When your phone calls and the message “Unknown Caller” appears, it could be a little unnerving. The majority of us aren’t sure whether we should answer these calls or just let them go to voicemail.
After all, it’s impossible to tell who’s on the other end of a strange phone call—a telemarketer, a robocall, a coworker, a friend, or a family member.
We won’t tell you what to do when your phone says “Unknown Caller”; that decision is entirely up to you. However, we can explain what it means so you can at least relax a little bit.
How does the term “Unknown Caller” apply?
In contrast to “No Caller ID” and “Private Number,” “Unknown Caller” usually denotes exactly what it claims to: your phone is unable to identify the caller.
If your phone plan allows for caller ID, then it’s safe to assume that your telecom provider, whether it a mobile network operator or a more conventional landline, shares your ignorance. Simply put, the information about the caller is not supplied to your phone since it is not accessible.
Sadly, this can be due to a number of factors. A fault along the route or a problem with the network might be the only explanation. The caller ID data might sometimes be misplaced in the mail, much like a return address label.
The incompatibility of two or more telecommunications networks is the most common cause. If you get a call from a VoIP app, for instance, the caller ID could not be accurate or even show up at all. Sending caller ID is usually required of professional, business-grade VoIP providers, while many smaller ones don’t.
Not all international phone networks display caller ID in the manner that your carrier anticipates, so calls originating from outside North America may also be difficult. If a carrier thinks your caller ID is inaccurate, they may remove it instead of giving you a meaningless string of digits.
Would you be able to identify an Unknown Caller?
An unknown caller is usually difficult to recognize. This notice often indicates that the caller ID information is missing, and it’s impossible to locate something that doesn’t exist, as we said before.
Your carrier will still be able to determine the source of the call even if your phone does not display the caller ID. Telecom networks use an additional method called automatic number identification (ANI) to transfer originating numbers around, in addition to the caller ID information that is supposed to appear on your phone’s display.
End customers usually do not have access to ANI, since it is only utilized internally between networks for invoicing and tracking reasons. Caller ID isn’t always the same thing. In a company with several lines, for instance, the caller ID may be a general customer service number or the number that leads directly to an employee’s desk, but the ANI would be the precise line from which the call originated.
Although it is highly unlikely that your carrier will voluntarily provide you with this information, you have the option to involve the authorities in the event that you are subjected to severe harassment by an unknown number. The authorities will then be able to utilize their investigative and legal channels to request any information that your carrier may have.
One other thing you may do with your telecom provider is use a function called last call return to call back an unknown caller. You may usually redial the last call you received by dialing *69 on most North American landline operators, although this feature is seldom accessible on mobile phones.
Even if caller ID has been intentionally disabled, this should still be able to call the number back. When dealing with unknown callers, it’s worth taking a chance, but it’s not impossible. Remember that until someone returns your call, you won’t learn anything.
A plethora of applications boasting to reveal the identities of unknown callers can be found on both the Play Store and the App Store. Under these circumstances, none of them will be useful in locating the number of a “Unknown Caller.” Unfortunately, they won’t be able to access that data unless they get into your carrier’s network, which is against the law.
Rather, when you get calls from unfamiliar numbers on your caller ID, the majority of trustworthy applications that promise to identify them discuss the possibility of connecting identities to those numbers. Reverse number searches and internet databases make some of those applications function rather effectively. But looking up those figures on Google will usually give you a hint or two.
Finally, by pre-setting programs like TrapCall to intercept unexpected callers, you may find out who is calling you. In situations when caller ID is unavailable, these providers are able to decipher the ANI by routing the denied call via their own phone networks. Although they may be useful when someone is bothering you, the monthly membership price and other privacy concerns make them unsuitable for satisfying simple curiosity. When dealing with banned calls (“No Caller ID” or “Private Number”), TrapCall performs well. However, when dealing with unknown callers (“Unknown Caller”), it may not always be able to gather any information about the caller.
