How to Hide Your Phone Number When Calling

By 2Phon Team · October 26, 2026 · 6 min read

Hide your number for every call in iPhone Settings, or for one call with a dial code like *67. Here's how each method works, what the other person sees, and when calling from a second number works better.

To hide your phone number when calling from an iPhone, open Settings → Apps → Phone → Show My Caller ID and switch it off. To hide it for a single call, dial *67 before the number (US and Canada) and the person you call sees "No Caller ID" instead of your number.

The catch: calls with no caller ID often go unanswered. If you want people to pick up — a buyer, a landlord, a date — without seeing your personal number, call from a second number. An app like 2Phon gives your iPhone a real second number, and the people you call see that number instead of your own.

Below: each method step by step, what it does and doesn't hide, and how to choose.

Ways to hide your number, compared

There are four practical options: an iPhone setting, a per-call code, a carrier setting, or a different number. The first three hide your number completely; the fourth shows a real number that isn't your personal one.

How to hide your caller ID on iPhone for every call

Turn off Show My Caller ID in Settings and your number is hidden on every call you make, until you turn it back on.

1. Open Settings

   Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

2. Go to Apps, then Phone

   Tap Apps, then Phone. On older versions of iOS, Phone sits directly in the main Settings list.

3. Turn off Show My Caller ID

   Tap Show My Caller ID and switch it off.

That's Apple's own method (Apple Support: block your caller ID on iPhone).

How to hide your number for one call with *67

Dial *67 before the number and your caller ID is hidden for that call only. It's the quickest option when you want to keep your number visible most of the time.

1. Open the Phone app and tap Keypad.
2. Type *67, then the full number — for example *67 followed by the 10-digit number.
3. Tap call. The other person sees "No Caller ID", "Private" or "Unknown", depending on their phone.

*67 works in the US and Canada. Elsewhere the code is different: in the UK it's 141, and many mobile networks use #31#. Codes vary by country and carrier, so check your carrier's help page if one doesn't work.

If your number is blocked on every call and you want to show it for one call, US carriers use *82 before the number.

How to block your number permanently through your carrier

Ask your carrier for "per-line blocking" and your number is hidden on every call, from any phone using that SIM. In the US, the FCC's caller ID rules require phone companies to offer simple per-line blocking and unblocking, so you can choose whether your number is shown on the calls you make (FCC: Protecting Your Privacy).

Call your carrier or check your account settings in its app. This is also the fix when the iPhone switch is grayed out.

What hiding your number doesn't do

Hiding your caller ID only changes what the other person's screen shows. It doesn't make the call untraceable, and it comes with trade-offs.

• Your carrier still knows. The call is still linked to your number on your carrier's side and appears in your own call history.
• Some calls ignore it. Emergency calls and some toll-free and business lines may still receive your number. Don't rely on blocking for those.
• People screen hidden calls. Plenty of people never pick up "No Caller ID". iPhone users can also have calls from numbers that aren't in their contacts screened or silenced (Apple Support: manage unknown callers), and some people use their carrier's tools to reject anonymous calls.
• They can't call you back. If they miss the call, they have no number to return it to.

Is it legal to hide your number?

Yes — hiding your number is a normal privacy feature. What's illegal is spoofing for bad reasons. The FCC explains that under the Truth in Caller ID Act, it's prohibited to send misleading or inaccurate caller ID "with the intent to defraud, cause harm or wrongly obtain anything of value" (FCC: Caller ID Spoofing).

Calling from a second number is not spoofing. It's a real number assigned to you, and the person sees that real number.

The alternative: call from a second number

If you want to stay private and still get your call answered, show a different real number instead of no number. The person sees a normal phone number, can save it and can call you back — they just never see your personal one.

This is the better choice when:

• you're calling marketplace buyers or sellers and want them to pick up;
• you're calling a date before you're ready to share your own number;
• you're calling landlords, contractors or services who may call back;
• you'd like a separate line for side work without carrying a second phone.

You have two ways to do it on an iPhone:

1. A second carrier line. iPhone supports Dual SIM with an eSIM, and Apple notes you can switch which number you call from before you make a call. It means a second plan with a carrier.
2. A second-number app. 2Phon is an iPhone app that gives you a real second number from dozens of countries. You make and receive real calls on it, and the people you call see your 2Phon number, not your personal one. Calls use minutes in the app; current options are shown there. Compare it with other apps in our guide to the best second phone number apps.

Want a number you can call from without giving out your own? Get 2Phon on the App Store — a real second number for calls and codes, on your iPhone.

Which method should you use?

Pick based on whether you need the other person to answer and call back.

• One-off call where an answer doesn't matter (a quick complaint, a shop): use *67.
• You never want your number shown: turn off Show My Caller ID or ask your carrier for per-line blocking.
• You need them to pick up or call you back: call from a second number.

Keep your number private beyond calls

Calls are one place your number leaks; sign-up forms, listings and apps are others. See what someone can do with your phone number to understand the risks, and what a second phone number is for the bigger picture. If you sell things online, read which phone number to use when selling online.

Frequently asked questions

Does *67 work on iPhone?

Usually, yes. In the US and Canada, dialing *67 before the number in the iPhone Phone app asks your carrier not to show your number for that call. Whether it works depends on your carrier, not on the iPhone.

Why is Show My Caller ID grayed out on my iPhone?

Your carrier controls caller ID. Apple says that if the Show My Caller ID switch is dimmed or missing, you should contact your carrier, who may offer number blocking on their side instead.

What does the other person see when I call from my 2Phon number?

They see your 2Phon number, not your personal one. It's a real mobile number, so they can save it and call you back on it.

Can someone text me back on my 2Phon number?

Texts sent to your 2Phon number show up in the app, but 2Phon doesn't send texts, so you can't reply by text. Call them back instead.

Is it legal to hide my phone number when calling?

In the US, yes. FCC rules require phone companies to give you a way to block your number on calls. What's illegal is spoofing, which means showing false caller ID to defraud or harm someone.