How to Hide Your Number When Calling

Hiding your phone number when calling is a smart move to safeguard your privacy. It especially comes in handy when calling an unfamiliar person or if you wish to avoid unwanted calls from a company’s reps. Whatever the case, let’s look at some useful ways to hide your number when calling in this explainer.

Concealing your phone number while calling someone doesn’t require much effort. Based on your location, you can add a calling prefix, adjust call settings, use third-party apps, or even contact your network carrier to hide your number. Doing this will provide you the confidence to contact any unknown entity, keeping your phone number confidential.

1. Add a Prefix Before Calling

Some countries like the US, Canada, and the UK allow you to add a prefix before calling a phone number to hide your caller ID. Consequently, the recipient will receive a Blocked, Private Number, or Restricted Label on the incoming call instead of displaying your number. This even works if the person you wish to call has your contact saved on their phone.

If you reside in the United States or Canada, dial *67 followed by the number you wish to call. For example, *675555551234, where 5555551234 is the recipient’s contact. Do note that this prefix doesn’t work with emergency or toll-free numbers.

In the UK, you can add 141 to the phone number while placing a call to hide your caller ID. You can also add this prefix to the saved contact on your device to prevent the receiver from viewing your caller ID permanently.

If the person you’re calling has blocked private or restricted calls, you can add *82 to display your number on the receiver’s phone screen.

2. Disable Caller ID

If calling prefixes don’t work in your region, you can alter your smartphone’s dialer app settings to hide your number from appearing on the recipient’s phone screen. It’s important to note that different carrier networks may have varying methods for turning off your caller ID, and some may deny this request. Regardless, you can follow these steps to disable the caller ID on iPhone and Android:

On iPhone

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap Phone to configure its settings.
3. Tap Show My Caller ID and toggle off the switch to disable your Caller ID. If you can’t turn it off, your carrier network probably prohibits it. As such, you will have to contact them to do it manually.
   

On Android

Most Android devices today use Google’s phone app as their default dialer. If your carrier network supports disabling the caller ID, follow these steps to hide your number when calling:

1. Open the Phone app and tap the three-dot menu at the top right.
   
2. Press Settings.
3. Tap Calling Accounts.
   
4. Pick your SIM/number and tap to configure its settings.
5. Press Additional Settings.
   
6. Finally, tap Caller ID to disable and hide your phone number. If it is greyed out, your carrier network doesn’t support it.
   

3. Use the Google Voice App

Besides adding calling prefixes or changing your smartphone settings, you can install free third-party apps like Google Voice to hide your caller ID on outgoing calls. It lets you pick a new phone number to make calls and send audio messages while hiding your caller ID for free. All you need is a Google account.

1. Launch the Google Voice app and follow the on-screen instructions to create a new Google Voice number.
2. Tap the hamburger menu in the top-left.
   
3. Press Settings to configure your call settings.
4. Slide the toggle switch next to Anonymous Caller ID to hide your caller ID.
   

4. Contact Your Mobile Carrier

If your device does not support hiding your caller ID, you can contact your mobile carrier or service provider to disable it for outgoing calls, too. However, it is important to ask for the terms and conditions before proceeding to avoid any extra charges or unintended changes in the future.

Dial your carrier’s customer support number. You can easily find its customer care number by Googleing your carrier’s network name. Alternatively, head to the help section inside your carrier’s companion app to speak to an executive.

Once the call connects, explain to them why you want to hide your number when calling. Some may require an explanation, so you need to have one ready. 

5. Use a Burner App for Calls

You can also use a burner app to hide your number. A burner app provides you with a secondary phone number instead of concealing your caller ID. This way, the receiver gets a call from a number not linked to your name, safeguarding your privacy.

There are different burner apps on the App Store and Play Store. You can read through the reviews and download one that meets your specifications. Burner, Hushed, and CoverMe are some noteworthy apps in the domain. That said, these require a subscription after their trial period/free credits expire.

Alternatively, you can purchase a prepaid burner phone to protect your original caller ID. You can get one from a physical retail store and set up an anonymous profile with free public Wi-Fi.

Once you’ve activated the device, turn off all functions that could trace back to you, such as location, GPS, and Bluetooth. That’s it! you can now use it for calls anonymously, but make sure not to carry it to your frequent locations such as home, school, work, or your favorite cafe.

Protect Your Caller ID

Hiding your phone number can be simple if you know the right methods. Before using third-party apps, make sure you fully understand their terms, privacy policies, or conditions. 

If you prefer sending emails, you can also learn how to set up Gmail without a phone number.

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