Hiding your caller ID on your iPhone can be a good idea sometimes. Especially if you’re phoning someone you don’t really know. Or you’re ringing back a suspicious number that you reckon might just be spam. After all, it’s a right pain getting tons of annoying cold calls. And you really don’t need anymore of those! So, it’s a good idea to plan ahead before you make your next call. But how do you withhold your number? Well, you called – and we’ve got the answers…
How to hide caller ID on iPhone
Want to keep your number under wraps when you’re making a call? Here’s how to withhold a number on iPhone:
Open ‘Settings’ – Fire up your Settings app. If you can’t find it, it’s the one that looks like a gear on your home screen.
Go to ‘Phone’ – Keep scrolling until you spot the ‘Phone’ option. Tap on it to open up the phone settings.
Hit ‘Show My Caller ID’ – Press it and you should see a toggle button that’s like a little switch.
Toggle it off – Now just set the switch next to ‘Show My Caller ID’ to off. It’ll go from green to grey, showing you that your caller ID has now been hidden.
Voila! It’s that easy. And now whenever you make a call, your number will be kept on the down-low. Instead of your phone number popping up on their screen, you’ll show up as ‘No Caller ID’.
Why would you withhold your number on iPhone?
There are a few good reasons why you might want to use a withheld number on iPhone:
Privacy – It’s sometimes worth keeping your number private, especially if you’re making a lot of business calls. Or reaching out to people you don’t know that well. It’ll also stop you from getting a load of unwanted calls and helps to protect your personal info.
Security – Hiding your number can be a good way of beefing up your security. Especially if you’re worried about scams. Or just don’t want your number to be easily available to absolutely everyone you call. Either way, withholding your number adds an extra layer of protection.
Avoiding call-backs – Let’s say you want to leave a message without getting a call back. By hiding your caller ID, the person you’re ringing won’t see your number – and so probably won’t return the call. Giving you a bit more control over the communication.
Staying anonymous – Phoning your favourite radio show? Chatting on a podcast? Withholding your number means you can still have a good old natter, just with a bit more privacy.
FAQ
How do I hide my number when texting on iPhone?
Trying to hide your phone number when you’re texting is a little bit different. Unfortunately, normal texting won’t let you hide your ID. But if you use a messaging app like WhatsApp or Telegram, they have special privacy settings that’ll help you to control who can see your number.
Can I hide my caller ID from specific people?
Here’s the thing - when you hide your caller ID, it’s for every single call you make from your phone. iPhone doesn’t have any sort of built-in option to hide your caller ID for specific contacts. It’s really an all or nothing kind of deal when you decide to do it. But it’s not a permanent choice though, so don’t worry about not being able to switch it back on later!
There are some carriers with services that’ll let you block your number for certain calls. If that’s something you’re keen on, have a word with your service provider to see what kind of options they’ve got.
Can I turn my caller ID back on?
You sure can. If you want to go back to showing your caller ID when you ring people, here’s what you’ll need to do:
Go to ‘Settings’.
Scroll down and tap ‘Phone’.
Find ‘Show My Caller ID’ and toggle it back on.
Your phone number will now be visible to everyone again.
So, that’s everything you need to know about withholding a number on iPhone. Want to find out more about Apple’s mobile? Then make sure you check out what are haptics on iPhone? And if you’re getting bored of the same old ringtone, ring the changes and learn how to change the ringtone on your iPhone too.
