How to Make Your Phone Number Private

There could be many reasons why you would want to hide your caller ID. You might be playing a prank on your friends, making a surprise call to someone you haven’t talked to in a while, or simply don’t want the person you are calling to know your number.

In case you didn’t know, you can make your phone number private on both Android and Apple devices. This article will show you multiple ways how to do it with detailed steps. Without further ado, here are the instructions.

How to Make Your Phone Number Private on Any Phone

The first method you will see here works on any type of phone – Android, iPhone, and even on landlines in the United States. It is very simple and effective. To make your phone number private and invisible on the display of the receiver, you need to use a code.

Here are the steps you need to take to make your number private with a code:

1. Dial *67 before the number you want to call.
2. It is a good idea to test this with a friend. If their number is 333-4444, you need to dial *673334444.
3. Look at their screen and see if there is a caller ID. It should show up as Unknown, N/A, or Private on their screen.
4. For long-distance calls, you must add a 1 and the appropriate area code after 67. For example, if their number is 333-4444, you should dial *671332333444 (332 is the New York City area code).
   

Ask Your Cell Phone Carrier to Make Your Number Private

You can ask your phone service provider to make your number private. All of the major service providers offer this option, including Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T. You can either call them and ask them to help you out or check their official websites for information.

Usually, service providers will not charge you for making your number private. You can even have this feature enabled permanently. Alternatively, you can enable this by yourself if you dial 611. After that, you won’t have to use the *67 code prior to entering a number.

After you have managed to enable this feature, you can switch it off briefly, for example when calling your family. Simply enter *82 before the number you are calling to have your number displayed.

How to Make Your Phone Number Private on the iPhone

The iPhone has a built-in option for hiding your phone number. Entering a code every time can be bothersome, so why not enable it permanently on your iPhone? Here is what you need to do:

1. Go to Settings on your iPhone.
2. Scroll until you find Phone and tap on it.
3. Then select Show My Caller ID.
4. Move the slider to the left to hide your Caller ID.

After that, your phone number will be private by default. However, Verizon users don’t have this option, so keep that in mind. You can enter the *82 code that was previously mentioned to temporarily show your caller ID. Also, you can follow the same steps to reenable the “Show My Caller ID” feature and unhide your number.

Some providers make you wait for a quick dial tone after you enter *82 before you proceed to enter the area code (if necessary) and the phone number you want to call. Note that this might get tiring after a while because you need to keep entering *82 before every single call you don’t want to be private. As such, you might want to leave your caller ID visible if most of your conversations are with friends and family and just enter the *67 code when you need it hidden.

How to Make Your Phone Number Private on Android

Needless to say, Android devices also provide the option to keep your phone number private, at least the recent models of most brands. Follow these steps to make your number private on Android at all times:

1. Go to Settings on your Android phone.
2. Choose More Settings or Additional Settings, depending on your phone model.
3. Choose Caller https://www.novodasoftware.com/ID.
4. Move the slider next to Hide Number to on.

In case you want to make your phone number public again, simply follow the same steps and disable the hide number option. You can also enter the *82 code to quickly show your caller ID if the person you are calling is not picking up.

Final Advice

It is worth mentioning that you can’t keep your caller ID private for 900 numbers, 911, and toll-free phone numbers. There are even some apps that can expose your caller ID if the recipient of the call has them installed on their phone.

Were these tips for making your phone number private useful to you? How often do you use the option to hide your phone number from the recipient? In which situations do you use it? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comment section below.