This article explains how to hide your number with *67 when you make calls on a smartphone.

What to Know

  • Enter *67 before dialing a number to hide your number from the recipient of the call.Android: Tap Phone > menu > Settings > Calls > Additional Settings > Caller ID > Hide number.iPhone: Tap Settings > Phone > Show My Caller ID. Turn off Show My Caller ID.

How to Use *67 on an Android or iPhone

You can prevent your number from appearing on a recipient’s phone or caller ID device when you place a call using a smartphone or a traditional landline by pressing *67 followed by the number you want to call. The person you’re calling only sees a message such as “blocked” or “private number” when their phone rings.

While using *67 works on smartphones, it must be entered each time you dial a number. Most cellular carriers offer a way to block your number on all outgoing calls using the Android or iOS device settings.

*67 does not work when you call toll-free numbers or emergency numbers.

How to Hide Your Number on an Android Phone

You can also use settings to hide your number while using an Android phone:

  • Tap the Phone icon, usually found toward the bottom of the screen.
  • Locate the Search bar on the Phone interface and tap the three vertically aligned dots found within it to display a drop-down menu.
  • Select Settings.
  • Tap the Calls section.
  • Tap Additional settings.
  • Tap Caller ID.
  • Tap Hide number when the pop-out interface is displayed.

How to Hide Your Number on an iPhone

To hide your number when you use an iPhone:

Tap the Phone icon, usually found toward the bottom of the screen.

Locate the Search bar on the Phone interface and tap the three vertically aligned dots found within it to display a drop-down menu.

Select Settings.

Tap the Calls section.

Tap Additional settings.

Tap Caller ID.

Tap Hide number when the pop-out interface is displayed.

  • Tap the Settings icon.
  • Scroll down in the Settings interface and select Phone.
  • In the Calls section, tap Show My Caller ID.
  • If the Show My Caller ID toggle switch is green, tap it once so that it turns white, which is the off position. Your outgoing calls will now display with the message “No Caller ID” in place of your phone number.

Why Use *67?

Now a common feature on most home phones and virtually all mobile devices, caller ID gives us the ability to screen calls and avoid annoying friends or pesky telemarketers. An obvious downside to this functionality is that anonymity when placing a call is now a thing of the past.

Tap the Settings icon.

Scroll down in the Settings interface and select Phone.

In the Calls section, tap Show My Caller ID.

If the Show My Caller ID toggle switch is green, tap it once so that it turns white, which is the off position. Your outgoing calls will now display with the message “No Caller ID” in place of your phone number.

Fortunately, vertical service codes like *67 can come in handy if you need to call people who you don’t necessarily want to call you back. For example, if you need to call a business client after work hours from your personal phone, you might not want them to have that number.

Just keep in mind that some people choose to block hidden or private numbers from calling them automatically, in which case your call won’t go through if you use *67.

The following vertical service codes work with most popular providers. Check with your phone company if a particular code is not working as expected.

  • *60: Provides the ability to block a specific number.*66: Continuously dials a busy number until the line becomes free.*69: Useful from a landline that does not have caller ID, this code dials the last number that called you.*70: Temporarily deactivates the call waiting feature.*72: Turns on call forwarding on a landline.*77: Turns on anonymous call rejection, which only allows incoming calls from people who reveal their number.

  • Can you hide your number when texting?

  • Yes. To send anonymous texts on an iPhone, go to Settings > Phone > turn off Show My Caller ID. On an Android, go to the Phone app and keypad > select More (three dots) > Settings > Call Settings. Next, tap Caller ID > Hide Caller.

  • How do I block a number on an iPhone?

  • To block a number on an iPhone, launch the Phone app and tap the Recent tab to show recent calls. Find the number you want to block and tap the i. Select Block This Caller > Block Contact. Or go to your Contacts, tap a contact > Block This Caller.

  • How do I block a number on Android?

  • To block a number on Android, launch the Phone app and find the number you want to block. (On a Samsung phone, tap Details.) If your carrier supports blocking, you’ll see an option to Block number or Reject call.

Yes. To send anonymous texts on an iPhone, go to Settings > Phone > turn off Show My Caller ID. On an Android, go to the Phone app and keypad > select More (three dots) > Settings > Call Settings. Next, tap Caller ID > Hide Caller.

To block a number on an iPhone, launch the Phone app and tap the Recent tab to show recent calls. Find the number you want to block and tap the i. Select Block This Caller > Block Contact. Or go to your Contacts, tap a contact > Block This Caller.

To block a number on Android, launch the Phone app and find the number you want to block. (On a Samsung phone, tap Details.) If your carrier supports blocking, you’ll see an option to Block number or Reject call.

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