If you live in the US or Canada, chances are you’ve received a text message or a phone call from a texting app. These applications work via the internet and allow users to send messages to or call other individuals anonymously. Tracing these calls to find out who the number belongs to can be a challenge, but it’s not impossible. 

In this guide, we show you how these apps work, and how you can find out who’s anonymously calling or texting you. 

What Are Second Text Apps? 

Second text apps are extremely popular, and if you run a quick search on the App Store or Play Store, you’ll find a bunch of them available for you to download. Some of the most popular second text apps include – 

• TextFree
• Text Now
• Pulse SMS
• Text Plus
• Zangi, and more. 

Most of these apps work in the same way. They allow you to create an account and then assign you a second virtual number which is typically a number from another country. This number allows users to anonymously text other people without their identities or original phone numbers being put on display. 

Can You Trace a Text App Number? 

Tracing a text app number can be complicated. The nature of these apps allows users to anonymously message or call other people using a virtual number, which isn’t the same as their original phone number. These databases are also dynamic, making it tricky to track users. 

Further, if users delete their accounts, it can become next to impossible to track them, as you can’t even reach out to the app’s customer support team to get information. 

How to Know if a Number is From a Texting App

The best way to check if a number is from a texting app like TextFree is to check the caller ID. Chances are, the number will be listed as a text number or a calling number, and with this, you’ll know if this is from a texting app. 

How to Trace a Text App Number From TextFree

As mentioned earlier, TextFree is one of the most popular texting apps available on the two main app stores. The first step to identifying who’s texting you, however, is to find out which second text app they’re using. In this case, we’re taking TextFree as an example. 

Step 1 – Identify which second text app the user is using. In this case, let’s take TextFree, as mentioned above. 

Step 2 – Create an account on the TextFree website. Open the website and tap Sign up, or download the app and create an account on it. 

Step 3 – You’ll be asked to link your Google or Facebook account to create a TextFree account. Choose one based on your preference. 

Step 4 – You will be shown a list of supported text free numbers. Choose one number and then tap the purple arrow below the list to move to the next step. 

Step 5 – Once your account is created, you can go to your inbox to see which number you’ve received a text message from. You will be able to see the virtual number assigned to the individual. 

Step 6 – Now, as we’ve mentioned earlier, this isn’t the user’s original mobile number, so you can’t trace it back to them. However, you can use this number to reach out to TextFree’s customer support team if you want to find out who the user is, especially if you’re being harassed. 

Alternatively, you can also choose to block the user if you don’t want to receive any messages from them. 

If reaching out to customer support doesn’t help, check out our detailed guide on how to trace a TextFree number to check out the different methods you can try. 

How to Trace Someone’s Phone Calls and Text Messages Remotely 

If you know that your child or partner is using TextFree or any such second text app to speak to someone, and you want to track their messages, you’ll have to make use of a spy app to do so. While you could hire a private investigator or try and access their phones when they’re left unattended, these methods can either be expensive or risky. A spy app can thus be a good alternative. 

One of the best apps you can use for this is Eyezy. This is one of the most feature-packed spy apps available in the market today and works on both Android and iOS devices. It also remains completely undetectable on the device it’s installed on, so the user will never know they’re being monitored. 

Here’s how you can use this app – 

Step 1 – Create an account on the Eyezy website and pay for a subscription of your choice. 

Step 2 – Install the app on the target device. For an Android device, access the target device and install the app by following all the steps mentioned in the welcome email. For an iOS device, you just have to enter the user’s iCloud credentials and the app will remotely sync with the device. 

Step 3 – Once the app is installed and the data has been uploaded to the dashboard, you can start monitoring their device to see who they speak to on a second text app. 

The app’s screen recorder will show you screenshots of the second text app, so you can read the whole conversation without missing out on any details. 

Can a TextFree Number Be Traced? 

No, you can’t trace a TextFree number on the app itself, unless the sender identifies themselves. You might have to rely on a reverse phone lookup, tracking their IP address, checking their TextFree signature, or getting some more information from them to search for them on social media. 

Can TextFree Be Traced By Police? 

Yes, the police can trace a TextFree number if they have a proper warrant to do so.

Wrapping Up 

As you can see, there are various ways with which you can trace a text app number. While these apps are usually used to communicate anonymously, you can still try and use the data available to find out who is texting or calling you.

While you can use reverse lookup tools or trace their IP address, these methods don’t always yield the best results. Using a phone monitoring app like Eyezy, on the other hand, can also be a great solution, especially when you know that your partner is using a second text app. At TheTeenSafe, we thoroughly test these apps, and Eyezy has proven to be highly effective in monitoring texting apps.