Want to make a call without revealing your identity? Need to stop unwanted calls from reaching you? As a Verizon customer, you have several effective ways to manage your caller ID and block unwanted communications. This comprehensive guide will walk you through each method, ensuring your privacy and peace of mind.
Take Control of Your Caller ID: How to Block Your Number on Verizon
It's a common scenario: you need to make a call to a new contact, a service provider, or perhaps even an ex, and you don't want your personal number displayed. Or maybe you're being bombarded by spam calls and want to regain control of your phone. Whatever your reason, Verizon offers various solutions to block your number and manage unwanted calls. Let's dive in!
Step 1: Decide on Your Blocking Strategy – Temporary vs. Permanent
Before we get into the "how-to," it's crucial to understand the different types of number blocking available and what fits your needs best. Do you want to hide your number for just one specific call, or are you looking for a more lasting solution?
Temporary Blocking: The One-Time Solution
When to use it: This is perfect for situations where you only need to hide your number for a single outgoing call. Think about calling a business after hours from your personal phone, or perhaps a Craigslist seller you don't want having your direct line.
How it works: You dial a simple code before the number, and your caller ID is hidden for that one call.
What the recipient sees: The person you're calling will see "Private," "Blocked," "Restricted," or "Unknown" instead of your actual phone number.
Permanent Blocking: For Ongoing Privacy
When to use it: If you want your number to always appear as "private" for all outgoing calls, or if you want to block specific unwanted numbers from reaching you, then permanent blocking is the way to go.
How it works: This typically involves adjusting settings within your phone, your My Verizon account, or using a dedicated app like Call Filter.
Important Note: Only the Account Owner or an Account Manager can implement permanent blocking features through My Verizon.
Step 2: How to Temporarily Block Your Number for a Single Call
This is the easiest and most common way to hide your caller ID on the fly.
Sub-heading: Using the *67 Dial Code
This method works across most carriers, including Verizon, and is incredibly straightforward.
Open your Phone app: Tap the phone icon on your smartphone to open the dial pad.
*Dial 67: Before entering the actual phone number you wish to call, type
*67.Enter the recipient's number: Immediately after
*67, dial the 10-digit phone number (including the area code) of the person you want to call. Do not press the call button yet.Example: If you want to call 555-123-4567 anonymously, you would dial
*675551234567.
Tap the Call button: Once you've entered the full string (e.g.,
*675551234567), press the "Call" button.
Your number will now be hidden for that specific call. Remember, this is a one-time block. For your next call, your number will show up as usual unless you dial *67 again.
Step 3: How to Permanently Block Your Number (Hide Caller ID for All Outgoing Calls)
If you prefer to have your number hidden for all outgoing calls by default, you can often adjust this in your phone's settings. Keep in mind that some carriers or specific phone models might have slight variations, and this feature may not be available in all scenarios (e.g., for certain prepaid plans).
Sub-heading: Adjusting Settings on Your Smartphone (iPhone and Android)
For iPhone Users:
Go to Settings: Tap the grey "Settings" app icon on your home screen.
Scroll and tap "Phone": You'll find this option about a third of the way down the page, next to a green-and-white phone receiver icon.
Tap "Show My Caller ID": This option is usually under the "Calls" section.
Toggle the switch to OFF: If the switch is green, tap it once so it turns white.
Now, your outgoing calls will display "No Caller ID" instead of your number. If you need to show your number for a specific call, you can dial *82 before the number.
For Android Users:
The exact steps can vary slightly depending on your Android device model and its operating system version. However, the general path is as follows:
Open the Phone app: Tap the phone icon.
Access Settings: Look for a three-dot menu (⋮) or "More" option in the top-right corner, then tap "Settings" or "Call Settings."
Navigate to Caller ID: Look for options like "Calls," "Supplementary services," or "Additional settings," then tap "Caller ID" or "Hide number."
Select "Hide number" or "Never": Choose the option that hides your caller ID for all outgoing calls.
Your number should now be hidden for all outgoing calls. Similar to iPhones, you can typically dial *82 before a number to temporarily unblock your caller ID for that specific call.
Sub-heading: Contacting Verizon Customer Service
If you can't find the option to permanently hide your caller ID in your phone's settings, or if you prefer a carrier-level solution, you can always contact Verizon customer support. They can enable a permanent Caller ID block on your line. Be aware that this might be considered an "Additional Service" in some cases.
Step 4: Blocking Specific Unwanted Numbers (Stopping Calls from Reaching YOU)
This is different from hiding your number; this is about preventing others from calling or messaging you. Verizon provides several robust tools for this purpose.
Sub-heading: Using My Verizon (Website or App)
My Verizon is your central hub for managing your account, including blocking calls and messages.
Via the My Verizon Website:
Sign in to My Verizon: Go to the Verizon website and log in as the Account Owner or Account Manager.
Navigate to "Account" then "My plan" and "Blocks": This path will take you to the blocking management section.
Select the applicable mobile number: If you have multiple lines, choose the one you want to manage.
Select "Block calls & messages": Here, you can enter up to 5 phone numbers to block for up to 90 days.
Enter the 10-digit number.
You can add a memo for your reference.
You can choose to apply the block to all eligible lines on your account.
Click "Save": Incoming calls from blocked numbers will be sent directly to voicemail, and text messages will not be delivered.
Via the My Verizon App:
Open the My Verizon app: Ensure your app is up to date.
Tap the "Mobile" tab: If prompted, enter your password, fingerprint, or Face ID.
Tap "Manage devices" then "Manage" below the applicable mobile number.
