How to Change Your Phone Number When You Call Someone

We have all been there. You need to call a contractor back, but you don’t want them to have your personal cell number. You are selling a couch on Facebook Marketplace, and the buyer wants to “chat briefly,” but you don’t want a stranger texting you at 3 AM. Or maybe you are returning a call to a company that seems a little sketchy, and you want to keep your privacy intact.

In 2026, your phone number is your digital ID. It is linked to your bank, your social media, and your address. Handing it out to strangers is risky. You want to make the call, but you don’t want to show your number. Or even better, you want to show a different number.

If you are in North America, Europe, or Australia, you have options. From the ancient “block codes” of the 90s to modern “burner” apps, here is how to mask, change, and control what appears on the other person’s screen.

Level 1: The “Invisibility Cloak” (Hiding Your Number)

This is the simplest method. You aren’t changing your number to a fake one; you are simply telling the carrier to display “No Caller ID” or “Private Number.”

This works on almost every carrier in the world, but the “Magic Code” you dial changes depending on where you live.

For North America (USA & Canada): The code is *67.

1. Open your dialer.

2. Type *67.

3. Type the phone number (e.g., *67-555-123-4567).

4. Hit Call.

• Result: The person sees “Restricted,” “Unknown,” or “Private.”

For Europe, UK, & Australia (GSM Standard): The code is usually #31#.

1. Open your dialer.

2. Type #31#.

3. Type the phone number (e.g., #31#07700900000).

4. Hit Call.

• Note for UK Landlines: If you are calling from a landline in the UK, the code is often 141 instead. But for mobiles (Vodafone, O2, EE, Telstra, Optus), #31# is the gold standard.

The “Permanent” Switch: If you want every call to be hidden (which I don’t recommend, because people will stop answering you), you can change this in your settings.

• iPhone: Settings > Phone > Show My Caller ID > Toggle OFF.

• Android: Phone App > Settings (Three dots) > Calls > Additional Settings > Caller ID > Hide Number.

Level 2: The “Second Life” (Using a Burner Number)

Hiding your number is fine, but it has a flaw: Nobody answers “No Caller ID” anymore. In the era of spam calls, seeing “Unknown” looks suspicious. The better solution is to display a real number, just not your real number.

This is where VoIP (Voice over IP) apps come in. These apps give you a second, functioning phone number that runs over your Wi-Fi or Data connection.

1. Google Voice (The King of North America) If you are in the US, this is the best free tool in existence.

• Cost: Free.

• How it works: Google gives you a legitimate US phone number. When you call via the Google Voice app, the recipient sees that Google number, not your Verizon/T-Mobile number.

• Bonus: If they call back, it rings your phone, but you can screen it.

2. Hushed / Burner (The Global Options) If you are in the UK, Europe, or Australia, Google Voice is rarely available for personal users. You need a “Burner App.” Apps like Hushed, Burner, or TextNow allow you to “rent” a number.

• Cost: Usually $5/month.

• Feature: You can pick a number with a specific area code (e.g., a London 020 code or a Sydney 02 code).

• Why it’s great: When you call via the app, the recipient sees a perfectly normal local number. They answer because it looks legit. When you are done with the Craigslist sale, you just “burn” the number, and it disconnects forever.

3. Dual SIM / eSIM (The Hardware Fix) Most modern iPhones (XR and later) and Androids support eSIM. You can buy a cheap prepaid plan (like Mint Mobile in the US, or Giffgaff in the UK) and load it as a secondary line. When you open your dialer, your phone will ask: “Call using Primary or Secondary?” If you select Secondary, your main number is safe. This is the most professional option because it doesn’t rely on app data quality.

Level 3: The “Business Mask” (VoIP Spoofing)

What if you are a business owner? You are working from home on your personal iPhone, but you want your client to see your Office Landline number on their Caller ID. You don’t want them saving your cell number and texting you on weekends.

You cannot do this with a standard phone. You need a business VoIP system like RingCentral, Aircall, or Zoom Phone. These apps allow “Outbound Caller ID Selection.”

• You open the RingCentral app on your cell.

• You dial the client.

• The system routes the call through the cloud and stamps it with your office’s generic 1-800 or local business number.

• This is perfectly legal and standard practice for remote work.

Level 4: The Danger Zone (Spoofing Cards)

You might have heard of services like SpoofCard. These services allow you to type in any number you want to display. You could call your friend, but make it look like the call is coming from their own mother, or the Pizza Hut down the street.

The Legal Warning (Read This Carefully): In the US, the Truth in Caller ID Act makes it a federal crime to spoof a number with “intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongly obtain anything of value.”

• Pranking a friend? Grey area, usually legal if harmless.

• Pretending to be the IRS? Felony.

• Pretending to be a bank to steal data? Felony.

Furthermore, in 2025/2026, networks in the US (using STIR/SHAKEN protocols) and the UK/France are aggressively filtering these calls. If the network detects that the call is originating from a source that doesn’t “own” the number, the call is often blocked automatically or labeled as “Spam Risk.” Spoofing arbitrary numbers is becoming technically difficult and legally dangerous. Stick to Level 2 (owning a second number) instead of Level 4 (faking a number).

If you just want to hide for a one-off call? Use *67 (US) or #31# (Europe/Aus). It’s free and instant.

If you need to maintain a conversation (like selling a car or dating)? Download a burner app like Hushed or Google Voice. It costs less than a coffee and keeps your real life separate from your digital noise.

Your phone number is the key to your privacy. Stop handing the master key to everyone who asks for it.