5 Simple Ways to Call Back a Private Number: Our Favorite Methods

Cindy Ellis - August 9, 2022

The average adult receives about 5 voice calls each day. Out of those 5 calls, about one-third are scam calls or calls from a private number. In fact, the scam-call industry has grown to over 190 million scam calls per day. So, you might want to think twice before picking up a call from a private number.

It also helps to know who’s calling you. Unfortunately, it’s hard to call back a private number because the number is hidden. Private numbers can also be hidden in a few ways, so you might have to try a few approaches before you call them back.

The good news is that there are several methods you can use to uncover who’s hiding behind a private number. We’re going to take you through what a private number is, who uses private numbers, and how to uncover the identity of the caller. Read on to learn more below.

What Is a Private Number?

A private phone number is a phone number that doesn’t have a caller ID. For most private numbers, the caller intentionally hides their caller ID. While some private numbers are harmless, people may use private numbers to pose as someone else, which is popular among scammers. Private numbers can also be hijacked phone numbers that want to remain hidden.

What Are the Types of Private Numbers?

There are a few types of private numbers. People and phones also have unique ways of displaying private numbers, so what appears on your phone might be different from what appears on someone else’s device.

Below are some of the common iterations of private phone numbers:

• Restricted
• No caller ID
• Blocked
• Private caller
• Private
• Private number
• Withheld

Depending on your device and where you live, you might have a different variation.

Who Uses Private Numbers?

Many people and companies use private numbers. Private numbers are used by people who want to hide their identity from the person they’re calling. Therefore, private numbers are commonly used by debt collectors, telemarketers, and scammers. It’s for this reason that private numbers are associated with scams and other negative things.

However, private numbers can also be harmless. A private number can be a friend prank-calling another friend, or a doctor who doesn’t want patients to know their number. Mechanics and other people who have many clients might want to hide their numbers to avoid calls from clients on days they’re not working.

Why Would You Want to Call a Private Number Back?

Calling back a private number can help you identify who called you. If the person (or robot, in some cases) picks up the phone, you can have a conversation with them.

On the other hand, you can also leave a voicemail to request that they don’t call you back. Additionally, their pre-recorded voicemail message can help you identify who called.

5 Ways to Call Back a Private Number

When a private number calls you, there are a few ways to call the number back.

1. Universal Vertical Service Code (VSC)

One of the easiest ways to call back a private phone number is to use the vertical service code (for the United States). When someone uses a private number to call you, they also use this code, which is *69 on landlines and #69 on mobile devices. The code was designed by the North American Numbering Plan Administration.

To call back a private number using this method, dial *69 and no other number (on landlines). Then, the phone will automatically call the last number that called you. Keep in mind that you won’t know the private number if you use this method. Instead, the phone will call back the number for you, and you can potentially speak to the person who called you. Additionally, you might reach a voice mailbox, and some voice mailboxes state the name of the person who called.

On mobile phones, you can also use the universal vertical service code. When using a mobile phone, however, the button you have to press might be different. Some IOS phones require you to use #69 instead of *69 to call back private phone numbers. On Android devices, it can be *69 or #69 – it depends on the device.

2. Verifying Phone Provider Logs

Another great way to call back a private phone number is to use the phone provider logs. Phone provider logs are available for mobile and landline phones, and most phone providers send logs with monthly statements. Using phone provider logs can be helpful because mobile phone companies and landline service providers track every incoming call to your phone number.

In some cases, the phone provider logs provide more options than checking through your phone. When looking at the report, you can match the date and time of the call to the number that’s on the phone logs. From there, you have the private phone number and can attempt to call it back. That said, some numbers are scam calls or calls that come from spoofed numbers. Spoofed numbers are phone numbers that have been stolen from other people.

3. Call Tracing

Most phone providers also give users access to call tracing. When tracing a call in this way, you won’t be able to call the private phone number back, because the information won’t be available to you. The good news is that if the number is traced and flagged by your phone provider, you won’t have to deal with private calls from that number. So, it’s a way to block a private phone number and provide their name, number, and address to phone providers.

Call tracing can be done in a few ways. The first method is to enter *57 on landlines and #57 on mobile phones – this includes smartphones. Using *57 after a private number call prompts the service provider to track the phone number; phone providers will also give you instructions to follow, so the specific, complete steps depend on your provider. When the trace is complete, your phone provider will let you know if the trace was successful.

