How to Private Call Someone: the Complete Guide for Every Device
By James H. Sterling
The fastest way to conceal your identity on an outbound call is a vertical service code. In the United States and Canada, entering *67 before the recipient's phone number instructs the signaling system to withhold your transmission information. The telecom switch reads this prefix and flags the call record with a privacy indicator.
To execute the call, open your phone app and dial 67, immediately followed by the area code and seven-digit number. For instance, you would dial 675550192834. When the receiving device rings, the screen displays No Caller ID, Private, or Restricted instead of your actual digits. The feature costs nothing, requires zero account modifications, and works on conventional landlines, VoIP desk phones, and modern cellular networks.
Similar codes exist internationally:
- In the United Kingdom and Ireland, dial 141 before the destination number.
- Across Australia and parts of the European Union, the standard prefix is #31#.
- In Japan, callers dial 184 to request network-level number withholding.
This mechanism applies only to the single call you place with the prefix. The moment you dial the recipient again without entering the code, your standard caller ID broadcasts normally.
James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.
