How did it know my full name....!!

[V8 Stang]

I was giving my mobile phone number to a new college this afternoon, and was both completely baffled, after typing my number into his Samsung phone and then calling mine (iphone), it then came up with my full name on his phone!!

He 100% did not have my number before hand, and it was my proper full name, everyone call's me a shortered version.

So how did it know my name??

[illmonkey]

Paired your name to your number on an email signature?

[V8 Stang]

illmonkey said:

Paired your name to your number on an email signature?

No, have never emailed him, nor have his email address.

[carlove]

Have you had you COVID jab? Or a 5G mast nearby?

I’m actually curious by this myself, I did have it once but it was iPhone to iPhone so didn’t think much to it.

My serious suggestion, are you friends on Facebook or similar? If you both have a number attached it can save to contacts, I’ve got contacts in my phone that have imported from Facebook.

[gmasterfunk]

Samsung account.

[Carbon Sasquatch]

In Contacts - the top of the screen should be My Card - what does it say ?

I'm never quite sure what is shared between iPhones......

[SlimJim16v]

Was it one you'd studied at?

[LeadFarmer]

Clearly you are being stalked. Run.

[littlebasher]

Doesn't WhatsApp do that, merge with the phone contacts etc

[The_Jackal]

Dont quote me, but isnt there a database of everyone who takes out a phone contract, that is available to any commercial company that pays for it?
A bit like parking companies having access to the DVLA database.

[randlemarcus]

The_Jackal said:

Dont quote me, but isnt there a database of everyone who takes out a phone contract, that is available to any commercial company that pays for it?
A bit like parking companies having access to the DVLA database.

Oops.

[Griffgrog]

It's Samsung Smartcall. It knows a lot of numbers.

[Prak]

Griffgrog said:

It's Samsung Smartcall. It knows a lot of numbers.

So ... every phone call you get (or maybe just unknown ones?) get sent to some Samsung service to be looked up and resolved to a name? Can you opt out of that? Can the people who are calling you?

[paulrockliffe]

Prak said:

Griffgrog said:

It's Samsung Smartcall. It knows a lot of numbers.

So ... every phone call you get (or maybe just unknown ones?) get sent to some Samsung service to be looked up and resolved to a name? Can you opt out of that? Can the people who are calling you?

Yes, that's what happens. Not sure who can opt out of what. The reality for many people though is if you're calling them either they already know your name, or they don't answer calls from unknown numbers, so having a proper name come through with the number means the person might actually answer.

It's funny when it works the other way, I've had a few times when I've rung a number from Gumtree and it's given me the person's name as I'm calling it which is a useful scam check.

[Prak]

paulrockliffe said:

Prak said:

Griffgrog said:

It's Samsung Smartcall. It knows a lot of numbers.

So ... every phone call you get (or maybe just unknown ones?) get sent to some Samsung service to be looked up and resolved to a name? Can you opt out of that? Can the people who are calling you?

Yes, that's what happens. Not sure who can opt out of what. The reality for many people though is if you're calling them either they already know your name, or they don't answer calls from unknown numbers, so having a proper name come through with the number means the person might actually answer.

It's funny when it works the other way, I've had a few times when I've rung a number from Gumtree and it's given me the person's name as I'm calling it which is a useful scam check.

And in return Samsung and/or god knows who else get to build a database of who is calling whom, and when. Stuff that used to require a warrant.