How to Call Someone Anonymously: 7 Ways That Actually Work (2026 Guide)

You might need to call someone without showing your number. Maybe you’re contacting a business and don’t want a callback. Maybe you’re reporting something and want to stay private. Or maybe someone has been blocking your calls and you just need to reach them once.

Whatever the reason, there are several ways to hide your caller ID and make an anonymous call. Some take five seconds. Others need an app or a new number.

This guide covers all of them, along with where each one falls short.

What Does an Anonymous Call Mean?

An anonymous call is a call where your real phone number doesn’t show up on the other person’s screen. Instead of your number, they’ll see something like “Unknown,” “Private,” “No Caller ID,” or “Restricted,” depending on their carrier and device.

Hiding your caller ID only stops the person you’re calling from seeing your number. It doesn’t make the call itself untraceable. Your phone carrier keeps a full record of every call on its network, whether your caller ID is hidden or not.

So anonymous calling gives you privacy from the recipient — not from your phone company or from law enforcement if it ever comes to that.

Common Reasons People Call Anonymously

Calling a business or seller without wanting a callback later
Reporting a problem or filing a complaint without sharing personal details
Verifying information over the phone without revealing who’s asking
Reaching a number that has blocked you, for a genuine reason
Keeping a personal number private while making a work-related call

How to Make an Anonymous Call?

Here are the methods to make an anonymous call that work in 2026, starting with the fastest one:

**Method 1: Star Codes (*67 / #31#)**

This is the quickest way to hide your number, and it’s free.

In the US and Canada, dial *67 right before the number you’re calling. So to call 555-123-4567 anonymously, you’d dial *67 555-123-4567.

Your call goes through normally, but the recipient’s screen shows “Unknown” or “Private” instead of your number.

In the UK, most of Europe, Australia, and many other countries, the equivalent code is #31#, dialed the same way before the number.

A few limits to keep in mind:

It only hides your number for that one call — you have to dial the code again every time.
It won’t work when calling emergency services or most toll-free numbers, since those lines are required to see the caller’s real number.
Some carriers restrict caller ID blocking on certain plans, so it’s worth testing once with a friend before relying on it.
If the person you’re calling has already blocked your number outright, *67 won’t get your call through — blocking someone and hiding caller ID are two separate things on the network’s end.

Method 2: Built-in Phone Settings

If you want your number hidden by default on every call, instead of dialing a code each time, use your phone’s built-in setting.

iPhone:

Open Settings
Tap Phone
Tap Show My Caller ID
Turn the toggle off

From this point on, your outgoing calls will show as “No Caller ID.”

If this setting isn’t visible or can’t be toggled, your carrier hasn’t enabled it on your plan — dial *67 for individual calls instead.

Android:

Open the Phone app
Tap the three dots in the top-right corner
Go to Settings, then look for More Settings, Supplementary Services, or Calls (the exact label depends on your phone’s brand and Android version)
Tap Caller ID
Select Hide Number

Menu names shift slightly between manufacturers, but you’re always looking for a setting called Caller ID.

Method 3: Landline Blocking

Landlines use the same *67 codes for mobile phones. Pick up the receiver, dial *67, listen for a short tone, then dial the number as usual. This hides your number for that single call and comes at no extra cost.

If you’d rather have your landline hidden on every call automatically, call your phone provider and ask for Complete Blocking (sometimes called per-line blocking).

Once it’s set up, you don’t need to dial anything before each call — every outgoing call from that line is hidden by default.

Method 4: Anonymous Calling Apps

If you don’t want to keep switching a setting on and off, an app that gives you a separate, temporary number is usually easier.

Burner: gives you a virtual phone number on Android or iOS that isn’t tied to your real one, so calls placed through it don’t reveal your actual number.
Hushed: provides a disposable number you can call and text from, kept separate from your main line.
CoverMe: another option in the same category, combining a temporary number with built-in caller ID blocking.
Google Voice: lets you make calls from a second number linked to your Google account, and includes a setting to hide that Google Voice number too, for an extra layer of privacy.

These apps sit in the middle ground — more lasting than a star code, but far less commitment than carrying a second phone.

