Calling anonymously

There are plenty of reasons why you wouldn’t want certain people or organizations to have your personal phone number. You may want to avoid telemarketers, scams, robocalls, or even stalkers, for example. However, the default setting for any smartphone is to display your phone number when you call someone.

In order to call anonymously, you have to hide your caller ID in the settings of your phone app. When you do this, the person you call won’t see your actual phone number, but just that they’re being called by a “private number”. Different mobile operating systems have different configurations for hiding your caller ID, but we’ll take you through the basic settings for devices running on Android or iOS.

One thing to note with this option is that many people ignore private number calls these days due to the bad rep from spam calls on these types of calls.

Hiding caller ID in Android

There are many versions of Android on the market. With new versions coming out, the settings menu is often adjusted over time. If your phone isn’t fully updated or uses a different developer skin (such as Samsung’s or Motorola’s custom designs), there’s a chance your settings menu will look slightly different from the screenshots shown here. In this case, you can simply look for the right keywords, and you’ll eventually find what you’re looking for. 

Want to hide your caller ID on an Android device? Follow the following steps:

1. Open the phone app on your device. This is the app you use to call others. The app is usually placed on the home screen in the bottom left corner and looks like a (green) square with a phone in it.
2. Tap on the three dots in the top right corner and select “Settings”.
3. Open “Call Settings”.
4. Select the SIM card you’re currently using. If you only have one SIM card in your smartphone, you can skip this step.
5. Go to “additional settings”.
6. Tap on “Caller ID”.
7. Select “Hide Number”.

From now on, your phone number will no longer be visible to anyone you call. This is great for your privacy, but as we mentioned, can also have a negative side. Don’t be surprised if fewer people suddenly answer their phone when you ring them.

Hiding Caller ID in iOS (iPhone)

Just like with Android, it’s very simple to hide your caller ID in iOS as well. Here’s how you do it:

1. Open the settings on your iPhone.
2. Select “Phone”.
3. Select “Show my Caller ID”.
4. Toggle “Show my Caller ID” so the option is turned off.

Making a single anonymous call

It’s also possible to call someone privately by adding a small code in front of the number you’re calling. The advantage of this method is that you don’t have to go through all of your settings and then change it back when you want your number to be visible again. If it’s just a single private phone call you’re after, all you have to do is figure out what code to add for your particular country.

If your phone works via a GSM network (like most Androids), you can always dial #31# to block your caller ID. Same goes for if you’re still not sure which code to use. #31# works in most cases.

Texting anonymously

It’s also possible to send out anonymous texts via special websites. If you plan on doing this, please be aware that there are many fake websites around offering bogus texting services. They promise to send on your text messages, but instead try to install malware on your device. Meanwhile, your text is never even sent. Should you ever receive a strange text from an unknown source, make sure never to click on any links inside the message. This could seriously compromise your device.

One reliable website that actually sends out your anonymous texts is anonymoustext.com. The procedure on their website is very straightforward, and the site is very easy to use. If you want to use this service, you can do so by following these steps:

1. Go to the anonymoustext.com website.
2. Choose how you want the sender to appear on the recipient’s device. The most obvious choice is to keep this on “Anonymous”. However, you can also choose for either a UK or US phone number to be displayed.
3. Type in the phone number of the recipient. Don’t forget to add the correct country code!
4. Enter the message you wish to send.
5. Select whether you want to send it now or at a later date.
6. Click continue
7. Pay for your text. You can do so either via PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or by credit card.

Anonymoustext.com offers a reliable service but isn’t exactly cheap. A single text will cost you as much as $1.25. However, there are special options available in case you wish to send more than just one anonymous text:

“Sending a text costs $1.25 per message. A long text of more than 160 characters costs $0.25 more per extra message. You can pay with PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay or a credit card. It’s a single payment, and there’s no subscription attached. The recipient of the text message will not be charged.”

Encrypted VoIP and text messaging

Perhaps your concern isn’t necessarily that you want to stay anonymous to the person you’re communicating with. If you’d rather stay hidden from any outsiders who might be spying on your conversation, there are a number of third-party apps available to communicate privately. Thankfully, these alternative apps are mostly free and available to all online users.

