When you place a phone call from your iPhone, your mobile carrier automatically transmits your phone number to the recipient’s screen via a system called Caller ID. If you are calling a business to ask a simple question, or contacting a stranger from an online marketplace, you may not want them to have your personal phone number permanently saved in their call log.
You can force iOS to block the transmission of your phone number, causing your call to appear as “Unknown Caller,” “No Caller ID,” or “Private Number” on the recipient’s screen.
Method 1: Hiding Your Number for Every Call
If you want to maintain absolute privacy and block your Caller ID globally for every single outgoing phone call, you can change a core iOS setting.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down significantly and tap on Phone.
- Look under the “Calls” section and tap on Show My Caller ID.
- You will see a single toggle switch. Toggle it to the Off (grey) position.
(Note: Depending on your specific cellular carrier and your geographical region, this specific toggle switch might be locked or hidden. If it is unavailable, you must use Method 2).
Method 2: Hiding Your Number for a Single Call
Most users do not want to block their Caller ID permanently, as friends and family will likely ignore incoming calls from an “Unknown Caller.” Instead, you can use a universal carrier shortcode to block your number on a temporary, per-call basis.
In North America (the United States and Canada), the blocking code is *67.
- Open the native Phone app on your iPhone.
- Tap the Keypad tab at the bottom of the screen.
- Dial *67 immediately followed by the full phone number you are trying to reach (including the area code).
- For example, you would dial:
*675558675309 - Tap the green Call button.
The call will route perfectly normally, but the carrier switchboard will strip your personal phone number from the digital handshake. The recipient will see “No Caller ID” on their screen. The moment you hang up, your phone will return to its normal state, and your next standard phone call will display your Caller ID correctly.