Pamela Mullen2

Q: Location from phone number

I got a call the other day with a number I didn't recognize, but an area in the state came up. When I used a reverse directory the area that came up was not one associated with the area code. Does a phone broadcast where it is calling from if it is an unknown number?

iPhone 6, iOS 8.1.1

Posted on Aug 26, 2016 2:37 PM

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Q: Location from phone number

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  • by Carolyn Samit,

    Carolyn Samit Carolyn Samit Aug 26, 2016 2:42 PM in response to Pamela Mullen2
    Level 10 (120,969 points)
    Apple Music
    Aug 26, 2016 2:42 PM in response to Pamela Mullen2

    Contact your carrier for information regarding unknown numbers.

  • by Pamela Mullen2,

    Pamela Mullen2 Pamela Mullen2 Aug 26, 2016 3:07 PM in response to Carolyn Samit
    Level 2 (169 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 26, 2016 3:07 PM in response to Carolyn Samit

    I Don't think that would be helpful. I'm not asking what my phone carrier does since I didn't make the call, I received it. Are some phones capable of transmitting location information (I suppose I wanted to know if the iPhone did that, but as I said,  I received the call.?

  • by ChrisJ4203,

    ChrisJ4203 ChrisJ4203 Aug 26, 2016 3:12 PM in response to Pamela Mullen2
    Level 9 (57,375 points)
    iPhone
    Aug 26, 2016 3:12 PM in response to Pamela Mullen2

    Are you asking if you receive a call from someone unknown if your iPhone is transmitting your location? If that is what you are asking, then the answer is no.

  • by Roger Wilmut1,

    Roger Wilmut1 Roger Wilmut1 Aug 26, 2016 3:15 PM in response to Pamela Mullen2
    Level 9 (77,989 points)
    iTunes
    Aug 26, 2016 3:15 PM in response to Pamela Mullen2

    Mobile phones have numbers allocated by the service provider, where the first few digits will normally identify that provider. The number will be the same no matter where the phone is located. There is no way of detecting its location from a received call, nor can the caller detect where you are if you are using a mobile.

     

    Wired phones basically have numbers which identify the geographical area, but there can also be non-geographically specific numbers - though these are usually used in business, perhaps to provide free or cheaper calls. There might be other reasons why the number doesn't match the area it's supposed to be associated with, but basically all the information you can get is the caller's number.

  • by Pamela Mullen2,

    Pamela Mullen2 Pamela Mullen2 Aug 26, 2016 4:17 PM in response to Roger Wilmut1
    Level 2 (169 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 26, 2016 4:17 PM in response to Roger Wilmut1

    This is what the recent calls looked like. The red is an incoming call. If I get an incoming call from someone I know, their name shows up. Sometimes I get the words "Unknown", but I also have several unknown callers like the one below.

     

    phone.jpg

  • by Roger Wilmut1,

    Roger Wilmut1 Roger Wilmut1 Aug 26, 2016 11:35 PM in response to Pamela Mullen2
    Level 9 (77,989 points)
    iTunes
    Aug 26, 2016 11:35 PM in response to Pamela Mullen2

    Their name show up because it's in your Contacts and the phone recognizes the number and inserts the name from there. The caller does not transmit their name.

  • by Pamela Mullen2,

    Pamela Mullen2 Pamela Mullen2 Aug 27, 2016 7:14 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1
    Level 2 (169 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 27, 2016 7:14 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

    Cle Elum, WA is a location, not a name. I said in my reply that I know the name will show up if the caller is in my contacts. The number beginning 425 in the image I attached is not in my contacts and a LOCATION showed up in Washington state.

  • by ChrisJ4203,

    ChrisJ4203 ChrisJ4203 Aug 27, 2016 7:35 AM in response to Pamela Mullen2
    Level 9 (57,375 points)
    iPhone
    Aug 27, 2016 7:35 AM in response to Pamela Mullen2

    The location that you are seeing in your recent call list has to do with the information being sent by the Caller ID. Depending, as Roger indicated, where the number is assigned from, it can display the City, State area, but not a number if it is being blocked by the caller. Roger's explanation is accurate where specific prefixes are assigned to geographic areas, and can show that information in a call. Lately, at home I've been receiving robocalls which are showing coming from our local area code, when they are not. This is especially prevalent with VoIP calls, since they can put in most whatever they want in the identification area.

     

    I believe what is troubling you has to do with what a phone is doing as far as location is concerned. No, the phone is not transmitting its GPS location to the receiver when a call is made.