How to Block Your Number: A Complete Guide to Private Calling

In an age where privacy is increasingly valued, controlling your personal information is more important than ever. When it comes to making phone calls, you might not always want to share your phone number. Whether you’re calling a business, protecting yourself from unwanted calls, or simply prefer to keep your number private, there are several methods to block your number from being displayed to the recipient. This guide will walk you through various ways to make calls with a blocked number, ensuring your privacy is maintained.

1. The Quickest Way: Dialing *67 Before a Number

For those times when you need to make a single call privately, the *67 prefix is your go-to solution. This simple trick works effectively on both smartphones and traditional landlines within the United States and Canada.

To use this method, simply dial *67 followed immediately by the phone number you wish to call. For example, if you want to call 1-800-FLOWERS privately, you would dial *6718003569377.

When you dial *67, your number is temporarily blocked for that specific call. The recipient’s caller ID will typically display “Private,” “Blocked,” or “Anonymous,” indicating that you’ve chosen to withhold your number.

It’s important to remember that *67 needs to be dialed before each call you want to make privately. This method is ideal for occasional private calls without altering your phone’s default settings.

Alt text: Image showing a finger dialing *67 on a smartphone keypad to demonstrate how to block a number for a single call.

2. Setting Your Smartphone to Block Your Number by Default

If you consistently prefer to make calls with a blocked number, you can adjust your smartphone settings to hide your caller ID by default. This eliminates the need to dial *67 each time you want to make a private call. Both iPhones and Android phones offer straightforward settings to achieve this.

Blocking Your Number on iPhones (iOS)

Apple iPhones provide an easy-to-access setting to control your caller ID. Here’s how to block your number by default on iOS:

1. Open Settings: Locate the “Settings” app on your iPhone’s home screen and tap to open it.
2. Tap Phone: Scroll down in the Settings menu and find “Phone.” Tap on “Phone” to access call-related settings.
3. Select Show My Caller ID: Within the Phone settings, you will see an option labeled “Show My Caller ID.” Tap on this option.
4. Toggle to Hide Number: You will see a toggle switch next to “Show My Caller ID.” By default, this is likely enabled (showing your number). Toggle the switch to the left (turning it grey) to disable “Show My Caller ID.” This will hide your number for all outgoing calls.

Alt text: Screenshot of iPhone settings menu highlighting the ‘Show My Caller ID’ option with the toggle switched off to indicate number blocking.

Important Note for Verizon Users: It’s worth noting that Verizon Wireless may not support this feature directly through the iPhone settings in some cases. If you are a Verizon customer and find this setting doesn’t work, check the next method for carrier-level blocking or contact Verizon support for specific instructions.

Blocking Your Number on Android Phones

Android devices also offer a setting to block your number by default, although the exact steps might vary slightly depending on your phone’s manufacturer and Android version. Here are the general steps for most Android phones:

1. Open the Phone App: Launch the Phone app, usually found on your home screen or app drawer, which you use to make calls.
2. Access the Menu: Look for a menu icon within the Phone app. This is typically represented by three vertical dots (⋮) or three horizontal lines (≡), usually located in the top right or bottom right corner of the app interface.
3. Go to Settings: Tap on the menu icon, and from the dropdown menu, select “Settings.”
4. Find Call Settings: In the Settings menu, look for an option related to “Calls” or “Call settings.” Tap on it.
5. Navigate to Additional Settings or More Settings: You might need to look for “Additional settings” or “More settings” within the Call settings menu. This is where caller ID options are often located.
6. Select Caller ID: Tap on “Caller ID.” You will be presented with options for caller ID settings.
7. Choose “Hide number”: Select “Hide number” from the available options. This will set your phone to block your number automatically for all outgoing calls.

Alt text: Image of an Android phone screen displaying call settings with the ‘Caller ID’ option highlighted and ‘Hide number’ selected to enable default number blocking.

To revert to showing your number on Android, simply follow the same steps and choose “Show number” or “Network default” in the Caller ID settings.

Using *82 to Unblock Your Number Temporarily:

In some situations, especially when calling businesses or individuals who use call blocking services to filter unknown numbers, your blocked call might be rejected. To bypass this, you can use the code *82 to temporarily unblock your number for a specific call, even when you have default blocking enabled. Dial *82 before the phone number to ensure your call goes through by showing your caller ID for that single call.

3. Requesting Your Carrier to Block Outgoing Caller ID

For users who prefer a more permanent solution or have devices without built-in caller ID blocking features, contacting your wireless carrier to block outgoing caller ID is a viable option. This method ensures that your number is blocked at the network level for all calls made from your account.

To request carrier-level blocking:

1. Call Your Carrier: Dial 611 from your phone. This is a common shortcut to reach customer service for most mobile carriers in the US. Alternatively, you can find your carrier’s customer service number on their website.
2. Request Customer or Technical Support: When you connect, listen to the automated menu and indicate that you need to speak with “customer support” or “technical support.” Avoid options for bill payment unless specifically instructed, as you need to reach a support agent capable of making account changes.
3. Ask to Block Outgoing Caller ID: Once connected to a support agent, clearly state that you want to block outgoing caller ID for all calls made from your phone line or account. The agent will guide you through the process, which might involve verifying your account and implementing the block on their end.