Method 5: VoIP Services

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) sends your call over the internet instead of through a traditional phone line. Because the call isn’t routed directly through your SIM or your carrier account, it isn’t tied to your number the way a normal call is.

A2P Calling is the most common VoIP option for this. There are also business-focused VoIP providers that let you set a custom caller ID or suppress it entirely, which is useful if you make a lot of calls you’d rather keep separate from your personal line.

Method 6: Payphones

A payphone is one of the simplest ways to stay anonymous — the person you call only ever sees the payphone’s number, never yours. There’s no app to set up and no device tied back to you.

The obvious problem is finding one. Payphones have mostly disappeared, but a few still turn up in places like train stations, hospitals, and older neighborhoods.

Method 7: Burner or Prepaid Phones

A burner phone is a cheap, prepaid device you can buy without signing up for a contract or handing over much personal information. Since it isn’t registered to you the way your main line is, calls made from it don’t lead back to your regular number.

This is the most thorough method on this list, but also the least convenient — you’re carrying a second device for something you might only need occasionally.

When Caller ID Blocking Won’t Work

Before relying on any of the methods above, know their limits:

Emergency numbers: 911 dispatchers can always see your number and location, no matter what caller ID setting you’re using. This is a built-in safety feature and can’t be switched off.
Toll-free numbers: these almost always require your real number to go through.
Numbers that have already blocked you: hiding your caller ID doesn’t undo a block. The call typically won’t connect the way you want it to.
Spam filters: many people simply decline or ignore calls that show up as “Unknown” or “Private,” since these labels are also common with spam and scam calls.
Carrier call-verification systems: newer authentication technology used by carriers can flag calls with hidden caller IDs as unverified, sending them straight to voicemail or marking them as suspected spam.

Is Calling Someone Anonymously Legal?

Yes. In the US, hiding your own caller ID for personal privacy is legal, and it isn’t considered “spoofing.”

Spoofing is different — it means making your caller ID display someone else’s real number, or a fake one, instead of just hiding yours. That’s covered under the federal Truth in Caller ID Act, which bans transmitting a false or misleading caller ID with intent to defraud, harm, or wrongfully obtain something of value, with fines that can reach $10,000 per violation. Simply showing up as “Unknown” or “Private” doesn’t fall under this law.

Also remember that hiding your number doesn’t excuse harassment. Repeated unwanted calls can still count as harassment under state law, whether or not your caller ID is hidden, and calls made to threaten or intimidate someone can be prosecuted as federal crimes. Anonymous calling is meant to protect your privacy, not to get around accountability for unwanted contact.

FAQs on Calling Someone Anonymously

Q1. Can you trace an anonymous call?

Your carrier can, even when the person you called can’t identify your number.

Q2. Is ## the same as 67?

Functionally, yes. *67 is the code used in the US and Canada, while #31# does the same job across the UK, most of Europe, Australia, and other regions. Both hide your caller ID for a single outgoing call, and neither changes anything permanently.

Q3. Can I call someone anonymously if they’ve blocked me?

If someone has specifically blocked your number, hiding your caller ID with *67 or a similar method won’t bypass that block — the call is still likely to fail to connect or go straight to voicemail.

Q4. How do I hide my caller ID when calling someone?

For a single call, dial *67 (or #31# outside North America) right before the number. If you want it hidden on every call going forward, turn off Show My Caller ID under Settings > Phone on an iPhone, or under your Phone app’s Caller ID settings on Android.

Q5. What does #21# do to my phone?

It has nothing to do with anonymous calling. *#21# checks whether unconditional call forwarding is turned on for your line — in other words, it tells you if your calls are being redirected somewhere else, not whether your number is hidden or your phone is being monitored.

Final Thoughts

If you only need to hide your number once, *67 or #31# handles it in seconds. If you want it hidden by default, switch it off in your phone’s settings. And if you need a genuinely separate number for repeated calls, an app like Burner or Hushed, a VoIP number, or a prepaid phone will serve you better than any code ever will.

Just remember what anonymous calling actually does: it hides your number from the person you’re calling, not from your carrier, and it won’t get past someone who has already blocked you. Use it to protect your privacy, not to dodge accountability.

How to Call Someone Anonymously: 7 Ways That Actually Work (2026 Guide)