How to Hide Your Caller ID: Step-by-Step Guide

Hiding your caller ID prevents the person you’re calling from seeing your phone number on their screen. This is useful when you want privacy or need to call someone without revealing your number. You can hide your ID per-call with a prefix code, or permanently through your phone settings. This guide covers both methods for landlines and mobile phones.

What You’ll Need

• Your phone (mobile or landline)
• Access to your phone’s settings (for permanent hiding)
• Your carrier’s per-call prefix code (usually *67 in the US/Canada, 141 in the UK/Ireland, etc.)

Step-by-Step

Method 1: Hide Your Number for a Single Call (Per-Call)

1. Find your carrier’s prefix code. In the US and Canada, it’s *67. In the UK and Ireland, it’s 141. In Australia, it’s 1831. In many other countries, it’s #31# (e.g., Germany, France, Italy). Check with your carrier if unsure.
2. Dial the prefix code before the number. For example, on a US phone, dial *67, then the full 10-digit phone number (including area code). On a UK phone, dial 141, then the full number.
3. Press the call button. The recipient will see “Private Number”, “Blocked”, or “Unknown” instead of your number.
4. Repeat for each call. This method only affects the single call you make. You must enter the prefix every time you want to hide your number.

Method 2: Hide Your Number for All Calls (Permanent)

On iPhone (iOS):

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap Phone.
3. Tap Show My Caller ID.
4. Toggle the switch to Off. Your number will now be hidden for all outgoing calls.

On Android (varies by manufacturer):

1. Open the Phone app (the app you use to make calls).
2. Tap the three dots (menu) in the top-right corner, or the More option.
3. Select Settings or Call Settings.
4. Look for Caller ID, Additional Settings, or Show My Caller ID.
5. Choose Hide Number or toggle the option to Off.

On a landline:

1. Check if your phone service supports caller ID blocking.
2. Dial the per-call prefix (like *67) before each call, or contact your service provider to request permanent blocking.

Method 3: Hide Your Number via Carrier Settings (If Available)

1. Call your carrier’s customer service (e.g., 611 on your mobile).
2. Ask them to enable permanent caller ID blocking on your line.
3. Note that some carriers may charge a fee for this, and it may not be available on all plans.

Common Mistakes

• Using the wrong prefix code. *67 works in the US/Canada, but not in the UK. Always verify the correct code for your country and carrier.
• Forgetting to include the area code. When using *67, you must dial the full number including the area code, even if calling locally.
• Expecting the setting to apply to all calls when you only used the per-call method. Per-call blocking only affects that one call.
• Assuming the recipient can’t see your number if they have a landline. Some landlines may still display “Private” or “Unknown”, but they won’t show your actual number.
• Forgetting that emergency services (like 911) will still see your number. Caller ID blocking does not work for emergency calls.

Tips

• Use per-call blocking for occasional privacy. It’s simpler and doesn’t affect all your calls.
• If you want to unblock your number for a specific call while permanent blocking is on, dial the unblock prefix (usually *82 in the US, 1470 in the UK) before the number.
• Check with your carrier whether permanent blocking is free. Some providers charge a monthly fee for this service.
• On iPhone, you can also hide your number for specific contacts by editing the contact and adding a “Blocked” caller ID? No, that’s not a thing. Instead, use the per-call method.
• Test the feature by calling a friend or a second phone to confirm your number is hidden.

Troubleshooting

My number still shows up when I use *67.

• Make sure you’re dialing *67 (or your correct prefix) before the full number, without any spaces or pauses.
• Check if your carrier has disabled per-call blocking. Contact customer service to verify.
• Some VoIP or business lines may not support caller ID blocking.

I can’t find the “Show My Caller ID” setting on my Android phone.

• The setting may be under “Call Settings” > “Additional Settings” rather than directly in the Phone app’s main settings.
• Search your phone’s settings for “Caller ID” or “Additional settings”.
• If you can’t find it, contact your carrier—they may need to enable the feature on their end.

I set my number to hidden, but the recipient still sees my number.

• Some carriers or phone systems (like certain business lines) override caller ID blocking.
• If you’re calling a toll-free number or a service that uses caller ID for authentication, they may still receive your number.
• Try using the per-call prefix instead—it sometimes works when the permanent setting doesn’t.

The prefix code doesn’t work on my landline.

• Check if your landline service supports caller ID blocking. Some older or basic plans don’t.
• Contact your landline provider to ask about enabling the feature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does hiding my caller ID work for text messages?

No, caller ID blocking only affects voice calls. Text messages will still show your number unless you use a separate messaging app that hides your number (which is rare).

Will *67 work on my cell phone?

Yes, *67 works on most cell phones in the US and Canada. It’s a standard feature on major carriers. For other countries, use the appropriate prefix.

Can I hide my caller ID permanently without contacting my carrier?

Yes, on most smartphones you can do it through the phone settings as described above. If you can’t find the setting, you may need to contact your carrier.

Is hiding my caller ID illegal?

No, it’s legal in most places, but it’s restricted for emergency services and some businesses may reject blocked calls. Some countries have specific regulations, so check local laws if you’re concerned.

Why do some people not receive calls from blocked numbers?

Many people have their phones set to automatically reject calls from “Unknown” or “Private” numbers. This is a common feature on smartphones.

Can I unblock my number for a specific call if I have permanent blocking on?

Yes, you can dial the unblock prefix (e.g., *82 in the US, 1470 in the UK) before the number to temporarily show your caller ID for that call.

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