Making private calls by hiding your phone number when calling can be useful for avoiding calls back and preventing your phone number from being saved. You can keep your number hidden either by using a landline, mobile or using features on a smartphone. See Step 1 below to find out how.
Step
Step 1. Pick up the phone
If using a cell phone, open the dialer. Wait for the dial tone if using a landline.
Step 2. Enter the block code
The block code will block the transmission of caller ID information during a call. This code must be entered before each time you make a private call. The code works for both landline and landline calls.
-
US/Canada - Dial the number
*67
- . Almost every operator supports the *67 number, although some operators may charge a small fee to use it. Contact your carrier's customer service for details on how much to use this feature.
-
English - Dial the number
141
- . Almost every operator supports the number 141, although some operators may charge a small fee to use it. Contact your carrier's customer service for details on how much to use this feature.
Step 3. Dial the destination phone number
Include the country code and area code if calling long distance. Your call will be like a normal call, but the caller ID on the recipient's phone/phone will show as "Unknown", "Blocked" or "Private".
Step 4. Set up a permanent block
You can configure the phone line to always be marked as a private number. For that, you have to contact the operator and set up the line you want to block.
-
You will not be able to connect if the recipient uses the Anonymous Call Rejection feature, unless you dial the number
*82
(US) or
1470
(English) before dialing a phone number. This will temporarily turn off your Private status.
Step 5. Turn off Caller ID transmitter on iPhone
If you are using an iPhone, you can do this in the Settings menu. Open the Settings app from the Home screen.
- Tap Settings → Phone → Switch "Show My Caller ID" to OFF.
- This feature is not available on all services. For example, Verizon iPhones don't have this option.
Step 6. Use Google Voice
Google Voice allows you to forward all calls through an anonymous phone number. You can use this feature to hide your real phone number from everyone, except those you allow. Please find a guide on how to set it up on Wikihow.
