What blocking your number from caller ID actually does

When you block your number from caller ID, the person you call sees "Unknown," "Private," or "Blocked" instead of your phone number. The call still goes through — they can still answer and talk to you. What changes is that they cannot see who is calling before they pick up, and they cannot call you back using the number that appeared on their phone.

This is different from blocking a caller (where you prevent them from reaching you). You are doing the opposite: you are preventing them from seeing your number when you reach them. The method depends on whether you want to hide your number for one call, all calls, or specific contacts.

Key Takeaways

  • You can block your number for a single call by dialing *67 before the phone number on most landlines and cell phones in North America.
  • To hide your number for all outgoing calls, go to your phone's settings under "Calling" or "Phone" and toggle on "Hide My Caller ID" or "Block Caller ID."
  • Some carriers charge a monthly fee for permanent caller ID blocking, while others include it free with your plan.
  • Blocking your number does not prevent emergency services from seeing it — 911 calls always show your location and number to dispatchers.
  • The person you call may still see your number if they have a service that unblocks private numbers, though this is uncommon.

Blocking your number for a single call

The fastest way to hide your number for just one call is to dial *67 when ready before the phone number. On most phones in the United States and Canada, this works on both cell phones and landlines. For example, if you are calling 555-123-4567, you would dial *67-555-123-4567 or *67 followed by the number.

After you dial *67, the rest of the process is normal — the call rings through as usual, and the recipient sees "Unknown" or "Private" instead of your number. If the call does not go through, your carrier may not support this feature, or you may need to check your account settings to enable it.

This method works once per call. If you hang up and call the same person again without dialing *67, your number will show on the second call. There is no setup required and no cost.

Hiding your number for all outgoing calls

If you want your number blocked on every call you make, the steps depend on your phone type. On an iPhone, go to Settings, tap Phone, scroll to "Show My Caller ID," and toggle it off. On an Android phone, open the Phone app, tap the three-dot menu, go to Settings, find "Supplementary Services" or "Call Settings," then look for "Hide Caller ID" or "Show Caller ID" and toggle it off.

The exact wording and location of these settings varies by phone model and Android version, so if you cannot find the option in the first place you look, try searching your phone's Settings app for "caller ID" or "hide number." Some phones also let you set this through your carrier's app instead of the phone's native settings.

Once you turn this on, your number will be blocked on all outgoing calls unless you turn it back off. You can still receive calls normally, and people can still leave you voicemails.

Blocking your number through your carrier

If your phone's settings do not have a caller ID blocking option, or if you want a more permanent setup, contact your carrier directly. Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and most regional carriers offer caller ID blocking as a service, though some charge a monthly fee (typically $2 to $5) while others include it free.

To set this up, call your carrier's customer service number (usually on your bill or on their website), tell them you want to enable caller ID blocking, and ask whether there is a fee. They can turn it on for your account when ready, and it will explore to all outgoing calls from your number. You can also ask them to turn it off at any time.

Some carriers let you manage this through their online account portal or mobile app instead of calling. Check your carrier's website to see if that option is available for you.

What happens when you block your number

When your number is blocked, the recipient sees "Unknown," "Private," "Blocked," or "No Caller ID" — the exact wording depends on their phone and carrier. They can still answer the call and talk to you normally. They cannot see your number, and if they try to call you back by pressing the return-call button, the call will not go through.

If the person has a service that unblocks private numbers (uncommon but available through some carriers), they may still see your number. However, most people do not have this service, so your number will remain hidden for the vast majority of calls.

Important: If you call 911 or another emergency number, your number and location always show to the dispatcher, even if you have caller ID blocking turned on. Emergency services override this setting for safety reasons.

When blocking your number might not work

Some businesses and government offices have systems that reject or flag calls from blocked numbers. If you are calling a bank, a doctor's office, or a government agency, they may not accept your call if your number is hidden, or they may ask you to unblock it before proceeding. In these cases, you may need to turn off caller ID blocking temporarily or call from a different phone.

Certain phone systems also cannot process blocked calls — for example, some automated customer service lines or call centers may drop the call or route it incorrectly. If a call does not go through when your number is blocked, try making the call again with your number visible.

International calls sometimes have different rules. If you are calling outside your country, caller ID blocking may not work the same way, or the recipient's carrier may not support it. Test with a short call first if you are unsure.

Turning off caller ID blocking

If you turned on caller ID blocking in your phone's settings and want to turn it back off, go to the same place you turned it on. On iPhone, that is Settings > Phone > Show My Caller ID and toggle it back on. On Android, go back to Phone Settings > Call Settings or Supplementary Services and toggle "Hide Caller ID" back off.

If you set up blocking through your carrier, call their customer service line and ask them to disable it. This usually takes effect when ready. You can also ask them to turn it back on anytime in the future at no additional cost (unless they charge a monthly fee, in which case disabling it will stop that charge).

For single-call blocking with *67, there is nothing to turn off — it only affects that one call, and your number will show normally on the next call you make.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone trace my number if I block it?

No, not through normal means. Blocking your caller ID prevents the recipient from seeing your number on their phone. Law enforcement and emergency services can trace blocked calls if needed, but a regular person cannot. If someone is harassing you, contact your local police rather than trying to hide your number.

Does blocking my number work on text messages?

No. Caller ID blocking only affects phone calls. Text messages always show your number to the recipient. If you want to hide your number when texting, you would need to use a separate texting app or service, which is a different process than caller ID blocking.

Will my voicemail still work if my number is blocked?

Yes. If someone does not answer your blocked call, they can still receive your voicemail. Your voicemail greeting will play normally, and they can leave you a message. They just will not see your number on their missed call list.

What if I block my number and the person does not answer?

The call goes to their voicemail as normal. They will see a missed call from "Unknown" or "Private" instead of your number. If they call back the missed call, it will not connect because there is no number to call back to.

Can I block my number for some contacts but not others?

Not directly through your phone's settings — blocking is either on for all calls or off for all calls. If you want to hide your number for specific people, use *67 for those individual calls, or use a separate calling app that lets you set blocking per contact.