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This wikiHow teaches you how to prevent someone whom you're calling from seeing your phone number. You can do this on virtually any phone using a code prefix before dialing the other person's number. If you just want to call using a different number than your own, consider using Google Voice instead of blocking your number.
Steps
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Open the Settings app . The settings app has an icon that resembles two silver gears. Tap the icon on your home screen to open the Settings menu.
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Tap Phone . It's next to a green icon that resembles an old phone. It's in the Settings menu on your iPhone. [1] X Research sourceAdvertisement
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Tap the toggle switch next to "Show My Caller ID". It's the only option in the menu. If the toggle switch next to "Show My Caller ID" is to the left and grey, your Caller ID will not appear when you make phone calls from your iPhone. [3] X Research source
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Open the Phone app. The Phone app typically has an icon that resembles an old phone. Tap the app you use to place calls on your Android phone.
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Tap ⋮ , ☰ , or More . It's the icon in the upper-right corner. This opens the Menu. Depending on the model of your Android smartphone, this may be an icon with three dots, three lines, or a button that says "More".
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Tap Settings . It's at the bottom of the menu. This opens the phone menu.
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Scroll down and tap More Settings , Additional Settings , or Supplementary Services . It's near the bottom of the Settings menu. Depending on the model of your Android phone, this may read "More Settings" or "Additional Settings". On Samsung Galaxy phones, it's under "Supplementary Service."
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Tap Show Caller ID . It's at the top of the More Settings menu. Depending on your Android phone model, this may read as "Show Caller ID" or "Show My Caller ID." [4] X Research source
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Tap Hide Number . It's the second option in the "Show Caller ID" menu. This hides your number when you place calls from your Android phone. [5] X Research source
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Determine your phone's block code. You can use one of the following block codes to hide your phone number behind a "Private" or "Unknown" heading: [6] X Research source
- *67 - Most North American mobile phones; Canada landlines.
- #31# - AT&T North American phones; Canada mobile phones; Most European & South American phones.
- 1167 - Most North American rotary phones.
- 141 - UK phones.
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Dial the block code. Enter the code that correlates with your phone, symbols included.
- Depending on your phone, you may have to tap the Dial or Keypad tab before you can dial.
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Enter the phone number. Type in the number of the person whom you want to call. Make sure that you include the country code/long-distance code if necessary.
- The final result should look something like this: *67 (123) 456-7890
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Press the "Call" button. Doing so will call the number as usual. Unless the other person has installed an app that unmasks incoming private calls, they will not be able to see your phone number.
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Open the phone app . The phone app on both Android an iPhones usually has an icon with an old phone. Tap the icon on your home screen to open the Phone app.
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Dial 611 and press the call button. This is the number used to contact customer service for most major mobile service providers.
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Follow the menu options to talk to a customer service representative . The menu options for customer service is going to be different from one mobile service provider to another. Follow the instructions to talk to a customer service representative. You may be able to just say "Talk to a customer service representative."
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Ask the customer service representative to make your number private. This is an option that most mobile service providers offer. A customer service representative should be able to make your number permanently private. All major carriers offer this option.
- Most carrier do not charge to make your phone number private, though a few may charge a fee to make your number private.
- If you want to temporarily allow your caller ID information to appear when placing calls, dial "*82" before dialing a number when placing a call. [7] X Research source
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Set up Google Voice . Google Voice is a free app that allows you to place calls using a different number from your standard mobile number. Before you use Google Voice, you need to download it from the App Store or Google Play Store . When you place your first call using the Google Voice app, you will be asked to search for and select a number to use. Follow the on-screen instructions to select a number to use with Google Voice.
- Google Voice numbers are not listed publicly. However, if you have posted your Google phone number online or give it out to other people, it may still be traceable back to you. Use the following steps to hide your Google Voice number when making calls.
