Can you actually see a "Private Number" or "Unknown" caller's number?
Usually not, and not by anything you do on your own handset. When a caller enables Caller ID restriction (called CLIR on GSM networks), their number is deliberately withheld from the signal sent to your phone. Your phone never receives the digits, so there's nothing stored on your device to reveal. This is a network-level setting, not a display bug, and it applies the same way whether you're on Android or iPhone.
That's an important distinction from the more common situation: an unknown number that is visible on your screen, just not saved in your contacts. That case is much easier to handle, and both Apple and Google have built-in tools for it, covered further down this page.
How does MTN WhoDeyCall reveal hidden callers?
MTN Nigeria runs an official subscription service called WhoDeyCall that identifies blocked, unknown and hidden numbers before you pick up, showing a name (where available) as a pop-up during the call.
- Dial *5058# on your MTN line, or text a subscription keyword to 5058, to opt in.
- MTN confirms the subscription and activates the service on your line.
- On future calls from blocked, unknown or hidden numbers, WhoDeyCall shows caller information as a pop-up before you answer.
- Text "Stop" to 5058 at any time to opt out.
WhoDeyCall runs at the network level, not through an app, so it works the same way whether the MTN SIM is in an Android phone or an iPhone. It's a paid add-on rather than a free feature; MTN's own WhoDeyCall page lists daily, weekly and monthly plans, with the daily plan priced at ₦5.
Does the same thing exist on Airtel or Glo?
We could not confirm an equivalent official reveal-hidden-caller service on Airtel Nigeria's or Glo's own support channels. Several Nigerian tech blogs describe workarounds, but none traced back to an official Airtel or Glo source, so we're not presenting them as confirmed here rather than risk giving you a code that doesn't actually work on your network.
If you're on Airtel or Glo and a hidden number is a recurring problem, two options are more reliably useful than chasing an unverified code:
- Escalate to customer care. Airtel (dial 111 or 121) and Glo (dial 121) can log a complaint and, for genuine harassment cases, trace calls internally on their end even though your handset can't.
- Use a caller-ID app for the calls that aren't fully hidden. Many "unknown" calls that feel private are actually visible numbers your phone just hasn't matched to a name yet; see the next section.
Can Truecaller or a similar caller-ID app unmask a hidden number?
Generally, no, and it's worth understanding why. Apps like Truecaller work by cross-referencing an incoming number against a crowdsourced database of names, so they can tell you who's likely calling from a number that's already visible on your screen. When a caller has genuinely withheld their number, that number never reaches your phone in the first place. There's no digit string for the app to look up, so a caller-ID app has nothing to match, no matter how large its database is.
Where these apps do help: identifying spam, telemarketing or scam numbers that are visible but unsaved, and warning you before you answer. That's a genuinely useful, separate function from unmasking a deliberately hidden call.
What do iPhone and Android offer for unknown callers?
Neither Apple nor Google documents a setting that reverses a caller's own privacy choice, but both give you tools to manage unknown and suspicious calls without needing to see the number.
On iPhone: go to Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification to enable identification from supported carriers and call-ID apps. Silence Unknown Callers, under the same Phone settings, sends any number not in your contacts, recent calls, or Siri Suggestions straight to voicemail without ringing. Call Screening can also answer unknown calls automatically and share the caller's stated name and reason before you decide to pick up, per Apple's own Manage unknown callers guide.
On Android: open the Phone app, tap More options > Settings > Caller ID & spam, and turn on caller ID and spam protection. This sends numbers not in your contacts to Google for identification and spam-flagging. You can also enable blocking of calls from private or unidentified numbers in the same settings menu, per Google's Phone app help documentation.
What should I do if it's a suspected scam or harassment call?
- Don't call back a hidden number, and never share your BVN, NIN, OTP, card details or account information with an unidentified caller, regardless of what they claim to represent.
- Turn on Silence Unknown Callers (iPhone) or unknown-number blocking (Android) so repeat calls stop interrupting you.
- Report the pattern to your network's customer care (MTN, Airtel or Glo) if the calls are frequent, since operators can trace call records internally even when your phone display can't show the number.
- For serious harassment or fraud, escalate to the Nigerian Communications Commission alongside your network operator.
People also ask
Does *#31# or a similar code show who called from a private number?
We could not confirm this from any official MTN, Airtel or Glo source for Nigeria specifically. That code is associated internationally with toggling your own outgoing Caller ID (CLIR), not with revealing someone else's hidden number, so treat claims that it "unmasks" other callers with caution.
Is MTN WhoDeyCall free?
No. It's a paid subscription service with daily, weekly and monthly plans, opted into by dialing *5058#. MTN's own WhoDeyCall page lists the daily plan at ₦5.
Why does my phone show "Unknown" instead of "Private Number" sometimes?
Networks and handsets label withheld or unavailable caller ID differently. "Unknown," "Private Number," "Withheld," and "No Caller ID" generally describe the same underlying situation: the caller's number wasn't sent to your phone, whether by their own CLIR setting or a network routing limitation on international or VoIP calls.
Can the police or NCC trace a hidden number for me?
Network operators retain call records that can identify a hidden number's origin for legitimate investigations, but this isn't something available to an ordinary subscriber on request. It typically requires a formal complaint through your network's customer care or the Nigerian Communications Commission, particularly for harassment, threats or fraud.