How to Mask Your Phone Number

This article will cover what hidden numbers are, how they’re used, and alternative methods to consider when choosing a way to guard your privacy.

What Does Masking a Phone Number Entail?

For many, the process of masking one’s phone number can often seem tricky and overly complicated. However, upon further inspection, the whole concept becomes much clearer. In the simplest terms possible, masking a phone number simply means withholding it from whoever might be on the receiving end of a call. At the moment, there are two common methods for achieving this effect; blocking your number using your personal phone or utilizing a third-party service.

Cloaking a Personal Phone Number

In this category lies a couple of ways to block someone else from seeing yourself whilst still using your personal number. For a great deal of individuals, these methods are the easiest as it doesn’t require the involvement of a third party. In the US, the first approach for blocking is to simply put *67 in front of the number that is to be called. On the other end, your number will be listed as “Blocked” or “Private”. While this most always works on smartphones and landlines, other brands don’t fare so fortunately.

For other users, another solid option would be to check the device’s settings and see if the phone number can be blocked manually. For this method, iPhone and Android are the most common devices that allow a user to do this, but it is still worth looking into as a stable option. The certain advantage of manually setting your calls to be seen as blocked is that one doesn’t need to go through the inconvenience of dialing a code every time a number needs to be hidden.

Even then, some with different types of telephones may not be able to perform the previously mentioned methods. There is still a third sturdy approach to blocking a phone number by simply calling one’s cellular service provider. All of the major providers allow for individuals to select this option to make a number private, and it can even be toggled on permanently. The only hassle with using the service provider is that if at any moment a person wished to have the private status removed, they would most likely have to go through their provider’s service channels once more.

Using a Third Party to Veil Phone Numbers

Using a third party is also a viable, yet slightly more complex process to master. There are many third parties to choose from with many different offers but all tend to function in a similar way. To begin, the client would plug in their personal phone number, where the service would then provide a range of numbers to which the customer in question can use to call whomever they please. There is also the ability to have the phone numbers of both parties hidden to maximize the security of both ends. With this process, the number provided by the service will appear as the caller’s ID, and not the original one belonging to the client.

Why do Individuals and Businesses Elect to Mask their numbers?

With masked numbers, most everyone has something to gain. However, picking the right method comes down to subjective opinion amongst other factors like ease of use and the needs of the consumer. As a general rule of thumb, businesses tend to benefit from third-party systems due to their size and increased risks, while individuals more often than not prosper from taking advantage of the personal methods. Either way, both provide needed protection and work to benefit both niches in similar ways.

Through the Business Man’s Eyes

Although masking one’s phone number is not as prevalent in the everyday world of the common civilian, businesses and corporations alike who exist in the professional world quite enjoy this method of communication. The logic used is that for many short-term contracts or relationships between businesses where the use of the telephone is necessary, keeping phone numbers hidden often avoids any hassles or safety issues that might come with revealing such personal information. This idea especially comes into its own when considering companies that use short-term calling with clients. A separate number from the companies automatically weeds out most any complication with the idea.

What can the Common Man Gain?

There is a much wider scope of benefits to consider when one is taking into account the everyday laborer. With the multitude of quick one-stop online services available today, consumers can use the telephone to order food to their house, use cellular hotlines, and much more. However, along with all of these innovations comes an added risk to security as well. For those who wish to give themselves an extra layer of protection, using a masked phone number is an exceptional idea.

More Permanent Alternatives

Though it may feel as if masking one’s phone numbers is a perfect solution, there is one major flaw with both personal shrouding and third-party providers respectively. The big issue with making your personal number private is in the description, it’s still your personal number. If by chance someone manages to get a hold of it through malicious means, all that work would be worth nothing as an advanced scammer can wreak havoc on your life. On the flip side, a big issue with third-party providers is that their phone numbers can only be used temporarily.

This simple truth limits users to only accessing what they have bought to call. For those who want something a bit more permanent, look no further than services that rent telephone numbers directly. With services like Tardigrada.io, one can reap the benefits of a separate number for privacy while also being able to use the number in ways such as creating online accounts.