Do you want to stay anonymous and need to make your number unknown on iPhone? We intend to show you how – we understand the pain of keeping even a shred of privacy nowadays. After all, if scammers, telemarketers, and pranksters can hide their Caller ID, why can’t you? Luckily, the process doesn’t require advanced knowledge and can be done in just a few taps of a finger. After that, the person you are calling won’t have the slightest idea about your identity, if then. Let’s delve into it.
Reasons to hide your iPhone number
One of the primary reasons why people opt for iPhone over Android devices is because of the security and privacy features. So, you might also want to hide your phone number for some reason. These could be some of the valid reasons –
- To prank call your friends or family members.
- To make calls to an unknown number to know who they are.
- While travelling internationally, you might be able to circumvent some additional charges by masking your phone number.
- For preventing identity theft from scammers.
Steps to make your number unknown on iPhone permanently
We’ll demonstrate the process on Apple iOS 13. The steps should be identical or very similar on older versions of iOS.
- Open the Settings app.
- Find the Phone option and tap on it.
- Scroll down a bit and find Show My Caller ID.
- Tap on the switch icon to enable the feature.
Although this should work right off the bat, we suggest giving a test by calling someone. Some mobile carriers, such as Verizon, require you to download their “My Verizon” app to hide Caller ID. Here’s how to make your number unknown using My Verizon.
- Download, install and launch the app.
- Tap on the menu in the top left corner.
- Tap on Devices.
- Locate your iPhone on the list, then tap Manage next to it.
- Tap Controls, then Adjust Service blocks.
- Tap to enable Caller ID Blocking.
Hiding a Caller ID using the My Verizon website
- Visit MyVerizon.com.
- Log in with the details provided by the carrier.
- Locate the Blocks page and click on it.
- From a list of phone numbers, locate yours.
- Click on Block Services next to it.
- Toggle Caller ID Blocking.
- Submit the changes.
Carriers such as AT&T, T-Mobile, Vodafone also have a dedicated app or a website user panel. If the default option doesn’t work for you, we suggest visiting the website of your carrier and checking for instructions. If that doesn’t work, contact their Customer Service for help.
How to hide Caller ID on iPhone for a single call
It wouldn’t make sense to turn the option above if all you need to make a single call. Block codes, which vary from country to country, exist for that purpose. Once you find the appropriate one, simply add it as a prefix to the number you intend to call. An example is *674845129816.
- 133 – Hong Kong
- 141 – United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland
- 184 – Japan
- 0197 – New Zealand (Telecom, Spark)
- *9# – Nepal (NTC)
- *23 and *23# – South Korea
- *31* – Romania, Iceland, South Africa (Telkom), Netherlands
- *31# – Germany
- #31# – United States (AT&T), Canada, Sweden, Australia, Greece, Denmark, Argentina, Germany (some carriers), India (network unlock required), Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Spain, Switzerland, Israel, South Africa, France, Netherlands (KPN)
- *32# – Pakistan (PTCL)
- *67 – New Zealand (Vodafone), United States (All carriers except AT&T)
GSM and unlocked iPhone
If your iPhone is unlocked to all three technologies, CDMA, GSM, and LTE, or uses a GSM network only, you can use #31# block code to hide your Caller ID from any country. In the United States, AT&T and T-Mobile sell GSM phones, but this isn’t guaranteed. It’s best to check.
- Open the Settings app.
- Find the General option and tap on it.
- Tap on About.
- Look for the number after IMEI, ESN, or MEID at the bottom.
- If there is an IMEI number, your iPhone uses a GSM network.
How to spoof a number on iOS
If you try to call emergency services in the United States, such as 911, toll-free numbers, starting with 800 or 888, or premium-rate numbers starting with 900, you’ll find that Caller ID doesn’t work. This applies to any country.
The solution to that is “spoofing” a number, essentially using a secondary phone number on the same device to call or text. By using a free trial on third-party services such as SpoofTel, and paid services of SpoofCard, you can hide your identity, disguise your voice, and record the calls. Some services, such as Google Voice, allowing you to pick a secondary phone number, too.
There you have it, you can now make a call from an unknown number on the iPhone. The scary thing is – now others can too. But, if anyone tries to use it for the wrong reason, don’t fret. Here’s how to block numbers and texts, including those from a hidden Caller ID. You can also check the steps to make phone calls unknown on Android.