How to Block Your Number When Calling From an iPhone

Privacy matters when you're making calls — whether you're contacting someone you don't know well, handling a sensitive situation, or simply prefer not to share your digits by default. iPhones give you more than one way to hide your caller ID, and understanding how each method works helps you pick the right approach for your situation.

What "Blocking Your Number" Actually Does

When you block your number before making a call, the recipient's phone displays "No Caller ID," "Private Number," or "Unknown" instead of your actual phone number. The call still connects — you're not blocking the call itself, just suppressing the caller ID information that carriers normally transmit.

This works at two different levels:

• Carrier level — your carrier stops transmitting your number as part of the call setup
• Per-call level — a prefix code instructs the carrier to suppress your number for that one call only

Neither method prevents emergency services (like 911) from seeing your number. That data is always transmitted regardless of caller ID settings.

Method 1: Block Your Number for All Calls Through Settings

If you want every outgoing call to go out without your number showing, you can switch this on once and leave it.

Steps:

1. Open Settings
2. Tap Phone
3. Tap Show My Caller ID
4. Toggle it off

When the toggle is off, every call you make will show as No Caller ID on the recipient's end. Toggle it back on any time you want your number to appear again.

One Important Caveat

This setting depends on your carrier supporting the feature. Most major carriers honor it, but some prepaid plans or regional carriers may not pass the suppression request through correctly. If you turn off Show My Caller ID and recipients are still seeing your number, your carrier may be overriding the setting — worth a call to support to confirm.

Method 2: Block Your Number for a Single Call

Don't want to suppress your number globally? Use the #31# prefix for individual calls. This tells the carrier to hide your number for that specific call only, without changing your default settings.

How to use it:

• Dial #31# immediately followed by the full phone number
• Example: #31#2125550100
• Tap the call button as normal

The call connects, your number is hidden for that call, and your next call goes out normally with your number visible.

This is the most flexible approach if you only occasionally need privacy — you don't have to remember to re-enable your caller ID afterward. 📞

Carrier Prefix Codes Vary

#31# is the standard code used in the US and many countries, but some regions or carriers use a different suppression code (like *67 in the US, which works the same way through a slightly different mechanism). Both *67 and #31# achieve the same result on most US carriers — your number is hidden for that call.

Method 3: Use a Different Number Entirely

Some users don't want to suppress their number — they want to call from a completely different number. Apps like Google Voice, Burner, or similar VoIP services let you make calls that display a different number entirely. This is technically a separate topic from caller ID suppression, but it's worth knowing the distinction:

• Caller ID suppression hides your number (shows blank/unknown)
• VoIP/secondary number apps show a different real number

The right approach depends on whether "unknown" is acceptable to the person you're calling. Some people don't answer No Caller ID calls — in which case a secondary number app may serve you better than suppression.

What Blocking Your Number Doesn't Do 🔒

There are a few common misconceptions worth clearing up:

• It doesn't block your number from your carrier's records. Your carrier always knows where the call originated.
• It doesn't work on FaceTime calls. FaceTime is tied to your Apple ID or phone number, and caller ID suppression doesn't apply to it the same way.
• It doesn't guarantee privacy from the recipient's carrier. The number may still appear on detailed call records depending on how the receiving carrier handles suppressed calls.
• Some calls can't be hidden. Certain business phone systems and call-tracking services are configured to unmask suppressed numbers.

The Variables That Affect How This Works for You

Several factors determine which method is practical for your situation:

• Your carrier — not all carriers reliably pass suppression requests; some prepaid MVNOs in particular may behave differently
• How often you need to hide your number — occasional use favors the *67/#31# prefix; frequent or default-off use favors the Settings toggle
• Whether "No Caller ID" is acceptable to recipients — some people and businesses screen or block unknown callers by default
• Whether you're calling domestically or internationally — prefix codes and carrier behavior vary by country
• iOS version — the Settings menu path has stayed consistent across recent iOS versions, but it's worth knowing your exact iOS version if you can't locate the option

The method that works cleanly for one person's setup — carrier, call frequency, recipient type — may be a friction point for someone else's.