After your carrier has applied the block, your number will be private for every call you make. If you encounter situations where your calls are rejected due to number blocking on the recipient’s end, you can still use *82 to temporarily unblock your number on a per-call basis, as mentioned earlier.

4. Utilizing Burner Apps for a Secondary Number

If you are looking for an alternative to modifying your phone or carrier settings, burner apps offer a convenient way to make calls using a secondary phone number. These apps operate over the internet, using your data or Wi-Fi connection to place calls, effectively giving you a disposable or secondary number to use.

Burner apps are particularly useful for situations where you need to give out a phone number temporarily, want to separate personal and business calls, or prefer to keep your primary number completely private.

Here are a few popular burner app options:

• Burner: This is a well-known app available for both iOS and Android. Burner allows you to create temporary phone numbers for various purposes. It offers features like call routing, voicemail, and the ability to “burn” or dispose of numbers when you no longer need them. Burner typically operates on a subscription basis after a free trial period.

• Hushed: Hushed is another popular choice, providing private phone numbers for calling and texting. It offers flexible plans, including pay-as-you-go options, weekly, and monthly subscriptions. Hushed is known for its affordability and user-friendly interface, allowing you to manage multiple numbers and use them for different needs.

• Google Voice: Google Voice is a free service from Google that provides you with a free phone number for calls, texts, and voicemail. It integrates with your Google account and can be used on smartphones, tablets, and computers. Google Voice is a robust option for those who need a secondary number without recurring costs. It uses your existing phone minutes and data when making calls, but displays your Google Voice number instead of your primary mobile number.

Alt text: Collage of app icons for Burner, Hushed, and Google Voice, representing popular burner app options for obtaining secondary phone numbers.

Burner apps provide an extra layer of privacy and flexibility, allowing you to control when and how you share your primary phone number.

5. Mastering Star Codes for Landlines and Mobile Privacy

Whether you are using a landline or a mobile phone, a range of star codes can help you manage call features and privacy settings. These codes are dialed using your phone’s keypad and activate specific functions directly through your phone service provider.

Here are some of the most common and useful star codes related to call privacy and management:

• *57 – Trace Call: This code is used to trace the number of the last incoming call you received. It’s particularly useful in situations involving harassment or threatening calls where you might need to take legal action.

• *60 – Call Block: Activate this code to block calls from specific phone numbers. Callers from blocked numbers will hear a recording indicating that you are not accepting calls. You typically need to set up a block list through your phone provider to use this feature effectively.

• *67 – Caller ID Block: As discussed earlier, this code hides your phone number on caller ID systems for the call you are currently making.

• *69 – Call Return: This code automatically redials the last number that called you, allowing you to quickly return a missed call without looking up the number.

• *70 – Call Waiting: Use this code to put your current call on hold so you can answer another incoming call. Call waiting is a standard feature but can be toggled on or off using star codes in some systems.

• *72 – Call Forwarding: Activate call forwarding to redirect incoming calls to another phone number. This is useful if you are temporarily using a different phone or want calls to be answered elsewhere.

• *77 – Anonymous Call Rejection: This feature blocks calls from callers who have blocked their own numbers (private callers). When activated, calls from private numbers will be automatically rejected.

• *80 – Disable Call Block (*60): Use *80 to deactivate the call block feature (*60) and stop blocking calls from numbers on your block list.

• *82 – Disable Caller ID Block (*67): This code disables caller ID blocking, allowing your number to be displayed even if you have default blocking enabled or used *67 previously.

• *87 – Disable Anonymous Call Rejection (*77): Deactivates the anonymous call rejection feature (*77), allowing calls from private numbers to come through.

These star codes provide quick access to essential call management and privacy features directly from your phone keypad, offering convenient control over your phone service.

Bonus Tip: Recognizing If Someone Has Blocked Your Number

While you can effectively block your number when making calls, you might also wonder if someone has blocked your number. Although there’s no definitive notification when your number is blocked, there are signs you can look for.

If your calls to a specific number consistently go straight to voicemail, ring once and then disconnect, or you hear a generic message like “the number you have dialed is not in service,” it could indicate that your number has been blocked. However, these signs can also occur due to other reasons, such as the recipient’s phone being turned off, being in an area with poor reception, or having voicemail issues.

To get a clearer indication, you can try calling from a different phone number or using *67 to block your number and call again. If the call goes through when your number is blocked or from a different number, but not from your usual unblocked number, it’s more likely that your number has been blocked by the recipient.

Maintaining control over your phone number privacy is increasingly important in today’s connected world. By utilizing these methods, you can confidently manage how and when your number is shared, ensuring your personal information remains protected while staying connected.