When you make a phone call, your number flashes on the screen of the other person. If your number is already saved on his/her device, it directly shows your name instead of the number. This is known as your called ID. It enables the person on the receiving end to identify you and decide whether or not they wish to take your call at the moment. It also allows them to call you back if they missed it or couldn’t receive the call earlier. We usually do not mind our number flashing on someone else’s screen, but there are certain occasions where we wish there were an alternative. Thankfully there is. If you are concerned about your privacy and do not trust someone completely, you can hide your number being displayed on Caller ID.
Why do we need to hide our Phone number on Caller ID?
As mentioned earlier, privacy is a big concern, especially when calling absolute strangers. You might have to make a work-related call to a completely random person or some company that isn’t trustworthy. In such cases, it feels risky to give out your number. It is always better to hide your phone number when reaching out to people you don’t know or cannot trust.
The next major reason to hide your phone number to prevent your number from ending up on some sleazy database. You might have noticed that the number of spam calls or robocalls that you get every day has significantly increased in recent times. Every time you contact any customer care service or make a robocall, your number gets saved on their records. Later on, some of these companies sell out these databases to advertisement companies. As a result, unknowingly, your number is getting circulated far and wide. This is an invasion of privacy. To prevent something like this from happening, it is always a good idea to hide your number on Caller ID.
How to Hide your Phone Number on Caller ID on Android?
Be it for privacy reasons or prank your friends, knowing how to hide your phone number on Caller ID could be a pretty useful trick to learn. There are several ways you can do that, and it is entirely legal to hide your number. In this section, we will discuss some temporary and some long-term measures that will allow you to hide your number from strangers.
Method 1: Using your Dialer
The simplest and the easiest way to hide your number on Caller ID is by using your dialer. No select apps, no additional settings change, nothing. All you need to do is add *67 before the person’s number you wish to call. If this person is someone from your contact list, then you will have to note down their number somewhere else or copy it to the clipboard. Now open your dialer and type in *67, followed by the number. For example, if you need to call the number 123456789, instead of dialing the number directly, you need to dial *67123456789. Now when you make the call, your number will not be displayed on Caller ID. Instead, it will be replaced by phrases like ‘Unknown Number’, ‘Private’, ‘Blocked’, etc.
Using the *67 to hide your number is entirely legal and free to use. However, the only shortcoming of using this technique is that you have to dial this code before making every call manually. It is ideal for creating a single or even a couple of calls but not otherwise. If you want to hide your number for every call you make, this isn’t the smartest way to do so. Other alternatives provide a long-term solution or even a permanent one.
Method 2: Changing your Call Settings
If you want a long-term solution to hide your phone number on Caller ID, you need to tweak it with the phone’s call settings. Most Android devices offer the option to set your number as Unknown or Private on Caller ID. Follow the steps given below to see how.
1. Firstly, open the Phone app on your device.
2. Now tap on the menu option (three vertical dots) on the top right-hand side of the screen.
3. Select the Settings option from the drop-down menu.
4. Now scroll down and click on the More/Additional Settings option.
5. Here, tap on the “Share My Caller ID” option.
6. After that, select the Hide Number option from the pop-up menu and then click on the Cancel button to save your preference.
7. Your number will now be displayed as ‘Private’, ‘Blocked’, or ‘Unknown’ on the other person’s Caller ID.
If you want to disable this setting temporarily, simply dial *82 before dialing the number you wish to call. One thing worth noting here is that not all carriers allow you to edit this setting. The option to hide your number or change the Caller ID settings might be blocked by your carrier. In that case, you need to directly contact your carrier if you wish to hide your number on Caller ID. We will discuss this in detail in the next section.
Method 3: Contact your Network Carrier
Some network carriers do not grant the authority to hide your number on Caller ID, as mentioned earlier. In this case, you will either have to use the carrier’s app or directly contact them for support. You need to call the Customer Care helpline number of your streamer and ask them to hide your number on Caller ID. One thing that you need to remember is that this feature is usually available only for post-paid users. Additionally, carrier companies might also levy additional charges for this service.
How to Hide your number on Caller ID with Verizon
If you are a Verizon user, then you won’t be able to hide your number using the Android settings. For that, you need to use the Verizon app or log in to their website.
Once you are on the Verizon website, you need to log in with your credentials and then go to the Block Services section. Here, tap on the Add button and select Caller ID, which is listed under Additional Services. Now simply turn it On, and your number will be successfully hidden and will not be displayed on Caller ID.
You can also use Verizon’s app, which is easily available on the Play Store.
1. Simply log in to your account and tap on the Devices option.
2. Now, select your mobile phone.
3. Next, go to Manage > Controls > Adjust Block Services.
4. Here, enable the option for Caller ID blocking.
Note: If you face any issues, learn How Do I Get a Human at Verizon Customer Service.
How to Hide your number on Caller ID with AT&T and T-Mobile
For AT&T and T-Mobile users, the Caller ID block settings are accessible from the device’s location. You can use either of the two methods described above to hide your phone number on Caller ID. However, if you are unable to do so for some reason, you need to contact customer care helpline numbers and ask them for support. If you properly explain the reason as to why you wish to block your Caller ID then they will do it for you. The changes will be reflected on your account. In case you want to temporarily disable this setting, you can always dial *82 before dialing any number.
How to Hide your number on Caller ID with Sprint Mobile
Sprint also makes it relatively easy for its users to block their Caller ID by merely going to Sprint’s website. Log in to your account and select your mobile from the list of devices. Now navigate to the “Change my service” option and then go to the “Setup your phone” section. Here, click on the “Block Caller ID” option.
This should enable Caller ID blocking on your device, and your number will not be visible on the Caller ID. However, if it fails to accomplish the target, then you can call Sprint Mobile customer service by dialing *2 on your device. You can ask them to hide your number on Caller ID, and they will do it for you.
What are the disadvantages of Hiding your Caller ID?
Although we have discussed the benefits of hiding your number on Caller ID and see how it allows you to maintain privacy, it does have certain disadvantages. It is fine to feel uncomfortable sharing your number with a total stranger, but you need to realize that the other person might not be comfortable picking up a call from a Private or Hidden number.
With the number of spam calls and fraudulent callers always on the rise, people rarely pick up calls with a hidden Caller ID. Most people even enable the “Auto reject” feature for Unknown/Private numbers. Thus, you cannot contact a lot of people and won’t even receive notifications about your call.
Additionally, you will also have to pay an extra charger to your carrier company for this service. Thus, unless it is necessary, it wouldn’t be wise to opt for Caller ID blocking.
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We hope that this article was helpful and you were able to hide your phone number on Caller ID on Android. We would like to point out that Caller ID blocking does not work for everyone. Emergency services like police or ambulance will always be able to see your number. Other toll-free numbers also have the back-end technology that enables them to get your number. Apart from that, there are third-party apps like Truecaller, which allows people to figure out who is calling.
The other alternative solution is to get a second number for your work-related calls, and this will protect your number from falling into the wrong hands. You can also use burner number apps that give you a fake second number on the same phone. When you call someone using this app, your original number will be replaced by this fake number on the Caller ID.
