How to Block Your Cell Number When Calling Someone

Whether you're calling a business, contacting a stranger from a classified ad, or simply protecting your privacy, knowing how to hide your number before placing a call is a genuinely useful skill. The good news: blocking your caller ID is built into virtually every mobile network and device. The challenge is that the method varies depending on your carrier, operating system, and how consistently you want the block to apply.

What "Blocking Your Number" Actually Does

When you block your number before a call, you're suppressing your Caller ID — the information your carrier normally transmits to the recipient's phone identifying who's calling. Instead of your name and number appearing on the other end, the recipient typically sees "No Caller ID," "Private Number," or "Unknown."

This works at the network level. Your carrier still logs the call on your account, and emergency services (911) can always identify your number regardless of any block. Some call-screening apps and services may also still detect or reject anonymous calls, which is worth knowing before you rely on this method.

Method 1: The *67 Prefix (Per-Call Blocking)

The most universal method — and the one that works across virtually all U.S. carriers on both Android and iPhone — is dialing *67 before the number you want to call.

How to use it:

1. Open your Phone app
2. Dial *67 followed immediately by the full 10-digit number (e.g., *67 555-867-5309)
3. Tap call

Your number will appear as private for that specific call only. The next call you make without *67 will show your number again as normal.

This is a per-call solution — deliberate, manual, and temporary. It's ideal when you only occasionally need privacy, rather than as a default setting.

📱 Outside the U.S., the equivalent prefix varies. In the UK it's 141, in Australia 1831, and in Canada *67 works the same way. Always check your country's specific code.

Method 2: Hide Your Number by Default in Phone Settings

If you want every outgoing call to show as private automatically, both Android and iOS let you disable Caller ID at the system level.

On iPhone:

• Go to Settings → Phone → Show My Caller ID
• Toggle it off

On Android:

• Open the Phone app → Settings (three-dot menu) → Calls → Additional Settings → Caller ID
• Select "Hide number"

The exact navigation path on Android varies by manufacturer (Samsung, Google Pixel, OnePlus, etc.) and OS version, but the setting is typically found within the Phone app's supplementary or additional call settings — not the main system Settings app.

⚠️ Note: Some carriers override this setting or may not honor it consistently on all networks. If you toggle the setting and your number still appears, your carrier may have restrictions in place.

Method 3: Contact Your Carrier to Permanently Block Your Number

Most major carriers offer a permanent line-level block on request, sometimes called Caller ID Blocking or Outgoing Number Privacy. This is handled at the network layer rather than the device layer, so it applies regardless of what phone or app you use to call.

With a permanent carrier-level block active, you can use *82 to unblock your number on a per-call basis — effectively the reverse of *67.

Method 4: Use a Third-Party App or Second Number

Apps like Google Voice, Hushed, Burner, or TextNow give you a second number entirely. Calls placed through these apps show the app's assigned number — not your actual cell number. This goes beyond simple Caller ID suppression; the recipient receives a different, real-looking number.

This approach is common for:

• Freelancers or small business owners who don't want to share a personal number
• People buying or selling items through marketplace apps
• Anyone who wants inbound call/text separation from their main line

The trade-off is that these apps require a data connection to function, and call quality can vary depending on your internet speed and the app's infrastructure.

Why Your Blocking Method Might Not Work

A few situations where caller ID blocking behaves unexpectedly:

• Toll-free numbers (1-800, 888, etc.): Many toll-free services are configured to receive the caller's number regardless of Caller ID settings, using a feature called ANI (Automatic Number Identification), which bypasses standard Caller ID suppression.
• Call-screening services: Apps like Google's screening features or services like Nomorobo may still detect and log anonymous calls.
• VoIP calls: If you're calling over Wi-Fi or through a VoIP app, the Caller ID behavior depends on how that app handles outbound identity — not your carrier's standard rules.
• International calls: *67 and equivalent codes don't always carry across international routes. Results vary significantly.

The Variable That Changes Everything 📞

Which method makes sense depends on factors that vary from one person to the next: how often you need privacy, whether you're on a prepaid or postpaid plan, which device and OS version you're running, and whether you need a complete second number versus occasional suppression. Someone making one private call a month has a completely different set of needs than someone who handles business inquiries on a personal phone daily — and the right setup for each looks quite different.