Unknown Caller vs No Caller ID – What They Mean

By John Adebimitan

Under normal circumstances, your phone would usually display the number behind an incoming call. Also, if you have the caller’s number saved in your contacts, you get to quickly identify who it is before you pick the call.

However, this is not always the case. Sometimes, you may receive calls with no detail of the caller’s number. These calls could either have a No Caller ID or Unknown Caller detail.

If you want to know what they mean, this article can help. This article will discuss the difference between Unknown Caller vs No Caller ID.

What Does No Caller ID Mean?

If you receive a call with a “No Caller ID” detail, the caller has disabled their number from being viewable during a call. The caller must have set up the ‘Hide my number/ Privacy’ option to enable this feature.

People use this feature if they want to place prank calls or if they want to carry out scam activities. As a result, it is not advisable to pick these calls.

If you decide to pick the call, be very careful of the information you give to the caller.

What Does Unknown Caller Mean?

When you receive calls with an “Unknown Caller” description, it means your telecommunication network cannot obtain the caller’s information.

It could be that the Caller ID was available, but your cellular network couldn’t recognize the information. In another instance, it could also be that the caller has masked their number by dialing *67 before calling you.

Unknown Caller vs No Caller ID – Main Differences

Though both the “Unknown Caller” and “No Caller ID” features achieve the same objective, they are different.

The calls you receive as “No Caller ID” mean that the caller has decided to hide their number from being visible when they call you. On the other hand, the “Unknown caller” mainly means that your cellular network has not been able to get the caller’s information.

Why Does My Number Show Up as Unknown?

There are a few reasons why your number could show as Unknown to people you call. One of these is in cases where your recipient’s service provider cannot obtain the details of your phone number.

Another reason could be that you may have activated the *67 feature. This feature makes the telecommunication network interpret your call as Unknown.

Why Don’t Cell Phones Have Caller ID?

Generally, cell phones are not capable of receiving standard Caller ID. They do not have Caller IDs because they do not use the same kind of signaling that landlines use.

Moreover, since cell phones are constantly moving between different areas, the results of Caller ID monitoring will be very inconsistent. As a result, many network carriers now offer a paid service that helps obtain the Caller ID, which they then deliver to you when you get a call.

What Is *69 When Calling – What Does It Do

Dialing *69 is a method known as “last call return.” When you dial *69, you will be able to check the number that called you last.

As long as the number is not private or unknown, you will be able to call the number back.

Can You Trace A *67 Number?

Yes, you can. Though you may not be able to do this by yourself, the phone company or authorities can help trace a *67 number.

Remember that phone companies do not rely on Caller ID information. Instead, they can quickly obtain the phone numbers of their customers through their billing information.

They can also find the name attached to the number with this billing information.

They can also figure out the type of phone connection you are using – cellular, landline, or other types.

How to Call Without Showing Caller ID

Sometimes you may want to make calls without worrying about the possibility of your phone number falling into the wrong hands. You can simply block your number if you want to hide your Caller ID.

You can use any of the methods below.

Dial *67

The quickest and easiest way to block your number is to dial *67 before the number you want to call. For instance, if you want to block your phone number when calling 666-666-6666, dial *67-666-666-6666.

You will need to do this for any number you want to call if you don’t want your phone number to be visible.

Anytime you use this *67 feature, your Caller ID will appear as “Private” or “Blocked” on the receiver’s end.           

You should note that some cell phone carriers do not allow people to block their Caller ID. If your cell phone carrier is one of them, simply use the method below.

Inform Your Cell Carrier of Your Wish to Block Your Number

You can contact your cell carrier’s customer care or technical support line to tell them that you want to block your number.

If you use this method to block your number, it will be hidden from the recipient of every call you make. You can temporarily unblock your number by dialing *82 at the beginning of the number you want to call.

How to Call Back Someone with No Caller ID

Dial *69 before anyone else calls you. Doing this will enable you to contact the caller if they answer the phone call.

If you do not reside in the US, dial the call return code of your country.

Unknown Caller vs No Caller ID – Conclusion

Receiving calls with “Unknown Caller” or “No Caller ID” tags can be very annoying. However, not every call you receive with such detail turns out to be from someone with impure intentions.

Nonetheless, you should always be careful when you pick up calls from unknown callers or callers with no ID.

We hope this article has helped you understand the differences between Unknown Caller vs No Caller ID.

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