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Open the Google Voice app. The Google Voice app has a dark-green icon that resembles a phone. Tap the icon on your home screen or apps menu to open Google Voice. [8] X Research source
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Tap ☰ . It's the icon in the upper-left corner of Google Voice. This displays the Settings menu. [9] X Research source
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Tap Settings . It's next to an icon that resembles a gear. It's near the bottom of the Google Voice menu. [10] X Research source
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Tap the toggle switch next to "Anonymous Caller ID". It's below the "Calls" header in the Settings menu. If the toggle switch is to the right, Anonymous Caller ID is turned on. You can use Google Voice to call from a different number and keep it a secret. [11] X Research source
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Community Q&A
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QuestionIf I block my number from displaying when making a call, can someone trace the call back to my phone anyway?Community AnswerNo, unless you call emergency services (but most don't allow the caller ID to be blocked).
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QuestionI bought a prepaid phone under my Verizon plan, but my name is also on a family plan for Verizon. Can that plan access my private prepaid phone?Community AnswerProbably not. Most phone companies have their prepaid services separate from their postpaid (month to month) services. But I would recommend contacting Verizon to make sure.
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QuestionWhy does anonymous show sometimes as restricted?Community AnswerThis sometimes happens because the person who is receiving the call has a whitelist - this means that only certain people have permission to call this person.
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Tips
- If you have Caller ID blocking enabled for your service and don't want to enter the unblocking prefix each time you call someone you know, add the unblocking prefix to each of the numbers in your contact list. The prefix will be dialed automatically when you select the person to call.Thanks
- You can also text anonymously by using Google Voice.Thanks
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Warnings
- If the person whom you're calling has an app that unmasks your private phone number, they'll be able to see your real phone number.Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://www.idownloadblog.com/2017/10/16/how-to-hide-your-caller-id-when-making-a-phone-call-on-iphone/
- ↑ https://www.idownloadblog.com/2017/10/16/how-to-hide-your-caller-id-when-making-a-phone-call-on-iphone/
- ↑ https://ktar.com/story/3253306/5-ways-to-block-or-hide-your-number-when-making-calls/
- ↑ https://www.techbout.com/hide-caller-id-on-android-phone-12735/
- ↑ https://www.techbout.com/hide-caller-id-on-android-phone-12735/
- ↑ https://ktar.com/story/3253306/5-ways-to-block-or-hide-your-number-when-making-calls/
- ↑ https://www.alphr.com/make-phone-number-private/
- ↑ https://support.google.com/voice/answer/9259883?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid
- ↑ https://support.google.com/voice/answer/9259883?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid
About This Article
Article Summary
X
1. Dial 611 on your mobile phone to contact customer service.
2. Follow the menu options to talk to a customer service representative.
3. Ask the customer service representative to make your mobile number private.
For more tips, like how to use Google Voice to stay anonymous over the phone, read on!
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Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 8,219,842 times.
Reader Success Stories
- "The information provided me with the correct assistance I needed to stop numerous individuals from constantly harassing or disturbing me with their unnecessary calls. Without prior notification, most individuals or companies will typically answer calls, which permitted me to correctly identify the source of the unwanted and annoying calls, thus allowing me to successfully block most of these individuals from any additional disturbances. Thank you for your support. " ..." more
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"The information provided me with the correct assistance I needed to stop numerous individuals from constantly harassing or disturbing me with their unnecessary calls. Without prior notification, most individuals or companies will typically answer calls, which permitted me to correctly identify the source of the unwanted and annoying calls, thus allowing me to successfully block most of these individuals from any additional disturbances. Thank you for your support. "
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"I learned how to block my number step by step, which is important to me considering I'm not phone knowledgeable. Following each step made it easier for me."
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"I like the simple explanations and illustrations, especially for someone who is not very tech savvy."
"It is very helpful for me. I tried to block my caller ID; I just use #31#. Thanks, wikiHow."
"This is so cool! I called a friend, and they didn't even know it was me. "
