Contenuti
Intro
Calling with a private number can be useful to protect one’s privacy or to avoid receiving unwanted calls. There are several ways to call with a private number, which vary depending on the device and service used.
Before explaining the different procedures that allow you to do so, it is worth pointing out that when you decide to call with an anonymous number, you should make sure that it is for a good reason and that is to defend your privacy. For example, if you are forced to use your own cell phone instead of the company’s, or if you need to contact, for valid reasons, an unknown person whose phone number you do not want to make visible.
These recommendations are given to avoid problems with the law. The risk of using the anonymous number, in fact, lies in the fact that there is an article of the Criminal Code, which prohibits the use of the telephone in a manner designed to inconvenience others. This act is considered by the criminal justice system as an intentional crime. This means that the law does not punish a telephone mistake or those who occasionally phone someone with a private number, but simply, sanctions those who act in bad faith with the purpose of harming others,
as in prank calls or other malicious intent such as stalking.
Also, it should be pointed out that a number is never truly anonymous, and there are various ways to identify the caller. The most important is the one called the Override Service, a little-known legal weapon that is available to all Italian citizens and that allows, through a call to operators, to learn of an anonymous number.
In general, it is important to keep in mind that calling with a private number may have some limitations, such as the possibility of still being identified by some operators or services.
Ways to call with a private number
Having made the necessary recommendations, we then go on to explain the different ways in which anonymous calls can be made.
Landlines and cell phones
This is perhaps the fastest and best known way to be able to anonymize a call. If you want to call with a private number from a landline or cell phone, you can use the “Private Call” feature found on most phones. To use this feature, you must prefix *67 or #31# to the phone number you wish to call.If you are a Fastweb, Tim, Wind, Infostrada or Iliad user you will need to use *67#, while with Vodafone and all other operators you will use #31#. However, this procedure is not definitive and must be applied whenever you want to make an anonymous call.
Android Devices
If, on the other hand, you want to make it permanent, for as long as you deem necessary, to hide your number from all outgoing calls and you own an Android smartphone, this is the procedure:
- Go to Settings
- Select Call Settings
- Click on Account for Calls
- Enter Advanced Settings
- Press on caller ID
- Finally, select Hide Number
This will make your number anonymous for all outgoing calls until you decide to make it visible again.
iPhone
If you own an iPhone it will be even easier and faster to make your caller ID invisible permanently or at least as long as you see fit. Follow these simple steps:
- enter the Import section
- Go to Phone
- Press Show Caller ID
- Turn off the option
That’s it, your iPhone calls will be anonymous until you decide to change the settings again, following the same procedure.
WhatsApp does not have a built-in feature for anonymous calling. However, it is possible to use a trick to make anonymous calls on WhatsApp using another call handling app.
The trick is to use a call handling app such as “Caller ID Faker” o “Fake Caller ID“, to change your number displayed during the call on WhatsApp. Once the app is installed, you can set your phone number as “private” or “anonymous” before making the call on WhatsApp.
Skype
Skype like Whatsapp also does not have a built-in feature to make anonymous calls, however, it is possible to use a virtual number or a different Skype account.
To use a virtual number, you can purchase it online and associate it with your Skype account. This way, when making a Skype call, the number displayed will be the virtual number instead of the real number.
To use a different Skype account, you can create a new account using a different email address and phone number. This way, when you make a Skype call, the other person will see the name and number associated with that account instead of your real data.
Applications for anonymous calling
There are several applications for mobile devices that allow anonymous calling.
Burner
To make anonymous calls using the Burner app, you need to follow these steps:
- Download and install the Burner app on your device.
- Open the app and create a new virtual number.
- Use the new virtual number to make anonymous calls by entering the recipient’s number and pressing the button to make the call.
Burner also offers the option of personalizing one’s virtual number with a fake name for more anonymity.
Hushed
Hushed is another good alternative for making calls with a second number for free. You simply follow this procedure:
- Download and install the application
- Within the first screen, press the Sign Up button to create an account. then enter your e-mail and a password, then press Sign Up and then the Accept Terms of Use button.
- Within the Home, press the + Add Number button, then Claim Now! to get a three-day free trial with a U.S. or UK number.
- Next, enter an area code of your choice, or choose a number from those suggested by pressing the Search button.
- Tap on the Claim for FREE now button and perform the captcha check that is offered. Confirm, subsequently the activation of the 3-day trial.
- Before making the call, you will be shown an alert containing a request to access your smartphone’s microphone: tap, then, OK.
- Now all you have to do is call your contact. Tap on the agenda icon to access the address book, tap on the contact you are interested in, and initiate the call by tapping on the phone handset icon.
SpoofCard
SpoofCard gives you the ability to call and text from a virtual number. In addition to this feature, which is already present in other applications, SpoofCard also allows you to easily record your phone calls and instantly download them once the call is completed. In addition, Calls made through your virtual phone number on SpoofCard can be immediately sent to a person’s voicemail. This saves you time when you need to avoid the conversation by sending a voice message.
How to trace an anonymous number
In this section we want to point out that a number is never truly anonymous and there are various ways to identify the caller.
The most important is the one called the Override Service, a little-known legal weapon that is available to all Italian citizens. With this service it is possible to request, from a telephone operator, a detailed account of all calls received. In this way you can also learn about numbers that have called you anonymously. There are also several apps such as the popular Whooming app, which can be downloaded on Android and iPhone. To take advantage of this service, one must sign up on the site and then set up either rejected call detour or all call detour. Following registration, the user will get a code to enter on the device. The recipient of the anonymous call can reject it, and it will be redirected and analyzed by the service, which will make the number visible in the list of received calls within 24 hours. Upon payment of a fee, the service will make the number in question available immediately.
