Learn how to switch your calling mode to anonymous and hide your outbound number to callers.
Anonymous vs. Regular Calling
Anonymous calling is a type of outbound calling in which the callee cannot see the business number or name when their phone rings. This type of calling is critical for some business industries, where keeping the number and business information private is crucial for increasing outbound call success rate.
Why use anonymous calling
Protect agents’ and departments’ numbers to prevent direct callbacks.
Increase answer rates for specific campaigns where visible numbers might discourage pickup.
Support privacy and compliance requirements in industries that need discretion (finance, healthcare, research, etc.).
Make an Anonymous Call
Anonymous calling can currently be enabled by request only. Contact our Support team or your Account Executive to activate it on your account.
Once enabled, it can be used in the CloudTalk Desktop App. Mobile app and dialer automation features (Smart Dialer, Power Dialer) are not supported.
In your desktop Phone app, anonymous calling is applied during outbound number selection.
From the dialer screen of CloudTalk Phone, select the outbound number to edit.
Switch on the Anonymous calls toggle. All outbound numbers should be available for anonymous calls. The eye icon indicates that the chosen number will be made anonymous to the callee.
Select a number.
Make a call as usual from the selected anonymous number.
Switch Off Anonymous Calling
You will follow the same process you did when switching anonymous calling on.
From the dialer screen of CloudTalk Phone, select the outbound number to edit. You will know you are in anonymous mode when you see the eye icon next to all numbers.
Switch off the Anonymous calls toggle. You should be able to see your list of outbound numbers with no eye icons, indicating the outbound numbers will be visible to callees.
Select a number.
Make calls as usual.
Anonymous Calls History + Analytics
Just as within the dialer, anonymous outbound calls within call history pages, analytics, and your dashboard will be denoted with the eye icon. Be aware that the eye icon is always paired with the outbound number. That means if you're viewing only inbound number statistics on a page, this information will be missing.
When viewing call history on Desktop Phone, you can easily see which calls have been placed anonymously.
You'll also see the anonymous icon when you select a specific call to view the call details. It is always next to the outbound number.
Within dashboard and analytics, admin and analysts can scroll over the eye icon to see a tooltip clarifying this was an anonymous call. This icon should appear for numbers in Analytics — Call Details and Call Logs, as well as within your dashboard Call History, Call Monitor, Campaign Statistics call history logs, and Contact Detail screens.
Customer View
When an anonymous call comes in, the customer will see Unknown as the caller identification, instead of your phone number or business name.
Troubleshooting tips
If anonymous calling doesn’t work as expected or your number still appears to callees, check the following:
1. Verify the feature is enabled for your account
Anonymous calling must be manually activated by the CloudTalk team. If the toggle doesn’t appear in your dialer, contact your Account Executive or Support to confirm that the feature has been enabled for your workspace.
2. Make sure you’re using the Desktop App
The feature is currently available only in the CloudTalk Desktop App. If you’re using the Mobile App, Smart Dialer, or Power Dialer, the option won’t appear and your number will remain visible to recipients.
3. Toggle the feature off and on again
Sometimes the dialer cache or a previous setting prevents the change from applying correctly. Turn off the Anonymous calls toggle, wait a few seconds, and turn it back on before making another call.
4. Check if the issue happens for all numbers
If only certain outbound numbers still show your caller ID, it may depend on the route or local carrier rules. Try using a different outbound number to confirm whether the behavior is consistent.
5. Consider regional carrier limitations
Some telecom providers or destinations do not allow caller ID blocking. Even with the anonymous toggle on, the call may still appear as a regular number or be marked as Unknown. This is controlled by local carriers, not CloudTalk.
6. Contact CloudTalk Support
If the problem persists, share specific examples (time, date, and number dialed) with our Support team. They can check the carrier route used and confirm whether CLI blocking is supported for that destination.
If you need any further assistance please do not hesitate to reach out to our Support team, we are always happy to help!