How to Call Private

Written by Jack Lloyd

Last Updated: August 31, 2022 References

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Do you want to make a phone call but keep your own phone number private? If you're using an iPhone or Android, you can make a quick settings change to keep your phone number hidden. And if you have a landline, you'll just need a blocking code—we'll even help you find yours! This wikiHow article guide will walk you through making private phone calls from your mobile phone or landline.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Using a Blocking Code Before Dialing

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1
Open your Phone app. If you wish to hide your phone number from one person while calling them, you can enter a couple of numbers before the rest of the phone number to mask your Caller ID.
- If you're using a landline, simply pick the phone up and prepare to dial.
2
Type *67. This code will work with virtually any North American provider.^{[1]
X
Research source} Some other common blocking codes include the following:
- *67 - United States (except AT&T), Canada (landline), New Zealand (Vodafone phones)
- #31# - United States (AT&T phones), Australia (mobile)^{[2]
  X
  Research source}, Albania, Argentina (mobile), Bulgaria (mobile), Denmark, Canada (mobile), France, Germany (some mobile providers), Greece (mobile), India (only after network unlock), Israel (mobile), Italy (mobile), Netherlands (KPN phones), South Africa (mobile), Spain (mobile), Sweden, Switzerland (mobile)
- *31# - Argentina (landline), Germany, Switzerland (landline)
- 1831 - Australia (landline)^{[3]
  X
  Research source}
- 3651 - France (landline)
- *31* - Greece (landline), Iceland, Netherlands (most carriers), Romania, South Africa (Telkom phones)
- 133 - Hong Kong
- *43 - Israel (landline)
- *67# - Italy (landline)
- 184 - Japan
- 0197 - New Zealand (Telecom or Spark phones)
- 1167 - Rotary phones in North America
- *9# - Nepal (NTC prepaid/postpaid phones only)
- *32# - Pakistan (PTCL phones)
- *23 or *23# - South Korea
- 067 - Spain (landline)
- 141 - United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland
- If your phone is on a GSM network (e.g., most Androids), you can always dial #31# to block your caller ID.
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Typically, this will be 10 digits.
Unless you're calling 911 or an 800 number, your call recipient will not be able to see your phone number.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Figuring Out Your Blocking Code

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Open a search engine of your choice. If you can't get one of the standard blocking codes (e.g., #31#) to work, your country and carrier may have a specific code that isn't universally used.
2
Search for "block code" followed by your phone model, country, and carrier information. For example: to find out the block code used on a Verizon iPhone in the United States, you'd type "united states verizon wireless iphone caller id block code" into a search engine.^{[4]
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Research source}
- If you're using a landline, type "landline" instead of "iPhone" (or similar).
- If you don't see any relevant results, vary your language by typing "block caller id" instead of "caller id block code" or something similar.
3
Visit your carrier's website. They may have posted information here that will answer your question. Common carriers include the following:
- Verizon Wireless
- Sprint
- T-Mobile
- AT&T
- Vodafone
4
Call your carrier. If you still can't find any information about your blocking code, call a carrier branch near you. You may have to wait for several hours before you can speak to a representative.
- You may also be able to ask your carrier to turn on permanent caller ID blocking, though there will likely be a fee for doing so.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Using Your Phone's Settings (iOS)

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1
Open your iPhone's Settings. This is the grey gear on the Home Screen.
- If you have a Verizon iPhone, you won't be able to use your phone's settings to disable caller ID.
It's in the same section of apps as Messages and FaceTime.
If your carrier doesn't support this feature (as in the case of Verizon phones), you won't see this option here.^{[5]
X
Research source}
It will turn white. From now on, the people you call won't be able to see your phone number.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Using Your Phone's Settings (Android)

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1
Open your Android's Phone app. This is the blue phone-shaped icon on the Home Screen or in the App Drawer.
- Some carriers don't support caller ID blocking. If you can't find the appropriate option inside the Phone app's settings, consider calling your carrier for more information.
This is in the top right corner of your screen.
It's at the bottom of the drop-down menu that appears.^{[6]
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Research source}
This will load the Caller ID settings.
After a moment of loading, you should be back at the "Caller ID" menu. Your Android's phone number will no longer display for the people you call.

Community Q&A

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Question

Does *67 work on an iPhone?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

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Yes, you can use this technique on an iPhone. Simply open the phone app, dial in *67, and dial out as you normally would.

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Can private calls be traced?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

In most cases, yes. If you’re in the U.S., you can dial *57 after receiving a private call to trace the number. However, you should only use this option if you’re getting threatening or harassing calls from a private number. After tracing the call, you will need to contact your local law enforcement agency, and they can get the identifying information from the trace from your phone service provider. Your service provider won’t give you that information directly.

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Can I call back a private number?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

There are a couple possible ways to do this. If you’re on a landline, try dialing *69 to return the call. On a cell phone, use #69. This will only work with some providers, and you have to do it before anyone else calls you. In some cases, you may also be able to see the number on your phone service provider call logs when you sign into your account online.

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Tips

If you're on a mobile phone, you can set up Google Voice to mask your number.

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Caller ID usually doesn't work for text messages.

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Warnings

If your recipient uses Anonymous Call Rejection while your caller ID is disabled, you'll need to dial *82 (US) or 1470 (UK) to temporarily disable your caller ID blocking before calling them.

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