How to Block Your Number When Calling

Understanding Number Blocking on Phone Calls

Blocking your phone number when making a call means the person receiving the call will not see your actual phone number on their caller ID display. Instead, they will typically see "Unknown," "Private Number," "Blocked," or "Restricted" depending on their phone service and device. This feature exists on virtually all phone networks in North America and many other countries worldwide.

When you block your number, the receiving party's phone system still routes your call through normal networks and receives it normally—they can still answer and talk with you. The only difference is that your number remains hidden from their caller ID system. This is different from call blocking, where the receiving party blocks incoming calls from a specific number they do not want to hear from.

The technology behind number blocking has been available since the 1990s, when caller ID became standard on most phones. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), caller ID blocking is a legitimate feature provided by all major U.S. carriers including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and others. The FCC reports that approximately 75% of American adults have caller ID service available on their phone plans.

Number blocking serves several purposes. People use it for privacy when calling businesses, to maintain anonymity when conducting personal research, or to protect their information from being recorded in caller ID databases. Some professionals use it when calling from business lines where they do not want their direct extension revealed. Understanding how this feature works is the first step to using it correctly on your phone service.

Practical Takeaway: Number blocking hides your caller ID information but does not prevent the call from going through. It is a standard phone feature, not something special or restricted.

How to Block Your Number on Android Phones

Android phones allow you to block your number on a per-call basis through a simple process. The steps vary slightly depending on which Android version your phone runs and which phone manufacturer made your device, but the general method is consistent across Samsung, Google Pixel, Motorola, and most other Android brands.

To block your number on most Android phones, open the Phone app and tap the three-dot menu button (sometimes called the "more options" menu). Look for "Settings" in the dropdown menu that appears. Within Settings, find the option labeled "Calls" or "Call Settings." From there, look for "Additional Settings" or a similar option. You should see a setting for "Caller ID" or "Show My Number." Tap this option and select "Hide Number" or "Private Number."

For Samsung Galaxy phones specifically, the process is slightly different. Open the Phone app, go to the menu (three lines in the upper corner), select "Settings," then "Call Settings," then "Additional Settings," and finally "Caller ID." Choose the option to hide your number. This setting will remain active until you change it back, meaning all your outgoing calls will have a blocked number until you reverse it.

If you want to block your number for just one specific call on Android, some phones offer this option. After dialing the number but before pressing the call button, look for a small menu or settings icon. On some Android models, you can press the asterisk (*) key followed by 31 (written as *31#) before entering the phone number. This will block your number for that single call. The exact method depends on your carrier and phone model.

If these standard methods do not work on your device, contact your phone carrier's customer service. They can provide instructions specific to your phone model and may need to enable the feature on their system. Some carriers require this feature to be turned on in your account before it will work.

Practical Takeaway: Android users can typically hide their number through Phone Settings > Call Settings > Caller ID, though the exact menu names vary by phone brand. Check with your carrier if you cannot find these options.

How to Block Your Number on iPhones

iPhone users have a straightforward method to block their caller ID information on outgoing calls. Apple has integrated this feature directly into the iPhone's Phone settings, making it easy to activate without needing third-party apps or technical knowledge.

To block your number on an iPhone, go to Settings, then scroll down and tap "Phone." Within the Phone settings menu, look for "Show My Caller ID" (on newer iPhone models) or "Caller ID" (on older models). This toggle switch is typically found in the middle section of the Phone settings page. Tap the toggle to turn it off. Once you turn off this setting, your number will be blocked on all outgoing calls until you turn the toggle back on.

The blocked number setting on iPhone applies to all future calls you make until you manually change it back. Unlike some Android phones, iPhones do not have a built-in option to block your number for a single call only. Every call you make will show as "Unknown" or "Private" to the recipient while this setting is active.

If you have an iPhone and want to unblock your number for specific calls while generally keeping it private, you will need to manually toggle the setting back on and off each time. Go back to Settings > Phone > Show My Caller ID and turn it back on before making a call where you want your number to appear, then turn it off again after.

Some iPhone users report that this setting occasionally resets after a software update. If you turn off your caller ID and later notice your number is appearing on calls again, check the Settings menu to see if the feature was reset. Apple occasionally changes where this setting appears in the menu, so it may be in a slightly different location depending on which iOS version your phone is running.

Practical Takeaway: iPhone users can hide their caller ID by going to Settings > Phone > Show My Caller ID and toggling it off. This setting applies to all calls until manually changed back.

Blocking Your Number Using Carrier Methods

In addition to blocking your number through your phone's settings, you can also contact your phone carrier directly to manage caller ID blocking. Every major U.S. phone carrier—Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and others—provides this service as part of standard phone plans. Carriers can block your number at the network level, which affects how your number appears to all recipients.

For Verizon customers, you can block your number by dialing *67 before entering the phone number you are calling (for example, *67-555-1234). This blocks your caller ID for that single call. To block your number on all calls through Verizon, contact their customer service at 1-908-559-4899 or access your account through their online portal to adjust your caller ID settings.

AT&T customers can use the same *67 method to block a single call. To permanently block your number on all AT&T calls, dial *31# to activate the feature, or dial #31# to deactivate it. You can also manage this through your AT&T account online by visiting their customer portal and finding the caller ID settings.

T-Mobile customers also have access to the *67 code for single calls. To manage caller ID blocking across all calls, log into your T-Mobile account online or call their customer service at 1-844-839-3210. They can enable or disable caller ID blocking on your account.

Many carriers offer additional caller ID management features beyond simple blocking. Some allow you to set specific rules, such as blocking your number only during certain hours or only when calling certain types of numbers. Some also offer features that let you selectively show your number to certain contacts while blocking it for others. Contact your specific carrier to learn what options they provide beyond basic number blocking.

Practical Takeaway: Phone carriers offer *67 for single-call blocking and account-level settings for permanent blocking. Contact your specific carrier for all available caller ID options and any features beyond basic blocking.

Legal and Practical Considerations When Blocking Your Number

Number blocking is entirely legal in the United States and most other countries. The FCC explicitly protects the right to use caller ID blocking on your own calls. However, there are specific situations where blocking your number is restricted or where the person receiving the call may have legal recourse against you.

The primary legal restriction involves emergency calls. You cannot block your number when calling 911 or other emergency services in the United States. Emergency systems need your actual phone number to locate you and send help. Attempting to block your number on a 911 call may result in delays