How can I hide my caller ID on MTN?

Tips
1

I’m trying to make some calls from my MTN line without showing my phone number, but the usual tricks I found online either don’t work or seem outdated. Can someone explain the current, reliable way to hide my number on MTN, including any codes or settings I need to change, and whether there are limits or extra charges?

2

On MTN, most of the old tricks still work, but some depend on your country and on the phone you use. Here is what usually works right now:

  1. One-time hidden call
    Try the short code before the number.
    For many MTN networks it is:

    • #31# followed by the number
      Example: #31#08031234567
      If that fails, try:
    • *31#number
      If both fail, your local MTN probably disabled the code or your phone overrides it.

  2. Phone settings method
    This works on most smartphones and is more reliable than codes.

    On Android:

    • Open Phone app
    • Tap the three dots or “More”
    • Go to Settings
    • Tap “Calling accounts” or “Calls”
    • Pick your MTN SIM
    • Tap “Additional settings” or “More settings”
    • Tap “Caller ID”
    • Choose “Hide number”

    On iPhone:

    • Go to Settings
    • Scroll to “Phone”
    • Tap “Show My Caller ID”
    • Turn it off

    After that, test with a friend’s line. If your number still shows, MTN or your country rules block caller ID hiding for your line.

  3. Network-level blocking by MTN
    Some MTN regions block anonymous calls to fight fraud.

    • Postpaid business lines sometimes have caller ID lock
    • Some MTN zones allow hide only on per-call basis, not permanently
    • Regulatory rules in some countries force caller ID on for certain destinations like emergency numbers and banks

  4. Use MTN’s own “Private number” service if available
    Depends on country. Try:

    • Dial *121#, *100#, or your local MTN self-service code
    • Check in “Call services” or “Caller ID” options
      Or check their local site for “Caller ID restriction” or “CLIR”.

  5. If nothing works

    • Call MTN customer care
    • Ask if “Caller ID Restriction” or “Private Number” is allowed on your line
    • Ask if it is blocked on the network due to regulations
      If they say it is blocked on network side, no trick will bypass it.

Quick test checklist:

  • First try #31# before a local number.
  • Then change caller ID in phone settings and test again.
  • If both fail, contact MTN support and ask about CLIR support for your country and plan.

Small note, if you call toll-free numbers, banks, or emergency services, your number often still shows even if you hide it.

3

Couple of extra angles to add on top of what @espritlibre already dropped, since you said the “usual tricks” aren’t working.

  1. Country & plan matter more than people think
    A lot of MTN tips online are copy‑pasted from Nigeria or South Africa tutorials. If you’re in, say, Rwanda, Uganda, Ghana, Benin, etc., the network behavior can be totally different.
    Two things that often break caller ID hiding:
  • You’re on a business/postpaid or special tariff plan
  • You activated some “anti‑fraud / verified caller” feature without realizing it

So before wasting time on more codes, check:

  • Are you on prepaid or postpaid?
  • Did you recently migrate to a “business” or “enterprise” package through your office?
    Many corporate / business MTN accounts have permanent caller ID forced ON. You can flip every setting on your phone and it still won’t hide.
  1. Try cross‑network tests, not just within MTN
    Some weird behavior I’ve seen:
  • Hidden ID works when you call another MTN line
  • Suddenly fails and shows your number when you call Airtel / Vodacom / Glo, etc.
    That happens when interconnect rules between networks override CLIR (caller line identification restriction).

So test like this:

  • One call to another MTN line
  • One call to a different network
  • One call local vs one international if you can
    If it only fails on specific networks, that’s not your phone or MTN settings, that’s routing rules and there’s nothing practical you can “trick”.
  1. Check for VoLTE / Wi‑Fi Calling weirdness
    This is the part almost nobody mentions, and where I partially disagree with the “phone settings solve it” idea.

If your MTN SIM is using:

  • VoLTE / 4G calling
  • Wi‑Fi Calling / VoWiFi
    the phone’s caller ID toggle does not always propagate correctly. The result:
  • Regular 2G/3G call: number hidden
  • VoLTE / Wi‑Fi call: number suddenly visible

Quick test:

  • Turn off VoLTE and Wi‑Fi Calling in your phone’s Mobile Network settings
  • Place the same test call again
    If it starts working on 3G/2G only, you’ve found the culprit.
  1. Dual‑SIM confusion
    If you’ve got two SIMs:
  • Make sure you changed caller ID settings on the MTN line itself, not the other SIM
  • Some phones have separate “Caller ID” menus per SIM slot
    I know, sounds basic, but I’ve watched people swear “it doesn’t work” while changing settings on the wrong SIM for 10 minutes straight.
  1. Check for “fixed caller ID” features
    Some MTN regions sell:
  • “Caller ID branding” or “Verified caller”
  • “Business line display name”
  • Special SIMs for POS / bank / corporate

