How to Make a Private Call

Open the Phone app. If you wish to hide your number from the recipient, you can enter a few extra digits before the phone number to mask your caller ID.

• If using a landline, simply pick up the phone and dial the number.

Enter *67. This code works with most mobile service providers in North America. Some other common blocking codes include:

• *67 - Used in the US (except AT&T network), Canada (landlines), New Zealand (Vodafone landlines)
• #31# - Used in the US (AT&T landlines), Australia (mobile networks), Albania, Argentina (mobile networks), Bulgaria (mobile networks), Denmark, Canada (mobile networks), France, Germany (some mobile providers), Greece (mobile networks), India (after unlocking the network), Israel (mobile networks), Italy (mobile networks), Netherlands (KPN landlines), South Africa (mobile networks), Spain (mobile networks), Sweden, Switzerland (mobile networks)
• *31# - Used in Argentina, Germany, Switzerland (landlines)
• 1831 - Used in Australia (landlines)
• 3651 - Used in France (landlines)
• *31* - Used in Greece (landlines), Iceland, Netherlands (most networks), Romania, South Africa (Telkom landlines)
• 133 - Used in Hong Kong
• *43 - Used in Israel (landlines)
• *67# - Used in Italy (landlines)
• 184 - Used in Japan
• 0197 - Used in New Zealand (Telecom or Spark landlines)
• 1167 - Used with North American dial-up phones
• *9# - Used in Nepal (only with NTC prepaid/postpaid mobile networks)
• *32# - Used in Pakistan (PTCL landlines)
• *23 or *23# - Used in South Korea
• 067 - Used in Spain (landlines)
• 141 - Used in the UK, Republic of Ireland
• If the device uses a GSM network (such as Android phones), you can always dial the code #31# to hide your caller ID.

Enter the remaining phone number you wish to call. Typically, the phone number will consist of 10 digits.

Place the call. Unless you are calling 911 or an 800 toll-free number, the recipient will not be able to see your phone number.

Open your preferred search engine. If the standard blocking code (such as #31#) doesn't work, it may be that your country or carrier has a unique code that is not internationally recognized.

Search for the keyword "block code" or "blocking code," followed by your phone model, country, and current carrier information. For example, to find the blocking code for Verizon iPhone in the United States, type "united states verizon wireless iphone caller id block code" in your search engine.

• If you are using a landline, replace "iPhone" (or similar) with "landline".
• If no relevant results appear, try modifying the search by using "hide caller ID" instead of "caller id block code" (or similar).

Visit your carrier's website. You can find the necessary information for your query there. Here are some popular carriers:

• Verizon Wireless
• Sprint
• T-Mobile
• AT&T
• Vodafone

Contact your carrier. If you're still unable to find information on the blocking code you're using, reach out to your carrier's nearest branch. You might need to wait for a few hours before speaking with a representative.

• You can also ask the carrier to activate permanent caller ID blocking for you, although they will usually charge a fee for this service.

Open the Settings app on your iPhone. The app appears as a gray gear icon on your Home screen.

• For Verizon iPhone users, you won't be able to disable caller ID directly from the phone's settings.

Scroll down and tap on Phone. This option is located next to apps like Messages and FaceTime.

Tap on Show My Caller ID (Display My Caller ID). If your carrier doesn’t support this (like in the case of Verizon), you won’t see this feature available here.

Slide the Show My Caller ID switch to the left. This toggle will turn white. From now on, your phone number will remain hidden from the person you are calling.

Open the Phone app on your Android device. The icon looks like a green phone and is typically found on your Home screen or in the App Drawer.

• Some carriers don’t support hiding caller ID. If you can’t find the right option in the Phone app, you may want to contact your carrier for assistance.

Tap the ⋮ icon at the top-right corner of the screen.

Tap on the Settings option at the bottom of the drop-down menu.

Tap on Calls (Call settings).

Tap on Additional Settings (More Settings).

Tap on Caller ID (Caller Identification). The Caller ID settings will load.

Select the Hide Number option (Hide Number). After a few seconds of service loading, you'll return to the "Caller ID" menu. The phone number from your Android device will no longer be visible to the call recipient when you dial out.

• Your caller ID typically won't show up when sending text messages.
• If you're using a mobile phone, you can set up Google Voice to hide your number when calling abroad (not yet available in Vietnam).

• If the recipient has enabled Anonymous Call Rejection, and you are hiding your number, dial *82 (in the USA) or 1470 (in the UK) to temporarily disable your Caller ID blocking before calling them.