How To Hide Your Number and Call Privately on iPhones

There are a variety of reasons why you may want to hide your number when making a call. 

Maybe you’re calling an unknown number and don’t want them to see your caller ID in case they are a scammer. Maybe you’re prank-calling a friend, and the joke will be ruined if they can tell it’s you. Or maybe your ex hasn’t blocked you but certainly doesn’t want to hear from you, and you think they’ll be more likely to pick up if they don’t know it’s you. 

Whatever the reason may be, it can be helpful to know how to make anonymous calls from your iPhone. Read on to learn how to call private on an iPhone and hide your caller ID. 

How Do I Hide My Number on My iPhone? 

Your caller ID will show your name to people who have you as a contact and your number to those who don’t. Usually, when making phone calls from your cell phone, you want to show your caller ID so people know who is calling them and are more likely to answer. 

But sometimes, you may want to hide your caller ID and keep your phone number private to either remain anonymous or protect your number from potential hackers. 

Here is a quick tutorial on how to turn off your caller ID on Apple devices: 

1. Turn on your iPhone and navigate to the home screen
2. Open your iPhone Settings app
3. Tap Phone 
4. Tap Show My Caller ID
5. Toggle the switch by Show My Caller ID to off (green is on, gray is off) 

After you turn off caller ID, instead of showing your name and/or number when making outgoing calls, the person receiving the call will see No Caller ID. If you use this method, caller ID will remain off until you go back in and turn it on. 

The risk that comes with this is that when people get an anonymous incoming call, they might automatically assume it’s a spam call and not answer. So, if it’s important that the other person picks up, take this into consideration before turning off caller ID. 

Using *67 To Hide Caller ID

This technique of hiding your caller ID works on iPhones, Androids, and landlines. All you have to do is open your phone app, go to the keypad, and dial *67. Then, type the number you want to call. The person receiving the call will see Blocked or Private instead of your number. 

Dialing *67 will only hide your number for that specific call. If you want to make a private call again, you will have to dial *67 again, too. 

Using a Second Phone Number App

Another way to hide your caller ID on iOS is to download a second phone number app from the app store. Apps like Burner will allow you to create a second number and make calls from that number instead of your main one. While a number will still be visible, it won’t be your real number, so you still achieve anonymity. 

Burner phone is easy to use and comes with built-in spam-blocking features to help reduce spam calls. And because Burner still displays a number, the recipient may be more likely to answer your call since it appears normal. Try Burner today to make anonymous calls from a second number. 

Ask Your Carrier To Hide Your Number

If all else fails, you can always call your phone carrier and ask them to hide your number for you. You can dial 611 and tell the recording you would like to speak to customer support or technical support. Carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile will all have their own way of doing things, but they should be able to set you up with a private number. 

Keep Your Number Hidden

There are a number of options to consider when planning how to call private on an iPhone. For one-time calls, *67 is a great option. But for long-term anonymity, use your phone settings, contact your carrier, or use a Burner phone number. Your number will stay hidden and you can make all the private calls you need to. 

Sources: 

How to hide Caller ID on iPhone | eSafety Commissioner

5 ways to block or hide your number when making calls