What Is A VoIP Caller?

If your phone rings and the caller ID displays the phrase “VoIP caller,” you may be wondering whether or not you should pick up. The phrase indicates that the incoming call is coming from a VoIP phone, although it won’t tell you exactly who’s calling and whether it’s a legitimate call or not.

In this guide, we’ll answer the question, “What is a VoIP caller?” and explain how VoIP calls work. We’ll also offer tips on how to identify VoIP phone numbers and decide whether it’s safe to pick up.

What Is a VoIP Caller?

“VoIP caller” is the caller ID that your phone might show when an incoming call is coming from a VoIP phone. It indicates that the caller is using a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) device, which places calls over the internet rather than using traditional landlines or cellular towers.

If your phone displays “VoIP caller,” it also means that no individual’s name is associated with the phone number that’s calling you. This is because VoIP phone carriers don’t require users to provide ID to get a phone number.

In contrast, landline providers and most cellular providers do require ID to get a phone number. So your caller ID typically displays the name of the person who is calling when you receive a call from a landline or cellular number.

How Do VoIP Calls Work?

VoIP calls work by transmitting audio data over an internet connection rather than over landline or cellular networks. This means any device with an internet connection, a microphone, and a speaker can be used to make VoIP calls—including VoIP-enabled desk phones, smartphones, and even computers.

VoIP phones can be used to make calls to or receive calls from landline or cellular devices. VoIP calls might have slightly worse audio quality compared to landline calls, but the difference is minimal.

An important thing to know about VoIP phone numbers is that they’re not assigned to a single location, like a home or office building, as traditional landline phone numbers are. So anyone in the world can get a VoIP phone number for anywhere else in the world.

For example, a business in the US could get a VoIP phone number with a London dialling code. When the company places a call with that number, it will look to the recipient like it’s coming from somewhere in London—even though the caller is located in the US.

Read more about how to set up a VoIP system in our guide.

Can You Identify VoIP Callers?

“VoIP caller” is the default display name—what your phone’s caller ID will show—for most VoIP phones.

However, VoIP users can easily change their phone’s display name within their VoIP software’s settings. If your caller ID displays the name of a person or business, there’s no way to know whether that call is coming from a VoIP phone number by looking at the caller ID alone.

One of the best ways to identify whether a call is coming from a VoIP phone is to check what phone carrier hosts the incoming phone number. You can do this for free using tools like FreeCarrierLookup or Messente. If the carrier isn’t a landline provider (e.g. BT, Plusnet, and TalkTalk) or a cellular provider (e.g. Vodafone, EE, O2, or Three), it’s likely the caller is using a VoIP phone number.

You can also use a reverse phone lookup service like SpyDialer or WhoCalledMe. These services collect data on all landline and cellular phone numbers currently in use. If they don’t have a record for a phone number, that’s a sign that it’s likely a VoIP number.

Is It Safe To Answer VoIP Calls?

When answering VoIP calls, it’s impossible to know for sure who’s calling. VoIP users can assign any display name they want to their number, including fake names or names of other people. It’s now common for spam callers to spoof the name of a real person or business to trick people into picking up the phone.

As a result, you should always be cautious when answering the phone, especially if you know that a call is coming from a VoIP number. The person on the other end of the line could be using a fake display name to get you to give up sensitive information about your business or reveal a password.

That said, many legitimate businesses use VoIP phone numbers. They’re cheaper than traditional landline numbers and offer more flexibility. VoIP use is set to become even more widespread as the UK prepares to shut off its landline phone network at the end of 2025.

All in all, while VoIP calls can be completely safe, they can also be malicious. So always be sceptical when picking up a VoIP call and be sure to verify a caller’s identity before providing sensitive information.