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

In an era where smartphones are extensions of ourselves, the desire for privacy extends to our calls. Whether you’re making professional calls, contacting someone from online marketplaces, or simply prefer to keep your number private, there are numerous ways to block your number from appearing on caller ID. This guide provides a detailed walkthrough of methods to make your calls private on any device, ensuring your personal information remains protected when you dial.

Method 1: The Quickest Way – Using *67 to Hide Your Number

For a fast, on-the-spot solution to hide your number, *67 is your go-to code. This universal trick works effectively on both smartphones and traditional landlines. Before dialing any number, simply enter *67 followed by the phone number you wish to call.

This free and simple process ensures that your number is masked, displaying as “Private,” “Blocked,” or “Anonymous” on the recipient’s caller ID. Remember, this method needs to be applied each time you want to block your number, offering flexibility for when you need privacy selectively.

Method 2: Setting Up Default Number Blocking on Your Smartphone

For those who prefer consistent privacy, both iPhones and Android devices offer settings to block your number by default for all outgoing calls. This eliminates the need to remember codes and ensures every call you make is private.

For iPhone Users:

1. Open Settings: Locate and tap the “Settings” app on your iPhone home screen.
2. Navigate to Phone Settings: Scroll down and select “Phone” from the settings menu.
3. Access Show My Caller ID: Tap on “Show My Caller ID”.
4. Toggle to Hide Number: Use the slider to turn off “Show My Caller ID”. When disabled, your number will be hidden for all outgoing calls.

Note: Some carriers, like Verizon Wireless, may not support this feature directly through the phone’s settings. However, the next method offers a carrier-level solution.

For Android Users:

1. Open the Phone App: Launch the default “Phone” app on your Android device.
2. Access Call Settings: Tap the three-dot menu icon (usually located at the top right corner) to open the menu, and select “Settings”.
3. Find Call Settings: Look for and tap on “Call settings”. Depending on your Android version, you might need to select “Calling accounts” first.
4. Go to Additional Settings: Tap on “Additional settings”.
5. Configure Caller ID: Select “Caller ID”.
6. Choose “Hide number”: From the options provided, select “Hide number”. Your number will now be blocked by default for all calls.

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

Using *82 to Unblock Your Number Temporarily:

In situations where private numbers are automatically rejected by the recipient’s carrier or phone settings, you can temporarily unblock your number using *82. Dial *82 before the phone number to ensure your call goes through, even with default blocking enabled.

Method 3: Requesting Your Carrier to Block Your Number

If device settings aren’t sufficient or you need a more permanent solution, contacting your wireless carrier to block your number for all outgoing calls is a viable option. This is particularly useful for lines where consistent privacy is needed across all devices on an account.

To contact your carrier:

1. Dial 611: Call 611 from your phone – this number usually connects you directly to your carrier’s customer service.
2. Request Customer or Technical Support: When prompted, indicate that you need to speak with “customer support” or “technical support” to ensure you’re routed to the correct department.
3. Request Number Blocking: Ask the representative to block your number for all outgoing calls from your line.

Once your carrier implements this setting, your number will be private for every call. If you encounter call rejections due to private number blocking on the receiving end, remember you can use *82 to temporarily unblock your number for specific calls.

Method 4: Utilizing Burner Apps for Secondary Numbers

For an alternative approach that bypasses your primary phone number altogether, consider using burner apps. These applications operate over the internet, using data or Wi-Fi to make calls from a secondary, often temporary, phone number. This method is excellent for situations where you need to maintain anonymity without altering your phone or carrier settings.

Popular burner apps include:

• Burner: A widely recognized app for both iOS and Android, Burner allows you to create multiple temporary phone numbers. It offers a 7-day free trial, followed by a subscription fee.
• Hushed: Offers more affordable plans, including weekly and monthly options, for temporary numbers. Hushed provides both call minutes and text allowances, with free communication between Hushed users.
• Google Voice: A free service from Google that provides a new phone number for calls, texts, and voicemails. Google Voice uses your existing phone’s data or Wi-Fi and is accessible with any Google account.

Burner apps are especially useful for online transactions, dating apps, or any scenario where you prefer not to disclose your primary phone number.

Method 5: Star Codes for Landline Privacy Control

Landlines also offer privacy controls through star codes. These codes are simple commands entered on your keypad to manage call features, including caller ID blocking.

Here are some useful star codes for landlines:

• *57 – Trace Call: Traces the number of the last incoming call, useful for harassment or illegal calls.
• *60 – Call Block: Blocks calls from specific numbers, playing a message that you are not accepting calls.
• *67 – Caller ID Block: Hides your number on caller ID systems for outgoing calls.
• *69 – Call Return: Redials the last number that called you.
• *70 – Call Waiting: Puts a call on hold to answer another incoming call.
• *72 – Call Forwarding: Forwards your calls to a different phone number.
• *77 – Anonymous Call Rejection: Blocks calls from private or blocked numbers.
• *80 – Disable Call Block (*60): Turns off the call block feature.
• *82 – Disable Caller ID Block (*67): Turns off caller ID blocking, showing your number.
• *87 – Disable Anonymous Call Rejection (*77): Disables the anonymous call rejection feature.

These star codes provide quick access to manage your landline privacy and call handling directly from your phone.

Bonus Tip: Recognizing if Your Number is Blocked

If you suspect someone might have blocked your number, there are a few telltale signs. While you won’t receive a notification, consistent call failures can be indicative of a block.

Common signs include:

• One Ring and Voicemail: Your call goes directly to voicemail after only one ring.
• Continuous Ringing Without Answer: The phone rings endlessly without being picked up or going to voicemail.
• Busy Signal: You consistently receive a busy signal when calling.

These signs are not definitive proof of being blocked, as they could also indicate the phone is off, in airplane mode, or experiencing network issues. However, persistent occurrences across multiple attempts may suggest your number has been blocked.

Maintaining control over your phone number privacy is essential in today’s connected world. Whether through simple codes, device settings, carrier requests, or burner apps, you have multiple options to manage how and when your number is displayed. Choose the method that best suits your needs to ensure your calls are made with the level of privacy you desire.