How to Call Anonymously and Hide Your Number

Calling Anonymously: Reasons and Methods

There are various reasons why one might wonder how to make an anonymous call.
The main purpose is typically to hide one’s number.

There are several motivations behind this action: from wanting to report something without being identified, to making prank calls, to the need to explicitly protect one’s privacy.

Using the telephone while hiding one’s number is not a recent trend, but rather a behavior that has been popular for many years, especially since the advent of cell phones.

How to Make an Anonymous Call: Methods

Calling anonymously is a common practice that can be done even in the smartphone era.
There are specific procedures that allow you to make a call with a private number, while respecting ethical norms.

Most phone companies allow calls to be made anonymously at no additional cost, however, this feature should not be deliberately exploited.
While prank calls have historically been associated with anonymous calls, they are not illegal.

Any cell phone allows you to make anonymous calls by entering a specific combination before dialing the number: #31#.

Making an Anonymous Call from a Cell Phone

The traditional method of making an anonymous call using the code #31# hides the caller’s number, showing “unknown number” to the recipient.

This method works for both cell phone numbers and landline numbers.
For Android smartphones, there are other solutions available beyond the basic code.

Calling Anonymously with an Android Phone

For Android smartphones, there are two methods to call anonymously.
The first involves entering a 3-character code, while the second requires a simple setting change for more convenience in future calls.

To hide your number with an Android phone, go to the phone settings, access “call settings,” then “additional settings,” and finally select “show my caller ID” to hide your number.

Calling Anonymously with an iPhone

On iPhones, you can easily hide your number by accessing the phone settings and turning off the option to show your caller ID.
You can always revert this setting if needed.

Similarly, calling anonymously from a landline or non-smartphone can be done using specific codes like *67#.

Calling Anonymously from Abroad

You can also make anonymous calls while abroad by using the same codes mentioned earlier.
Whether from a landline or a mobile device, the procedure remains the same.

While making anonymous calls can protect your privacy, it’s important to note that there are services, like Whooming, Tellows, and Truecaller, that can reveal anonymous calls for a fee.