No caller ID vs unknown caller? I hope you are quite aware of the terms. But, what are the fundamental differences between them? How no caller ID is different from Unknown call? And most important how to handle them and what are the safety or privacy issues regarding incoming calls from an unknown number and a number marked with no caller ID?
No Caller ID vs Unknown Caller: Fundamentals
“No caller ID” and “Unknown caller” are fundamentally the same when your phone doesn’t shows a number on the screen of an incoming call. Although in the technical aspects, they are quite different where an incoming call can be marked as “No caller ID” and “Unknown caller”
Read Also: Restricted Phone Call: What Is It? Should You Be Concerned?
What is the Difference Between No Caller ID vs Unknown Caller?
Although “No caller ID” and “Unknown Caller” are similar, they are not the same. No caller ID is when the caller purposefully hides their number, while an unknown caller is when your service provider acts up and can’t read the contact.
In case of call from “No caller ID” number, is an incoming call from the caller who has intentionally hidden the number either using a prefix or deactivating the caller ID on the device. Read more here: How to Hide your Number and Call from Private Number. These calls can also be displayed as “Private Number” as well.
While in the case of “Unknown Caller”, the network service provider is not able to identify the number due to a technical error that keeps them from reading the phone number information.
“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.”
What Does No Caller ID Mean?
An incoming call marked with “No Caller ID” simply means that the person calling has deliberately hidden the number from being displayed. Such calls are often associated with spammers or scammers and are also referred as Restricted Call.
It is suggested to avoid such calls and don’t share your personal information like your social security number, bank details or other pieces of information.
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What Does Unknown Caller Mean?
An incoming call marked with “Unknown Caller” means that the service provider is unable to identify the number as there might be technical glitches or other errors.
Also adding the prefix *67 before the number makes your call appear as “Unknown Caller” or “Private Number” on the person’s device you have called.
But, this feature is a network supported which means your service provider must support the Block Caller ID feature.
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How to Handle Calls from a No Caller ID or Unknown Caller?
As mentioned in the above lines an incoming call from a No Caller ID and an Unknown Caller is different in terms of usability, intentions and interpretation. So the risk factors are while handling these calls.
A call with No Caller ID is riskier as compared to calls marked as Unkown calls. So, here are the methods you can follow to handle the call whether it’s marked as No Caller ID or Unknown Call on your mobile screen.
1. Ask The Caller
The best way to handle call marked as No Caller ID or Unknown Call is to ask the person about the identity and the intention of the call. If they are legit, they will definitely introduce themself.
2. Ask Service Provider
In case of suspicion about the call marked as No Caller ID or Unknown Call you can always call customer care to ask for the identity of the last received call on the device.
All the service provider companies have their 24×7 dedicated toll-free number where you can call and ask for the detail of the number.
3. Use Third-Party Tools
Using a third-party app to reveal the identity of a call from No Caller ID or Unknown Call is to use a third-party service or app to unmask the number. You can also use Caller ID apps to identify incoming calls for free. Using a Reverse phone lookup tool can also help you to track a anonymous call as well.
4. Decline the Call
Without getting bothered about the difference between No Caller ID or Unknown Call is to simply ignore or decline the call without partiality. The caller will definitely find another method like messaging to interact with you if needed.
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5. Block the Caller
If you are getting continuous calls from a suspicious caller, you can simply block the number and stay comfortable. If the situation get worst, you might reach the Federals to investigate the matter.
Read Also: How to Block Incoming Calls on Android: Block Calls on Android
6. Set Up Voicemail
If you are still confused with handle the incoming call marked as No Caller ID or Unknown Call, then you might want to setup voicemail and let the call go for it. A voicemail simply helps you to handle such calls.
You can later reach the voicemail to retrieve the message as Visual Voicemail or voicemail.
Read Here:
- How to configure and Access Voicemail on Android
- How to Configure and Access Voicemail on a Land Line
How to Block “No Caller ID” or “Unknown caller” Calls
Depending on whether you’re using iOS or Android, the process to block unknown callers differs. On Android phones, you will have to use built-in tools, and third-party software on iPhones.
When it comes to the third-party tools to use on iOS devices, TrueCaller is probably the best.
Let’s get into what you need to do.
Android Phones
Here’s what you do on Androids:
- Open the phone app
- Click on the three dots in the corner
- Click on Settings
- Tap Block Numbers
- Scroll through the options on the screen and tap Block Unknown Callers
- Toggle it (should turn green)
iPhone and other iOS Devices
Here’s how you use it:
- Go to the App store
- Search for TrueCaller and download it (it’s free)
- Go to the Settings app
- Tap on the Phone button
- Select Call Block & Identification
- Tap on Allow These Apps to Block Calls and Provide Caller ID (the feature should toggle green)
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How to Unmask “No Caller ID” or “Unknown caller” Calls
So, the million-dollar question “How Do You Find Who is Behind the Hidden Incoming Call?” comes to the surface. Is there any method to trace the incoming call that is displayed as No Caller ID or Unknown Call? In most cases, you can use the Caller ID app or the default Dialer with caller ID to identify the number.
Also, it’s a working method to call customer care and ask for the actual number behind the call displayed as No Caller ID or Unknown Call. Read more: How To Track A Hidden Phone Number? 7 Easy Methods.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does No Caller ID Mean That You Have a Call From a Blocked Number?
Are No Caller ID calls dangerous?
Should I answer No Caller ID calls?
Final Words
Fundamentally there are no differences between “No Caller ID” and “Unknown Caller”. But they are completely different in terms of usability, intention and safety. An incoming from “No caller ID” means a caller has deliberately hidden the number while an “Unknown call” is a temporary glitch where the network is not able to get the information about the number. A “No Caller ID” call can be suspicious and should be handled wisely. You can use the methods explained in the article above to handle or reveal the number behind a hidden number.