To call on a private number from your Oppo phone, which means hiding your caller ID from the recipient, you can adjust your phone's call settings. This setting ensures your number appears as "Private Number," "Unknown," or "No Caller ID" on the recipient's phone.
Permanently Hiding Your Caller ID
You can configure your Oppo phone to hide your number for all outgoing calls through the device settings. Follow these steps:
- Open Settings: Tap on the Settings icon on your Oppo phone's home screen or app drawer.
- Navigate to Call Settings: Scroll down and tap on Call or Mobile Network > Call Settings. The exact path may vary slightly depending on your Oppo ColorOS version.
- Access Operator Settings: Look for an option like Operator's Call Related Settings or Carrier Call Settings and tap it.
- Find Additional Settings: Select Additional Settings or More Settings.
- Choose Your SIM: If you have a dual-SIM Oppo phone, select the specific SIM card (e.g., SIM1 or SIM2) for which you want to hide the caller ID.
- Locate Caller ID Option: Tap on Owner Number or Caller ID. This option controls whether your number is shown or hidden.
- Select "Hide number": From the available options, choose Hide number to turn off caller identification. To revert and show your number again, you would select Show number.
Once selected, all outgoing calls from that SIM card will appear as a private or unknown number to the recipient.
Making Temporary Private Calls
If you only need to hide your number for a specific call and not all future calls, you can use a dialing prefix:
- *Dial `67#
before the number:** Open your phone's dialer app. Before typing the recipient's phone number, type67#. For example, to call 123-456-7890 privately, you would dial67#1234567890`. - Press the Call button: The recipient will see "Private Number" or "Unknown" instead of your actual phone number for that single call. This method temporarily overrides your permanent caller ID settings.
Understanding Caller ID Options
Here's a quick overview of the caller ID settings:
| Setting | Description | Effect on Recipient | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Show number | Your phone number is displayed to the recipient. | Your phone number is visible. | Standard calls, contact recognition. |
| Hide number | Your phone number is concealed from the recipient for all outgoing calls. | Recipient sees "Private Number" or "Unknown." | Maintaining privacy for all calls. |
| *67# Prefix | Hides your number for a single call, overriding permanent settings. | Recipient sees "Private Number" or "Unknown." | One-off private calls, maintaining default visibility. |
When to Use a Private Number
People choose to hide their caller ID for various reasons, including:
- Privacy Concerns: To prevent new contacts from saving their number immediately.
- Avoiding Unwanted Callbacks: When making inquiries or one-time calls where a return call is not desired.
- Professional Reasons: Some professionals might use it when calling clients from their personal phone but want to maintain a professional boundary.
- Telemarketing or Spam Prevention: When calling services that might otherwise add your number to marketing lists.
Important Considerations
- Emergency Services: Your number will always be visible to emergency services (e.g., 911, 112, 999) regardless of your caller ID settings.
- Blocked Numbers: If the recipient has blocked private or unknown numbers, your call might not go through.
- Carrier Specifics: While the general steps are consistent, some subtle differences might exist based on your mobile carrier and specific Oppo model or ColorOS version.
- Reverting Changes: Remember to go back into the Call settings and select "Show number" if you wish to display your caller ID again permanently.
By following these steps, you can effectively manage your caller ID visibility on your Oppo smartphone.
