What to Know
- Enter *67 before dialing a number to hide your number from the recipient of the call.
- Android: Tap Phone > menu > Settings > Calls > Additional Settings > Caller ID > Hide number.
- iPhone: Tap Settings > Phone > Show My Caller ID. Turn off Show My Caller ID.
This article explains how to hide your number with *67 when you make calls on a smartphone.
How to Use *67 on an Android or iPhone
To hide your number from appearing on a recipient's phone, press *67 followed by the number you want to call. For example, *675555555555.
This works even if the other person already has your number in their phone. Instead of displaying your number, the recipient sees a message like "Restricted," "Blocked" or "Private number."
*67 does not work when you call toll-free numbers or emergency numbers.
How to Hide Your Number on an Android Phone
You can also use the settings in the Phone app to hide your number while using an Android phone:
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Tap the Phone icon, usually found toward the bottom of the screen.
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Tap the three-dot menu at the top of the app, next to the search bar.
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Select Settings.
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Tap Calls, or Calling accounts on some devices.
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Tap Additional settings. If you don't see that, first select your phone provider.
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Tap Caller ID.
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Tap Hide number when the pop-out interface is displayed.
Not all carriers support this feature. If yours doesn't, there are other ways to make your number private on Android.
How to Hide Your Number on an iPhone
To hide your number when you use an iPhone, toggle off the Show My Caller ID switch in the Settings app.
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Tap the Settings icon.
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Scroll down and choose Phone.
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In the Calls section, tap Show My Caller ID.
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If the Show My Caller ID toggle switch is green, tap it once so it turns white, which is the off position. Your outgoing calls will now display with the message "No Caller ID" in place of your phone number.
Why Use *67?
Now a common feature on most home phones and virtually all mobile devices, caller ID gives us the ability to screen calls and avoid pesky friends or telemarketers. An obvious downside to this functionality is that anonymity when placing a call is now a thing of the past.
Fortunately, vertical service codes like *67 can come in handy if you need to call people who you don't necessarily want to call you back. For example, if you need to call a business client after work hours from your personal phone, you might not want them to have that number.
Just keep in mind that some people choose to automatically block hidden or private numbers, in which case your call won't go through if you use *67.
How to Use Other Popular Vertical Service Codes
The following vertical service codes work with most popular providers. Check with your phone company if a particular code isn't working as expected.
- *60: Provides the ability to block a specific number.
- *66: Continuously dials a busy number until the line becomes free.
- *69: Useful from a landline that does not have caller ID, this code dials the last number that called you.
- *70: Temporarily activates call waiting.
- *72: Forward the call to a different number.
- *77: Turns on anonymous call rejection, which only allows incoming calls from people who reveal their number.