2023, July 14
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Security
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6 min read
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Matt S.

How to Make an Anonymous Call From Your Phone?

An anonymous call is a call that can't be traced to an identity or a person. This means it uses tools to get anonymity and hide private information.

Sometimes you want to have some control over what data you share. Knowing how to make an anonymous call is effective for pranks, jokes, business, or many other things. By hiding your phone number, you can ensure more anonymity, disclose information and expect to protect your identity better. While the concept may seem complex, even something that only James Bond-level spies can pull off, it is pretty simple to make anonymous calls if you know the proper techniques and tools.
In this article, we will explore different methods that allow you to make anonymous calls from your phone while ensuring your privacy and security.

What is an anonymous call, and how it works?

For the call to be anonymous, it can't be traced to your identity or your person. This means that you have to disguise and hide your phone number. If you want to know how to make calls anonymous, you should focus on having the right set of tools and being aware of the methods.
They can help you have a shield of anonymity and hide your phone number and private info.

An overview of methods to make an anonymous call

Let's look at the wide range of available methods that can be used to make an anonymous call.

Using the *67 code

The code *67, added before any phone number, could potentially prevent your phone number from being displayed to the recipient of the call. However, test it out before since it doesn't work in all countries and with all phones. This is a primitive method, yet brilliant if it is successful.
Check out the image from WikiHow below to see how this works exactly.

Using apps for call spoofing

Keep in mind that having your number as PRIVATE or UNKNOWN isn't illegal, yet it can be considered something of a grey area. However, using a call spoofing app that helps change your caller ID can be considered totally illegal. It depends on the jurisdiction, but be careful whenever you try this particular method.
The only way in which a spoof is actually harmless, if it's a prank, is being done to mess with your friends, colleagues, and/or family members. Spoofing is a practice commonly used by scammers, and you should know that anyone can be at the receiving end of it. Here's a great graphic illustrating how it usually works.

Burner phones

This is probably one of the more effective methods to make an anonymous call, but:
  • It requires a lot of disposable cash
  • It is becoming more and more difficult to pull off
  • It requires a lot of time and effort
Most of us have plans with our carriers. This requires a signed contract that associates your name and identity with your phone number. Then, the carrier is, by legal obligation, required to keep and track your messages and log conversations. If law enforcement asks them to provide such data for an investigation or other purpose, they have no other way only to give that data. So, if you said something wrong, you may be in hot water.
This is why we suggest a workaround. While a burner isn't necessarily your main/daily phone, it can provide flexibility for making anonymous calls. The number won't be associated with your personal data and provides total anonymity. This is great if you want to share sensitive information, connect with confidential sources or live in countries where the government can willingly spy on you.
Keep in mind that a burner phone will need replacement quite often. It costs between 20 – 100 USD.
Some reference eBay listings for burner phones.

VoIP services

VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) services like Skype or WhatsApp offer an option to hide your caller ID or even display a different ID when making calls. These services use the internet to transmit voice calls, allowing you to easily control your caller ID settings.
This is a privacy-oriented option that makes it easy to make an anonymous call. However, the anonymity is still limited.

VPNs

We usually think of VPNs as tools to help mask our true IP addresses and avoid regional lock and censorship online. However, you can utilize a VPN service to connect to different servers, which makes it much harder to track your location, identity, and number. This isn't a totally bulletproof method, but it does work. Learn more if VPNs are legal to use in our previous blog post (Click here).

E2E encrypted apps like Skyda

Probably the most effective way to communicate anonymously and how make calls anonymously is using E2E encrypted communication apps like Skyda. Our app utilizes WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) technology to ensure crystal-clear audio and minimal or even no delays.
In addition, you can make your identity a secret, and your phone number isn't visible at all. If the recipient has Skyda (Learn more), you can call one another and share information in total confidence without any risk of being exposed.

Risks and downsides of making an anonymous call

If you know how to make an anonymous call, you should also know the downsides of this decision. There are some risks and problems associated with it.
  • While methods listed in our blog offer a certain level of anonymity, most of them are not foolproof. Advanced techniques can potentially trace anonymous calls, so it's important to exercise caution and use burners and E2E encryption for maximum security.
  • Sometimes and in some cases, making an anonymous call can be considered illegal. It's generally not against the law, but check for yourself and be very careful.
  • People are less likely to answer an unknown or private caller ID.
As you can also see, almost three-quarters of people don't answer calls that are listed as potential spam, so be careful with your caller ID spoofing, masking, etc.

Conclusion

So, as you can see, making an anonymous call from your phone isn't too difficult. However, there are only 1 or 2 methods that provide genuine anonymity. Always exercise caution when utilizing these methods, and make sure you aren't doing anything illegal.
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