A Complete Guide to Phone Number Masking

Phone number masking, is a telephony feature that hides a caller’s real phone number by displaying a temporary or alternate number, protecting the privacy and security of both parties during personal and professional communications. It protects your actual phone number from being exposed. 
 

Call masking works by routing calls through a temporary virtual number, hiding the real phone numbers of both parties to protect privacy and secure communication. When you make a call, the masking service intercepts it, replaces your actual number with a virtual one, and connects the call to the recipient, ensuring they only see the masked number.

Step 1: A call request is made through an app, platform, or business phone system.
Step 2: The system assigns a temporary virtual number to route the call.
Step 3: Both parties see the virtual number instead of the real one.
Step 4: The call is connected securely via the cloud system.
Step 5: After the conversation ends, the temporary number can expire or be reused.

Masking your phone number protects your personal information, prevents unwanted calls, and helps you maintain a professional image.

• Call masking helps you keep your real number hidden from strangers and unknown contacts.
• Masking your number helps avoid spam calls and telemarketing. It reduces the chances of receiving unwanted calls.
• When you mask your phone number, you protect your personal information from being accessed or misused by others.
• Masking your phone number allows you to use a separate number for business calls, keeping your personal number private.

The legality of call masking depends on the country or region you are in. In many places, it is legal to mask your phone number if you use it for legitimate purposes, such as protecting your privacy or maintaining a professional image. However, using call masking to deceive or commit fraud is illegal and unethical.
 

There are three effective ways to mask your phone number and keep your real number hidden when making calls.

When you disable caller ID on your phone, your number will appear as “Unknown” or “Private” to the recipient.

On iPhone:

You can disable caller ID on an iPhone directly from the phone’s settings. It ensures your number remains private whenever you make a call.

• Go to the Settings app.
• Scroll down and tap on Phone.
• Tap on Show My Caller ID.
• Toggle the switch to disable caller ID.

On Android:

Disabling caller ID on Android phones varies depending on the device and carrier. However, the process generally involves accessing the phone’s call settings to hide your number.

• Open the Phone app.
• Tap on the three dots (menu) in the top right corner.
• Select Settings or Call Settings.
• Tap on Additional Settings.
• Tap on Caller ID and select Hide number.

When you dial *67 before the number you are calling, it temporarily hides your number for that particular call. For example, to call (123) 456-7890, you would dial *671234567890. Instead of your number, the recipient will see “Private Number,” “Unknown Caller,” or “No Caller ID” on their phone. The *67 method works on most carriers in the United States.

You can effectively mask your real phone number with a second number. A third-party VoIP service or application allows you to use a different number when making calls or sending messages.

Call masking routes your call through a third-party service, which replaces your real number with a secondary number before connecting the call to the recipient.

Calilio allows you to use a secondary number for your calls. When you call through our VoIP phone system, your real number is replaced with the number you want the recipient to see.

Phone number masking protects privacy, prevents misuse of personal numbers, ensures secure communication, and adds professionalism to business calls.

Privacy is a top concern in any business interaction. Number masking ensures neither the customer nor your team has to share personal phone numbers. It replaces real numbers with temporary virtual numbers, keeping private contact details safe and secure.

When customers know their personal information is protected, they're far more likely to engage and do business with you. Number masking shows you take privacy seriously, strengthening your brand reputation and customer relationships.    

If your business handles international calls, number masking helps manage those connections securely. Whether you're coordinating with remote employees, delivery drivers, or overseas clients, you can keep real numbers private across borders.

Data privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA demand that businesses protect customer data. Number masking helps you stay compliant by preventing the unnecessary exchange of personal contact information during calls.

Industries like ride-hailing, courier delivery, healthcare, and online marketplaces rely on number masking to protect customers and service providers. It ensures both parties can communicate when necessary without exposing personal phone numbers.

Since businesses can assign specific virtual numbers to different teams, campaigns, or customer segments, organizing, routing, and handling calls becomes much smoother. This results in faster issue resolution and better customer experiences.

Call masking protects your phone number by replacing your real number with a temporary virtual number during calls. When you make or receive a call, the masking service routes the conversation through this alternate number, so the person on the other end never sees your actual phone number. This keeps your personal or business contact details private, preventing them from being exposed to strangers, unwanted contacts, or potential scammers.

By hiding your real number, call masking reduces the risk of spam calls, identity theft, and privacy breaches. It creates a secure communication channel where both parties can talk safely without worrying about their information being misused. Whether you’re running a business or just want to keep your number private, call masking offers an easy and effective way to protect your phone number while staying connected.

Masking your phone number prevents unwanted calls, and maintains a professional image. Whether you disable caller ID, use *67 before the number, or opt for a secondary number through a third-party service, each method effectively keeps your real number hidden.