“EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY, everywhere on the planet, dozens of companies — largely unregulated, little scrutinized — are logging the movements of tens of millions of people with mobile phones and storing the information in gigantic data files.”
Stuart A. Thompson and Charlie Warzel, The New York Times, Dec. 19, 2019
The first line from The Privacy Project sounds a bit frightening and scary for some, it also has several benefits, such as locating a missing person or dangerous criminal. Parents, for example, will often install apps on their children's phones in order to know their location throughout the day.
Whatever the reason might be for needing to know the location of someone, looking up the phone’s CNAM is one of the most effective and commonly used methods.
What Does CNAM Mean?
CNAM stands for Caller Name and is a feature used by telephone networks in the United States in order to provide an accurate name and identity of the calling party. Whenever you see the name and number of a phone call pop up on your Caller ID, it’s using CNAM technology in order to provide this information.
Although Caller ID will typically only display the ten-digit phone number of the caller, CNAM can include as many as 15 characters that are associated with the number. This information can include the name of the person who owns the number and the city and state they reside in.
How Does CNAM Work?
Throughout the country, there are various carrier databases that the telecom service providers use in order to store CNAM information. Whenever a carrier receives a call and information appears on their screen, they are performing what’s called a “CNAM Dip.”
This dip will search for the name that is associated with the number making the call and send the information along with the call. However, there has been software developed that can be used in order to block CNAM and hide the name and number from being displayed.
So if the phone number is using a CNAM blocker, then the call won’t be identified, and you won’t be able to learn any more information about its origins. This is an especially common tactic for robocalls and spammers. You might not be able to learn who is making these calls, but they can be blocked by using certain apps and software.
How Can CNAM Find The Location Of A Phone?
Unless intentionally blocked, telecommunications providers store relevant information relating to a phone number in their database. These private databases are maintained and updated with information as phone accounts and numbers are constantly opened, closed, and changed.
The phone number is registered in the database, so too is the GPS data and sim cards. This is how using CNAM can help to identify the current location of the phone. Another benefit of CNAM is that it assigns spam scores to phone numbers.
If a number is labeled as “spam,” then the information will pop up on the display screen whenever a call is made from that number.
What Are Other Ways To Find A Phone’s Location?
Using a CNAM lookup tool lets you discover the information related to a telephone number as long as you have the ten-digit phone number.
The location of the caller should be included along with the rest of the information mentioned above. While this can be an effective way to learn the physical location of a phone, there are quite a few other ways that can work as well.
Use Whitepages
Whitepages is a website that is also available as an app. By entering the phone number in the search box, the software will search and provide any relevant information relating to it. This might include the name, age, address, relatives, scam rating, and even the person’s criminal record associated with the number.
While this option will provide a ton of valuable information, it won’t be able to divulge the exact current location of a number.
Find My Device Apps
Whether you have an Android or an iPhone, there are apps available that can help you find your phone’s location. The app is called “Find my Device” for Android users and is available to download from the Google Play Store.
The app is “Find my iPhone” for iPhone users and should already be installed on your phone. All you would need to do is enable the option through iCloud. Both of these apps can tell you the exact current location of the phone and the various activities being performed on it.
If the phone is lost or stolen, the app will lock the device and will not allow anyone to access it. The information could even be erased remotely if you would like.
Social Media
Most social media apps have a search box on their site or app. By entering the phone number into the search box, it can relay the accounts that are linked to the person owning that number. You would then be able to search their account and see their recent updates and activities.
This will only work if the person has a public account or is currently a friend or follower of yours. You might be able to discover someone’s real-time location if they have recently posted something, but you won’t be able to tell otherwise.
The IMEI Number
IMEI stands for International Mobile Station Equipment Identity, and every cell phone has one. The IMEI number is a unique 15 digit number that will provide various information about the manufacturing of the device.
In order to find the IMEI of the phone, you can either go into your phone settings and select the “about” tap or dial *#06#. Once you know the IMEI number of a device, several apps and trackers are available that can pinpoint its exact location.
Spy Tracking Apps
There are quite a few options out there for spy tracking apps, but just about all of them will require the app to be downloaded onto the phone. Spyera, PanSpy, and Spyic are a few of the more popular choices.
Once you have obtained an app license and bought a service from a website, you would download the app onto the phone that you wish to track. The software uses GPS to track the phone’s direct location, but it can use mobile data or Wi-Fi if GPS isn’t enabled.
Along with the location, these apps can also track various information such as call logs, texts, and keyword alerts.
The Takeaway
Trying to determine the location of a phone can be a little bit difficult, but it’s far from impossible. The best ways are by using various software or apps that cell phone towers and GPS services can triangulate.
However, if you are attempting to find the location of a phone that you do not have access to, you will probably need to look up their CNAM information. If the CNAM information is purposefully blocked, you won’t find the phone’s location or the caller’s identity.
These CNAM blockers are a popular method used by spam callers and robocalls but can be blocked. However, spammers quickly find ways around being blocked. Apps like Firewall give you total control over who is allowed to ring through. These apps ensure you know who’s calling and why by allowing you to create a caller whitelist. Click the link now and visit Firewall for more information on easily blocking robocalls and spam calls.