Call tracing can also be done by the police. If you believe a private phone number is calling you for malicious reasons, contacting 911 (in the United States) can help you resolve the issue. Having the police trace calls is helpful for private phone calls that include threats or scams.

4. Reverse Number Lookup

Once you’ve uncovered the number, you can use a reverse number lookup to find out information about the caller. To perform a reverse phone number lookup, you can use services, like our reverse phone lookup, to identify the number.

Using an online database like this is helpful because it can provide information about callers that don’t live in your state, and it pulls data from multiple informational sources about a caller, including public records and social media accounts.

5. Using Third-Party Apps and Websites

When all else fails, it’s time to use third-party apps, websites, and subscription services. Third-party organizations can help you reject a call from a private number and, when the call is over, the number will be revealed. While this doesn’t work for every phone number and can cost money, it’s worth it for people who receive dozens of calls from private numbers each week.

Some third-party apps and websites can also help you find information about private phone numbers from other countries. In fact, third-party services are one of the only methods to call back private phone numbers that come from different countries.

Depending on your situation, it might take you a few tries to call back a private phone number. The good news is that one of the five steps we covered will work. It all depends on your unique situation.

How to Block a Private Number

Blocking private numbers is a great way to avoid calls from private phone numbers. You can block private phone numbers in a few ways. On cellphones and smartphones, you can block private numbers through your phone’s settings. You can also block private phone numbers on landlines or home phones.

How to Block Private Phone Numbers on a Landline

Landlines can block all private phone numbers on the dial pad. To block private numbers on a landline, you have a few options. These options include:

• Dialing *60 to block a specific phone number that calls you; this also works for some private numbers.
• Dialing *77 and waiting to hear 3 beeps; *77 blocks private numbers from calling your phone.

You can use these options for most home phones, work phones, and other types of landlines.

How to Block Private Numbers on an Android Phone

Android phones can also block private numbers. All you need to do is go through the settings on your dial pad. For Android phones, follow the steps below:

1. Open up the dialing screen (where you type in someone’s number).
2. Tap the “settings” button in the top right corner.
3. Go to “Call blocking.”
4. Go to “Block List.”
5. Scroll to find and activate “Block anonymous calls.”

These steps apply to phones that operate on the Android system, like Samsung, LG, and Google phones.

How to Block Private Phone Numbers on an Apple (IOS) Phone

IOS phones also have similar methods for blocking private numbers. You can follow the steps below to block private numbers on IOS devices.

1. Go into your general settings.
2. Go to “Privacy” and select “Do not disturb.”
3. Locate and activate the “Manual” setting.
4. Tap “Allow calls from contacts.”
5. Then, select “All contacts.”

Following these steps will prevent you from getting private calls on Apple devices.

How to Make Your Phone Number Private

If other people can make their phone numbers private, you can too. Surprisingly, making your phone number private is simple when you know what to do. Depending on the type of phone you’re calling from, there are a few methods to make your number private.

Using the Vertical Service Code (*67)

The *67 method is one of the simplest methods to make your phone number private. *67 works on most landlines and cellphones, but some smartphones might not have access to it.

To use the *67 method to make your phone number private, you need to dial *67 before entering the phone number. So, it looks something like this: *67-631-555-8888. When using *67 the person on the other end of the call won’t know who’s calling.

Making Your Phone Number Private on Android Phones

Making your phone number private on Android phones can be done through the phone’s settings. All you need to do is follow the steps below:

1. Go to “Device settings.”
2. Locate “Call settings.”
3. Go to “Additional settings.”
4. Go to “Caller ID.”
5. Select “Hide.”

Before making a private call, test it out by calling a friend’s phone or landline. That way, you can see if you’ve set it up properly.

Making Your Phone Number Private on IOS Phones

When it comes to iPhones, making your phone number private can be done in a few steps. Follow the steps below to make your number private on IOS devices:

1. Go to “Settings.”
2. Go to “Phone.”
3. Go to “Show my caller ID.”
4. Turn off “Show my caller ID.”
5. Make a call to a landline or friend’s phone to test it.

These steps apply to all IOS devices and, in some cases, work for computers and tablets.

See Who’s Calling Today

Private phone numbers have become popular over the last few years. People use private phone numbers to prank their friends, scam people, hide their identity, and more. Some private phone numbers are made by pre-recorded robots too.

That said, being able to identify a private phone number puts you one step ahead of the caller. You can take the offensive and figure out who’s calling you. Depending on your situation, using one of the five methods we listed to call back private phone numbers will work.