Caller ID is convenient – no one can deny that. Being able to see 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 calling 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.

Important: You can’t block your caller ID when calling 911 or 800 numbers. Additionally, some phones are programmed to not accept calls from blocked numbers.

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.

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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.

After making the change, you can unblock your number for a single call by adding *82 to the start of the number you’re calling.

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 is 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.”

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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.

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To block your number on Android:

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

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2. Scroll down and select “Additional 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.”

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