# Tealook

> Tealook is an independent editorial site about reverse phone lookup: how the databases behind it are built, what free and paid services really deliver, and how to remove a number from people-search sites. Its small tool reads only the area code of a number (region, time zone, warning signs) and never identifies an owner, carrier or line type. It is not affiliated with any carrier, agency or people-search company and does not sell data.

Editorial site about identifying unknown phone callers and understanding US/NANP area codes. It does not sell personal data and does not claim to identify the owner of a number. Written by Nell Aldercott. Contact: hello@tealapi.com.

## Guides
- [How reverse phone lookup really works, and where the data comes from](https://tealapi.com/how-reverse-phone-lookup-works): Reverse phone lookup is mostly resold marketing and public-record data, matched to a number. Here is the pipeline, and why it is often stale.
- [Free vs paid reverse phone lookup: what you actually get for the money](https://tealapi.com/free-vs-paid-reverse-phone-lookup): Free lookups show a teaser and paid ones unlock a report built from the same broker data. What you get, what it costs and when it is worth it.
- [How to find out who a number belongs to using only free tools](https://tealapi.com/identify-a-phone-number-for-free): Seven no-cost ways to work out who rang you, from a plain web search to the caller's own website. Includes what each method cannot do.
- [How to remove your number from people-search sites](https://tealapi.com/remove-number-from-people-search-sites): A practical opt-out routine for people-search sites: find your listings, submit removal requests, handle repeat listings and keep them off.
- [Can you find the owner of a cell phone number? Limits, privacy and the law](https://tealapi.com/can-you-find-who-owns-a-cell-number): What you can and cannot learn about a cell number, why carriers will not tell you, and where lookup crosses into harassment or stalking.
- [What people-search sites do with your phone number, and what they are not allowed to do](https://tealapi.com/what-people-search-sites-do-with-your-number): People-search sites match your number to records and resell the result. What they do with it, what rules limit them and what rights you may have.
- [Reverse lookup for businesses: how to find the company behind a number](https://tealapi.com/find-the-company-behind-a-phone-number): Search the digits, check the company's own contact page, a business listing and your state registry. Why caller ID names mislead and how to verify safely.
- [Why free lookups show different names for the same number](https://tealapi.com/why-lookup-sites-show-different-names): One number, three names? Free lookup sites build separate files from different sources, and numbers change hands. How to judge which name to believe.
- [How to keep your own number off listing sites in the first place](https://tealapi.com/keep-your-number-off-listing-sites): Prevention beats cleanup: use a secondary number for forms, limit contact matching in apps and check optional fields. What helps and what does not.
- [Reading a lookup report: what to trust and what to double-check](https://tealapi.com/how-to-read-a-reverse-lookup-report): A lookup report is a list of leads. Which blocks to trust, which to check at the source and why record hints and relatives deserve extra care.

## Tools and data
- [Read a phone number](https://tealapi.com/read-a-phone-number): Type a US or Canadian number and see its area code region, time zone and warning signs. It does not reveal the owner, carrier or line type.
- [Area code directory](https://tealapi.com/area-code-directory): Browse every area code we track, grouped by state, with main cities and time zones. Handy when an unfamiliar code shows up on your screen.

## About
- [Reverse phone lookup, minus the sales pitch](https://tealapi.com/): What reverse phone lookup can and cannot tell you, where the data comes from, and how to get your own number out of people-search sites.
- [About Tealook](https://tealapi.com/about-tealook): Who runs Tealook, what the area code tool does and does not do, how we check facts and how to send us a correction.
- [Nell Aldercott](https://tealapi.com/editor/nell-aldercott): Meet Nell Aldercott, the editor of Tealook, and see every feature she has written about phone lookup, data brokers and opt-outs.
- [Write to us](https://tealapi.com/write-to-tealook): Send Tealook a correction, a privacy request or a story idea. We answer corrections first and keep your message for a limited time.
- [Privacy policy](https://tealapi.com/privacy-policy): What Tealook collects, what the web server logs, how long we keep it, and your rights under California privacy law.
- [Terms of use](https://tealapi.com/terms-of-use): The rules for using Tealook: information only, no stalking or harassment, no warranties, and a limit on our liability.
- [Disclaimer](https://tealapi.com/disclaimer): Tealook gives general information, not legal advice. We have no tie to carriers or agencies, and we do not sell or share personal data.