The default apps that come with your smartphone usually aren’t sufficiently protected against possible surveillance. Therefore, we’ll be suggesting two alternatives that can greatly decrease the likelihood that anyone is listening in on your conversation. As such, these are great tools for whistleblowers, journalists, people living in autocratic countries, or for anyone who simply wants to communicate privately. There are more private messaging apps available, but the two suggested here, Signal and Linphone, have a steady record of providing safe communication for any online user. A good source for checking private communication software is privacytools.io.

Signal: encrypted calling and texting

Signal was designed specifically for safe, encrypted communication. All of its texts and phone calls are secured through end-to-end encryption. Apart from this, Signal boasts a number of useful features, such as a timer for messages to self-destruct. Signal is completely free and available for Android, iPhone, and Windows.

Linphone: encrypted VoIP

If you want to video call someone in a safe and secure manner, Linphone is a very decent option. The software is completely open-source and available for free. It’s available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Linux and Android. All of the messages sent through Linphone are secured with end-to-end encryption.

Virtual Phone Number

A virtual phone number, also known as DID or access number, is a telephone number that is not directly associated to a telephone line. These numbers are often programmed to forward incoming calls to one of the pre-set telephone numbers chosen by the client; either Landline, Mobile or VoIP.

Virtual phone numbers can be registered with an international, local or toll free area code and can be customised to provide the perfect vanity number. ConXhub boasts one of the industry’s largest inventories of virtual phone numbers with hundreds of thousands of options to choose from across 9000+ cities from 62+ countries around the globe.

Phone Number Types

Local Phone Numbers

Local phone numbers represent a specific region, city or county/state which is identified by their 3 digit area code. Local phone numbers are a great way to establish a local presence within a community whether you have a physical presence there or not.

With ConXhub, you may register as many local phone numbers as needed, in as many different localities as required. It doesn’t matter if you are in a big city like Chicago (312) or a small town such as Key West (786), we have local phone numbers available for everyone.

Toll Free / Freephone Phone Numbers

Toll free phone numbers begin with the area codes like: 800. Traditionally the owner of the toll free numbers is charged for the call and the caller is not billed. However, ConXhub does not charge any additional fees for toll free usage to either our customers or the originating caller.

You may also choose a custom toll free phone number that spells a word, phrase or a specific sequence of digits. These toll free numbers are known as vanity phone numbers and are also available for selection.

Local Rate Phone Numbers

Local rate phone numbers usually start ‘0845…’ or ‘0844…’ in the UK. Calling a local rate number from a landline or mobile phone can be up to 7p per minute plus an access charge which is set by your phone company. Businesses tend to use local rate numbers when they want to keep the cost of calling relatively low.

National Phone Numbers

National Phone Numbers which in the UK start with 03 for example are numbers not attached to any specific Town or City and can be dialled for one simple price across the whole of a country. These numbers will give you a national presence.

Using ConXhub you can have as many National Phone numbers as you require.

National Rate Phone Numbers

These numbers start ‘0870…’ or ‘0871…’ in the UK and give your business a national presence. As these numbers are billed to the caller at a national rate (up to 13p per minute from a landline or mobile phone plus an access charge), they can generate an income for you.

For regulatory purposes, national rate numbers are treated similarly to premium rate numbers (see below), so to operate one you need to make sure you meet the rules.

Premium Rate Phone Numbers

Premium rate numbers, which start ’09…’ in the UK, cost anything up to £3.60 per minute plus an access charge – which can be as much as £6 – to call from a landline or mobile phone. They’re often used for competitions or by businesses that want to generate significant revenue through call charges.

Many companies find that using them sends a clear message to customers: ‘don’t call us’! Strict regulations govern the use of premium rate numbers too – you need to make sure you follow the code of practice published by Phone-paid Services Authority, the UK regulatory body.

ConXhub can supply any type of number for any purpose and in conjunction with its award winning patented outbound call service gives business a formidable advantage over competitors.

Final thoughts

There are multiple ways to text and call safely and anonymously. You can hide your caller ID, use an external website to send out your messages, or use a third-party app that provides end-to-end encryption for any messages you send. A final remark we want to make is that these tips and tools exist to provide users with security and anonymity. They are not intended to abuse or harass others. Multiple people have gotten into trouble after bothering others over the phone using anonymous phone numbers. Your privacy is important, but it should not come at the expense of others.