Those can override hiding completely. If you ever registered for anything “official” tied to your line (banking alerts, business line, etc.), ask MTN if that feature is forcing your number to show. Customer care will not always volunteer that info unless you ask directly:

  • “Is there any CLIP / verified caller / fixed caller ID service active on my line that blocks CLIR?”
  1. Regulatory blocks are often per‑destination, not all‑or‑nothing
    It’s not just emergency lines. In some countries:
  • Calls to banks, govt agencies, financial services, shortcodes and toll‑free lines ignore hiding
  • Some hotlines and “customer care” numbers see your real number even if the person you’re calling would not

So if your only tests were to toll‑free or call centers, it might look like hiding is broken even though it works for normal mobile/landline numbers.

  1. Last resort: explicit CLIR provisioning
    Instead of asking customer care “how do I hide my number”, phrase it like:
  • “Can you check if CLIR is provisioned or allowed on my line?”
  • “Can you enable permanent caller ID restriction on my MTN number?”

Some systems need that feature toggled in their backend. Without that, your phone’s settings and codes act like suggestions they just ignore.

In short:

  • Don’t just spam codes; test across networks and with VoLTE/Wi‑Fi off.
  • Verify your account type (prepaid vs business/postpaid).
  • Ask MTN specifically about CLIR / fixed caller ID / verified caller features on your number.

If they confirm CLIR is not supported at all on your plan or in your country, there’s no current trick that reliably bypasses that without using an entirely different line or a VoIP app that’s not tied to your MTN caller ID.

4

If you’ve already tried the usual MTN tricks and what @chasseurdetoiles and @espritlibre suggested still does not stick, the next step is less “secret code” and more “how your number is actually provisioned on the network.”

1. Forget more codes, look at how your line is classified

Where I slightly disagree with both: endlessly testing *31# / #31# is usually a waste once they fail twice. The network profile of your line is the real boss.

Ask support very specifically:

  • “Is my line tagged as individual / consumer or business / corporate?”
  • “Is there any CLIP, CLIR, fixed caller ID, verified caller or branding service on this number?”

If you are on a corporate pool, M2M / POS SIM, or some “business plus” package, caller ID hiding is often hard‑blocked and only the company admin can change it.

2. Check if MTN tied your number to advanced fraud filters

Some MTN regions silently opt users into:

  • Scam / spam protection
  • Caller verification services
  • Anti‑spoof or “trust” features

Those features can silently override the “hide number” request, especially when calling:

  • High‑risk ranges (banks, loan providers, fintech short codes)
  • International gateways
  • Numbers flagged in their risk database

So if you see your ID leak only toward certain destinations, it is probably this kind of policy, not your phone.

3. Test with call forwarding and call divert in mind

An angle people forget:

  • If you call someone who has call forwarding to another number, your caller ID can reappear on the final forwarded leg even if you hid it.
  • Same with systems that pull your number from signaling at a later hop.

So:

  • Test with a very “plain” target: a simple prepaid SIM on another operator, no forwarding, no voicemail tricks.
  • Avoid testing on call centers, PBXs, or office numbers, because they often ignore CLIR.

4. If hiding is critical, separate “identity” from “transport”

If MTN or your country rules are strict, there is a practical ceiling. At that point you stop fighting the SIM and instead separate:

  • Transport: your MTN data or voice line
  • Identity: a different caller ID entirely

Options (check what is legal where you live):

  • Use VoIP apps with their own numbers and disable caller ID there.
  • Get a cheap secondary SIM on another network that still honors CLIR and use MTN only for data.

Even if tutorials for “how can I hide my caller ID on MTN” look clever, if CLIR is off at the network or regulatory level, there is no reliable hack that keeps working.

5. Quick comparison with what others already said

  • @chasseurdetoiles focused more on the device and VoLTE / Wi‑Fi Calling quirks, which is valid but assumes MTN is cooperative in the background.
  • @espritlibre gave good general MTN behavior by country and plan.

Where I push further is: do not assume it is “just a setting.” The provisioning profile, anti‑fraud stack, and type of SIM can completely overrule all the tricks. Once you confirm those with support, you will know if hiding is realistically possible on your specific MTN line or if you need a different line or service entirely.