back a blocked number below.

Unblock the Caller

When someone with a blocked number calls you, it will go straight to voice mail. When this occurs, you won’t have the opportunity to call them back. However, you can unblock them to call them back. It’s often the simplest way to call back a number that you manually blocked. Unfortunately, many callers who use blocked numbers will simply call you from another device.

In these situations, it’s best to run the phone number through Information.com’s reverse phone lookup tool. Doing so will reveal their full name, address, and other phone numbers associated with them. You can use this information to prevent the caller from reaching you again.

Callers from both mobile phones and landlines can be blocked or unblocked. With mobile phones, people can be unblocked from a phone’s settings tab, whereas landlines require dialing specific combinations, like *82, to unblock callers. Once you have someone’s number unblocked, you can call the person back.

Use a Public Record Database Tool

The best way to call back a blocked number is to use a public records database tool. These tools, like Information.com, allow you to search through thousands of public records to find information. Depending on the caller, you can find everything you need to know by searching for their phone number.

To perform a reverse phone number lookup with Information.com, begin by entering the number into the search bar. Then, click the “search” button. Once the search is complete select the most accurate result and open the full report. The full report will show you everything you need to know about a phone number.

Some things that are included in the full report include:

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Criminal records
• Court records
• Traffic violations
• Addresses
• Phone numbers
• Alternate addresses and second homes
• Dating profiles
• Social media accounts
• Sex offender status
• Driving records
• Email addresses

Depending on the person this is only some of the information you’ll find when you run a people search. We recommend Information.com because it has the best user interface, access to the most public records, and it’s quick and easy to use.

Public records databases will also give you the most accurate information. These databases collect data from across the country, so you don’t have to worry about manually making dozens of searches. Using these tools also keeps you anonymous, so you don’t have to worry about people knowing about your searches.

Dial the Call Return Code

Call return codes will also help you call back a blocked number. A call return code is useful because it calls the number back for you right after they call. So, if someone calls you from a hidden or blocked number, you can dial *69 to call them back (in the United States).

Depending on the caller and the type of phone you’re on, the call-back service will tell you the number. Once you learn about the person’s number you can enter their information into Information.com’s reverse phone lookup tool to learn more.

Call return codes are also specific to the country you live in. Therefore, it’s important to know your country’s call-back code. We list the common codes below:

• United States: *69 and *82
• Canada: *69
• France: 3131
• Australia: 1832 and *69
• Israel: *42
• Japan: 1361
• United Kingdom: 1471
• Philippines: *999
• Ireland: 142

Some countries don’t have callback codes or numbers in place, so it’s important to check your country’s information. After calling the return code, you can follow the instructions to call someone back. You can also block numbers with other dial-back combinations on a landline or even a mobile phone.

Google Searches

Google is another useful tool you can use to call someone back. A Google search will reveal more information about a phone number when you enter it. For companies that call you constantly, even when you block one of their numbers, Google searches are helpful.

With a successful search of the company, you can find all of the phone numbers associated with that company. Not only can you call the company back, but you can block all of their numbers. Going this route can help you come up with a permanent solution to the problem.

Google searches will also help you find someone you blocked. Sometimes when you block someone’s number, you’ll no longer see their phone number. If you know their name, you can run a Google search or people search on them to find their phone number.

Call Any Blocked Number Today!

Calling a blocked number may resolve issues with blocked numbers calling you. For example, if a scammer finds out that you know their identity there’s a good chance they won’t be calling again. While there are several ways to call any blocked number, it’s always best to reveal the digits and use a reverse phone lookup tool like Information.com.

Information.com will help you learn more about the caller, so you can decide on a method for dealing with the problem. Some blocked numbers may be stolen, so this doesn’t always work. That said, you won’t know until you try!