How to Call Anonymously using *67

You may have heard of the old *67 phone number trick that lets you hide your caller ID to call anonymously. But did you know it still works? That’s right! Below are the simple steps you can take to show a private number for outgoing calls. Depending on your carrier, it might say “Restricted” or “Blocked” to the recipient. They’ll never know it’s you, and it’s totally free and easy to do.

If you’d rather use a different number-blocking method, we’ve included some alternatives to *67 below.

How to Use *67

Whether you have an Android device or an iPhone, hide your number using *67 by simply dialing *67 and then typing the number you want to call. Don’t add any other characters, just type those three characters, followed immediately by the phone number.

For example, let’s say we want to call 1234567890. Calling that number directly will show your real phone number, or your name if you’re in the person’s contacts. 

However, calling *671234567890 will send a request to your carrier before the call is triggered, asking to hide your number from the recipient. This works for most, if not all, carriers. The phone you call might say  “Restricted,” “Blocked,” “Unknown Caller,” or something similar.

How to Block Your Caller ID on an Android

Some Android devices let you hide your caller ID from within the settings, meaning you don’t have to use *67.

Here’s how it works on most Android phones:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Tap the three dots menu at the top, and then choose Settings.
3. Select Calls. (Not all Android devices have this option. If that’s you, then stick to *67 or pick an alternative caller ID blocking method at the bottom of this page.)
4. Go to Additional settings, and then tap Caller ID.
5. Finally, select Hide number from the list of options.

How to Block Your Caller ID on an iPhone

Much like Android, iPhone supports setting up a caller ID block from within the phone’s settings. Any outgoing calls you make, after completing these steps, will show “No Caller ID” instead of your phone number. 

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Select Phone.
3. Tap Show My Caller ID.
4. Use the toggle switch called Show My Caller ID to toggle it white (green means it’s not hidden).

Tip: You can call private on iPhone if you want to call someone who blocked you, because your number won’t show up on their phone to know that you should be blocked!

Other Ways to Block Your Number

*67 is an easy solution to hide your caller ID, but you have to manually type each number you want to call anonymously. Plus, some people’s phones automatically filter out phone calls from unknown numbers, so you might not even get through if you call anonymously with star 67.

Fortunately, there are some alternative caller ID blocking methods if your carrier doesn’t support *67 or if you need a different workaround:

Free Phone Number Apps

One of the best ways to keep your phone number private is to simply not use it! The alternative, then, is to utilize a second phone number app. 

There are plenty of these on the app store for your Android device or iOS device, so you’ll have no problem finding a good one. Instead of your real phone number showing up for the recipient, every call you make through a secondary phone number app will show that service’s phone number instead of your real one.

Google Voice and TextNow are two great examples. You can pick your number from a list of available phone numbers. That phone number is what’s revealed to the people you call when you use the app. This effectively blocks your real phone number to keep it totally anonymous!

Messaging Apps

This is very similar to the free phone number apps, but instead of blocking your number by obscuring it behind a different number, you’re simply using the internet to make a call.

Facebook Messenger, Google Meet, Signal, and Snapchat are just a few examples. Those apps work through your username, so the recipient sees your name and username, but not your phone number. This is a great way to call someone anonymously if you have a decent internet connection.

Most of these types of apps run on an Android device or on an iPhone, and even work from a computer, so you could make anonymous phone calls from there or your phone.

Ask Your Service Provider

We list this one last because it’s the least likely to work, but if you’re lucky, your wireless carrier might block your number if you request anonymous phone calls to be turned on. There might be an option on their website, through your account, but you can also reach out to the company to ask about this.

Reminders About Using *67 & Other Call Block Services

Here are some important things to keep in mind:

• Toll free numbers aren’t supported, so you can’t block your number using *67 when you make calls to toll free numbers.
• Some phones are set up to block unwanted spam calls or have anonymous call rejection turned on. Therefore, your call might be rejected when people receive calls from you after you trigger a *67 call.
• Don’t abuse this. *67 should be used for your protection only, not to make prank calls.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Does *67 still work in 2023? Yes, *67 currently still works. However, it’s possible not all phone carriers will abide by your request to block your number during a call.
• Does *67 work on cellphones? *67 works from both a regular phone (landline) and a cellphone. The method described above works the same for both.
• Does using *67 cost money? No, but making phone calls of any kind, *67 included, does incur charges if you use minutes beyond what you pay for. There is no inherent cost to use star 67, specifically.