A2P Calling: Everything You Need to Know

Has a robot-like voice ever greeted you on a phone call? Or perhaps you continue to get automated text messages from a company you signed up with years ago? If so, you’re dealing with application-to-person (A2P) calls.

While these calls tend to sound like scams or spam calls, sometimes there are real-world uses for them, especially when companies don’t have enough money to hire thousands of employees. That said, these calls can get annoying, so knowing what to expect and how to stop them is useful. Let’s explore what A2P Calling means for you.

What Is A2P Calling?

A2P calling or computer programs now make calls to reach people and customers. On one end of the call, you have an automated voice that will play when someone answers the phone, or if that person calls into a company call center. This also applies to texting as well, which has become popular now.

Also, it doesn’t matter if the person on the other line has a mobile phone, landline, or voice-over-internet protocol (VOIP). For this reason, A2P calling is perfect for calling dozens, hundreds, or even millions of people at once. This is what makes it popular.

How Does A2P Calling Work?

A2P calling is usually done through a VOIP service. For A2P calling to work, a recording has to be recorded before calls are made. Then, the company or individual can make calls using that automated recording. These calls can be made to thousands of users at one time, so it can save a company time and money.

From there, if someone picks up the phone or clicks an option on the dial pad, it will prompt someone in the call center to speak with the user. Ultimately, it’s a way to see if you can get someone on the phone before you do so.

Who Uses A2P Calling?

Anyone can use A2P calling. That said, A2P calling is often used by businesses that don’t have the manpower to make a lot of phone calls. These businesses can use these calls to reach thousands of potential customers without even picking up the phone.

Unfortunately, this is also appealing technology, not scammers. They’ll use A2P to sound professional and to try and trick users to open their wallets or share private information. For this reason, it’s important to know who’s on the other line of an A2P call before you interact with it.

How to Identify A2P Calls

The biggest issue that A2P calls create is an abundance of robocalls and no way to know who’s on the other line unless you dig deeper. While it’s easy to take a caller at their word, some A2P calls aren’t what they claim to be.  Even some reputable companies may stretch the truth to get you to stay on the line and open your wallet.

Fortunately, tools like UnMask’s reverse phone lookup can help you identify A2P callers. All you have to do is enter the phone number into the search tool to learn more about the caller. When you enter the phone number a comprehensive full report will be made in a matter of minutes, which will provide you with the following information:

• First and last name
• Associated company
• Location of the phone number
• Additional contact information
• Address
• Email address
• Public records

Ultimately, a good reverse phone lookup tool like the one offered by UnMask will help you learn everything you need to know about an A2P caller. This also works for A2P SMS as well.

Be Prepared for A2P Calls Today

A2P calls won’t go away, so we must be prepared for them. While they may be annoying to deal with, these calls aren’t going anywhere because businesses, scammers, and spammers use them to reach millions of people without picking up the phone.

That said, you don’t have to be defenseless against A2P calling tactics. When using tools like UnMask, you can identify an A2P caller or even an A2P user through a text message service. This will help you make an informed decision about whether to engage with the caller or block them for good.