How to make no caller id stop calling

• You can block your phone number so it doesn't show up when you call people.
• The simplest way to block your number is by adding *67 to any phone number you call.
• You can block your number permanently by asking your service provider or changing your phone's settings.

Caller ID is convenient — no one can deny that. Seeing who's calling you is immensely useful, as it lets you take calls from people you actually want to hear from, and filter out the spam.

However, there are times that you might want to block your own number, so it won't appear on caller ID. Maybe you're trying to surprise a significant other or call a company that you don't want to hear from again.

Whatever your reason, it's easy to block your phone number, no matter what kind of phone you have. Once you do, you'll show up as "Anonymous" or "Private" on the recipient's phone.

Use the *67 code

*67 is a "vertical service code" — one of several codes you can dial to unlock special features on your phone. Specifically, adding *67 to the start of any phone number will block your caller ID when you call that number.

This is a quick and temporary way to block your number when making calls. Nearly all phone service providers support it, it works on both smartphones and landlines, and it's totally free.

If you want to permanently block your number when calling a specific person, add them as a contact, and save their number with *67 at the front. This will automatically block your number when you call that contact from now on.

Call your phone service provider

To block your number permanently, you can call your phone service provider and ask them to put a block on your number. 

Just note that you might need to give a reason for the change and that some phone companies charge for it. Be sure to ask for a clear explanation of the process before you agree to it.

Change your smartphone's settings

This isn't available on all phones or with all service providers, but most users will also have the ability to block their number manually by changing a setting on their phone. This will block your number for as long as the setting remains changed, making it great if you need a long-term block.

To block your number on iPhone:

1. Open the Settings app, then scroll down and tap Phone.

2. In the menu that opens, select Show My Caller ID.

3. Your phone will take a moment to connect to your phone service provider. Once it does, tap the "Show My Caller ID" switch button to flip it to the left and turn it off.

To block your number on Android:

1. Open the Phone app, tap the three dots in the top-right and select Settings or "Call settings.

2. Scroll down and select Other Call settings or More settings — the exact button here will differ depending on what phone you have

3. Tap the Show My Caller ID option. If you don't see it on this page, you might need to select another More settings button.

4. In the pop-up that appears, select Hide number.

William Antonelli

Tech Reporter for Insider Reviews

William Antonelli (he/she/they) is a writer, editor, and organizer based in New York City. As a founding member of the Reference team, he helped grow Tech Reference (now part of Insider Reviews) from humble beginnings into a juggernaut that attracts over 20 million visits a month. Outside of Insider, his writing has appeared in publications like Polygon, The Outline, Kotaku, and more. He's also a go-to source for tech analysis on channels like Newsy, Cheddar, and NewsNation. You can find him on Twitter @DubsRewatcher, or reach him by email at .

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• To block no caller ID on iPhone, use Do Not Disturb to silence calls not in your contacts. 
• You can block individual private callers on your iPhone, but only after they've called you once.
• Blocking individual callers is less effective for robocalls as they use many numbers.

No, it's not your imagination. There's a virtual tsunami of robocalls sweeping American phones these days, with 46% of Americans reporting getting unwanted calls daily in 2021. 

Since many of these calls arrive as private calls — with their Caller ID marked as "Unknown" — you can dramatically reduce the number of calls you get by blocking them.

Unfortunately, Apple doesn't give you an easy way to block Unknown, Private, or No Caller ID calls on your iPhone, but there are a few workarounds you can try.

How to block private calls on an iPhone using Do Not Disturb Mode

This is the most effective way to limit calls from private and unknown numbers, but it's not without its disadvantages.

You can turn on the iPhone's Do Not Disturb mode, but configure it to allow calls from numbers in your contacts list to go through. 

All unknown calls will go to voicemail (which isn't terrible, because most robocalls won't leave a message), but so will any legitimate calls that aren't already in your contacts list.

If you try this approach, you'll want to keep an eye on your voicemail for important calls. 

1. Start the Settings app, tap on Focus, and then tap Do Not Disturb.

2. Tap People.

3. Tap Calls From and select All Contacts.

Now, you can enable Do Not Disturb mode (tap the switch at the top of the Do Not Disturb page, or open the Control Center from the top right or bottom of the screen and tap the crescent moon icon) and only people in your contacts list will ring through — all other numbers will go to voicemail. 

How to block calls on an iPhone from specific private callers

You can't block every call you get, but you can block specific ones — in fact, there's a Block this Caller option built into the call log in the Phone app.

Keep in mind that telemarketers use enormous phone banks to place calls. A single telemarketer might place calls from many different numbers and also spoof legitimate numbers of people, making it appear as though they are calling you. 

As a result of this, blocking individual callers will have only a modest impact on the number of unwanted calls you get, at best.

Dave Johnson

Freelance Writer

Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.

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