From the "Settings & Preferences" section, tap "Block calls and messages."
Enter a 10-digit phone number and tap "Block number."
To remove a blocked number, tap the "Delete" icon next to it.
Note: The free call and message blocking feature through My Verizon typically blocks up to 5 numbers for 90 days. For more extensive or permanent blocking, consider the options below.
Sub-heading: Leveraging Verizon Call Filter (App)
Verizon's Call Filter app is designed to combat spam and robocalls and offers more advanced blocking features.
Call Filter (Free Version):
Spam Detection: Identifies suspected spam calls with alerts.
Spam Filter: Automatically blocks high-risk spam calls and sends them to voicemail.
Spam and Blocked Call Log: Keeps a record of blocked calls.
Allow Numbers: Lets you whitelist numbers that might otherwise be blocked.
Report Spam: You can report unwanted numbers to improve the filtering algorithm.
Call Filter Plus (Paid Subscription):
For enhanced control, you can upgrade to Call Filter Plus for a monthly fee (typically $3.99 per month per line, or a multi-line option for $10.99 for 3 or more lines).
Caller ID: Identifies unknown numbers by name.
Spam Lookup: Allows you to search Verizon's spam database.
Personal Block List: Create a more extensive personal list of numbers to block.
Spam Risk Meter: Provides a risk level for incoming calls.
Block by Category: Block entire categories of calls (e.g., telemarketers, political, surveys, non-profit).
Neighborhood Filter: Automatically forward calls from your own area code/prefix to voicemail to combat "neighborhood spoofing."
How to get Call Filter:
Check if it's pre-loaded: Many Android devices come with the Call Filter app pre-loaded.
Download the app: If not, you can download "Verizon Call Filter" from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
Activate and Configure: Follow the in-app instructions to activate and customize your blocking preferences.
Sub-heading: Verizon Smart Family (for Family Plans)
If you're an account owner with a family plan, Verizon Smart Family offers advanced controls, including the ability to permanently block up to 20 numbers for yourself and enrolled dependents. This is a robust solution for managing communications for younger family members.
Access Verizon Smart Family: This service often has its own dedicated app or can be managed through the My Verizon website.
Set up blocks: Within the Smart Family interface, you can configure permanent blocks for specific numbers.
Step 5: Understanding Limitations and Important Considerations
While Verizon provides excellent tools for blocking numbers, there are a few things to keep in mind:
Emergency Services (911/999) and Toll-Free Numbers: You cannot block your number when calling emergency services or toll-free numbers. Your caller ID will always be displayed in these instances.
iMessage (for iPhone users): Blocking a number via My Verizon or your phone's settings primarily affects standard calls and SMS/MMS messages. For iMessages (blue bubble texts), you may need to block the contact within the iMessage app itself or disable iMessage entirely in your iPhone settings if you want to block communication from them via that platform.
Voicemail: When you block a number (either through My Verizon or Call Filter), calls from that number are typically sent directly to voicemail. They won't ring your phone, but they might still be able to leave a message.
Blocked Recipient Notification: The person whose number you've blocked will not receive a notification that they've been blocked. They'll simply experience their calls going to voicemail or their texts not being delivered.
Call Unmasking Apps: While rare, some individuals might use specialized apps that attempt to "unmask" *67 calls. However, for the vast majority of regular calls, the *67 code is effective.
By understanding these nuances, you can effectively manage your privacy and communication on Verizon. Whether it's a quick *67 for a single anonymous call or a more comprehensive blocking strategy with Call Filter, Verizon empowers you to control who can reach you and how your identity is displayed.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are 10 related FAQ questions with quick answers to further assist you:
How to temporarily block my number on Verizon for one call?
Simply dial *67 before the 10-digit number you wish to call. Your number will appear as "Private" or "Blocked" to the recipient.
How to permanently hide my caller ID on Verizon?
You can usually do this through your phone's settings: for iPhone, go to Settings > Phone > Show My Caller ID and toggle it off. For Android, it's typically Phone app > Settings > Calls/Supplementary Services > Caller ID > Hide number.
How to block specific numbers from calling me on Verizon? You can block up to 5 numbers for 90 days via the My Verizon website or app under "Account > My plan > Blocks > Block calls & messages." For more comprehensive blocking, use the Verizon Call Filter app.
How to stop spam calls on Verizon? Download and activate the free Verizon Call Filter app. It automatically identifies and blocks high-risk spam calls. You can also report spam numbers within the app.
*How to unblock my number after using 67?
You don't need to unblock it. *67 only blocks your number for that single call. For the next call, your number will show up as usual.
How to unblock a number I previously blocked on Verizon? If you blocked it through My Verizon, log in, navigate to the "Blocks" section, find the number under "Currently blocked numbers," and tap "Delete." If using Call Filter, go into the app's settings to manage your personal block list.
*How to see who called me if they used 67? Generally, you cannot see the actual number if someone calls you using *67. It will show as "Private," "Blocked," or "Unknown." Verizon offers a feature called "Anonymous Call Rejection" (*77) which can send these calls to a message informing them to unblock their number to reach you.
How to block text messages on Verizon? Blocking a number through My Verizon's "Block calls & messages" feature will also block text messages from that number. The Verizon Call Filter app also helps manage unwanted text messages.
How to block international calls from reaching me on Verizon? The Verizon Call Filter app can identify and block spam calls from international numbers if your spam filter is turned on.
How to block calls from an entire area code on Verizon? With Verizon Call Filter Plus (the paid version), you can set up a "Neighborhood Filter" to automatically forward calls from your own area code/prefix, or an entire area code, to voicemail.
