what does "restricted" mean on an incoming call? (2024)

FAQs

What does "restricted" mean on an incoming call? ›

It means that the caller has blocked, or "restricted" their number from your caller ID, so you will not know who is calling until you answer.

If a person or company is restricting their own phone number so that the person or business they are contacting cannot see the phone number then such technique is referred to as a restricted call.

One of the biggest risks of answering “restricted” calls is phone abuse. Some scammers go to great lengths to harass you (and even your family members) if they get your number. You can ask them to stop calling, or ignore their calls altogether, but they may continue to bother you.

Many call blocking apps, such as Truecaller and Hiya, allow you to see the phone number of a restricted call. Another option is to use a phone number search service to try and find out the owner of the restricted number.

Call barring allows you to block specified incoming calls (provided you have subscribed to caller ID). Call restriction prevents certain numbers being dialled for outgoing calls, for example you can restrict all 0845 numbers being dialled.

If you restrict someone: You won't get notifications when they message you, and your phone won't ring when they call you. You won't be able to call or message them. You won't see your conversation with them in your Chats list.

Here's how to block restricted numbers with this feature on Android: Open call history. Tap i icon to see the detailed information about the call. Click on the three dots in the bottom right corner and choose Block contact in the popup menu.

Calling Back a Blocked Number

If the last number that called you is private, use a call-return number, such as *69 in the US, to call that number back. If you've had other phone calls since that number called you, try a third-party app to reveal the number.

Call restrictions happen when there are reasons why you cannot reach a number. Calling restrictions are put in place by the network and are accompanied by specific error codes. If someone you are trying to contact is restricted from receiving calls, their phone will not ring when you try to call them.

What does *77 do on your phone? ›

Anonymous Call Rejection (*77) stops calls from people that use a blocking feature to keep their name or number from being displayed. When Anonymous Call Rejection is turned on, callers will hear a message telling them to hang up, turn off the blocking feature, and call again.

Directions for Customer Originated Trace (COT)

Hang up the receiver, pick receiver back up and press *57 (star-five-seven) immediately following a threatening or harassing phone call, and before making another call.

Even with today's diverse range of communication devices, *67 still works on cell phones and landlines. No matter which device you use, whether an iPhone or Android, the code allows you to hide your phone numbers during calls. The process of using *67 is uniform across various devices.

Count the rings before voicemail

It's a normal call when you call a person and hear the usual number of rings before getting voicemail. But if the person has blocked you, here's the big indicator. You only hear a single ring before being diverted to voicemail.

If you're not blocked, the phone should ring anywhere from three to twelve times before going to voicemail. A blocked number may ring only once and then go to voicemail.