How do you find a no caller id number

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Getting frequent calls with No Caller ID can be annoying, especially when you are in the middle of something really important such as business meetings, client calls, etc.

Or you could be in bed having a nice nap when suddenly your phone rings and you pick up your phone in a jitter only to find no number on it.

In my case, I was expecting an interview call when I got a call on my mobile from an unknown caller. I rushed to answer it, thinking it was from the company where I applied for the job.

On answering the phone, I realized that telemarketers were trying to woo me into buying a new insurance plan. 

Miffed at this incident, I finally filtered all the unknown calls I received on my mobile phone.

However, there was one problem, sometimes I received calls with “No Caller ID,” while other times I got calls with “Unknown Caller” displayed on my phone.

Curious to know the difference, I called the customer service of my mobile operator to understand the difference between such calls and here’s what they had to say.

“If you receive a call stating No Caller ID, it means that the caller is trying to hide his number from you whereas Unknown caller means your mobile operator hasn’t interpreted the number.”

Furthermore, they suggested ways to counter such anonymous callers, such as declining calls, using third-party apps, etc.

This article will provide a detailed explanation of the difference between No Caller ID and Unknown ID, along with some proven ways to deal with such nuisances.

What Does No Caller ID Mean?

If you are receiving phone calls with “No Caller ID,” then it means that the person calling you has deliberately decided to hide his phone number.

Is that possible? Yes, with the “No Caller ID” feature available on certain phones, the caller can hide his number while making a phone call.

Once you enable this feature, the privacy flag in the network is set to true, and the caller willfully hides his number from appearing on your phone.

What Does Unknown Caller Mean?

If you are receiving calls with “Unknown Caller” displayed on your mobile screen, then the chances are that your telecom operator has not been able to interpret the number on their side.

Another common way of masking your phone number is by dialing *67 before the number you dial.

So what’s the difference? You might be wondering if both “No Caller ID” and “Unknown Caller” are the same. 

The truth is, though they achieve the same objective, there is one major difference between the two.

As mentioned previously, the “No Caller ID” refers to the caller choosing to hide his mobile number using a special feature available on his mobile phone.

On the other hand, “Unknown Caller” refers to the inability of telecom companies to interpret the phone number on their end due to certain restrictions.

How to Unmask “No Caller ID” Calls

If you are disturbed by frequent calls from masked numbers, then worry not; third-party apps can reveal the incoming numbers.

I know one particular app that I have tried and tested, proven effective against unknown calls, is “Trap Call”.

Trap call can help you unmask the “Unknown Caller” ID by revealing the caller details such as his phone number, name, and even their address.

Another benefit of using Trap call is that it allows you to blacklist the number and block it from further calling.

You can also try to reach out to your phone company, which usually keeps records of all your device’s incoming and outgoing calls.

Most phone companies have an Anonymous Caller ID Service, which ensures that the caller with an unknown ID enabled will reveal his number to the phone company to place a call.

But firstly, you need to enable this service by providing them the date and time of receiving the anonymous call with “Unknown Caller” or “No Caller ID” along with your name and address.

How to Decline a “No Caller ID” Call on an iPhone

If you are an iPhone user, you can decline calls from an Unknown number or No Caller ID by swiping on the red decline button you see on the screen.

If your iPhone is locked, you can decline the calls by pressing the lock button twice. 

Block Unwanted Calls

Alternatively, you can change your mobile phone settings to block unwanted calls. Here are the steps to prevent anonymous calls on your mobile phone.

For iPhone:

 1. Go to “Settings” on your iPhone and tap on “Phone”.

 2. Under the “Phone” option, toggle “Silence Unknown Callers” to ON.

For Android:

1. Open the “Dialer” on your Android mobile.

2. Tap on the “Vertical Ellipsis” (Three vertical dots)menu on the right-hand side of the app.

3. Choose “Settings”.

4. Tap “Block Numbers”.

5. Toggle “Block Unknown Callers” ON.

By making the above changes on your mobile device, you can prevent anonymous callers from calling you and disturbing you repeatedly.

Final Thoughts on No Caller ID vs Unknown Caller

Interestingly, not all Unknown callers are troublesome, sometimes making phone calls through VoIP can also result in the unavailability of the caller’s phone number.

Unlike conventional landlines and wireless networks, VoIP uses the internet to make phone calls, making it undetectable by conventional telephony networks.

Most businesses and organizations use VoIP to cut telephone expenses. So next time you get a call from “Unknown Caller”, it could be from your office(tongue in cheek).

Trap Call is a great app to block and blacklist anonymous callers, but this app has restrictions and can’t be used outside the US. Keep this in mind if you travel a lot.

However, similar third-party apps such as Truecaller have also proven to be effective in blocking calls and identifying spam numbers.

Telemarketers are also known to mask their phone numbers to effectively make cold calls and improve conversion rates.

But, if you feel threatened by frequent anonymous calls, I strongly recommend you reach out to your phone company or higher authorities to deal with this menace.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does no caller ID mean you have them in your contacts?

No Caller ID means that the person calling you has deliberately masked his number even if he is in your contacts.

Should I answer with a no caller ID?

You can answer a “No caller ID” if you choose to, but I strongly recommend against it as the chances of getting scammed are quite high.

What happens if I answer an unknown number?

Sometimes there is a chance that the “Unknown number” could be from an international region. Answering such calls can result in hefty charges from your carrier.

How do you call back a no caller ID?

You can use third-party apps to first identify the phone number and then call back, but if the call is made through VoIP, you won’t be able to call back.

How do you find out who a no caller ID number is?

Can you trace back a no caller ID?