If you are an MTN customer and your phone number keeps showing “Private” or “Unknown” when you call someone, it can be quite annoying. Friends, family or clients may ignore your calls because they are unable to identify the caller. Luckily, there are a few simple steps you can take to remove or disable the private number setting, allowing your number to show again.
Why Does MTN Show My Number as Private?
Here are some common reasons why your calls appear as private:
Your phone settings have caller ID turned off.
You may have mistakenly activated a short code that blocks your number.
Your network on MTN using a specific feature is blocking your caller ID.
How to Disable Private Number on MTN
-
Check the settings of your phone
Users with a smartphone will have caller ID option edits directly available:
Android Users:
- Open the Phone / Dialer app
- Select Settings > Call settings > Additional settings > Caller ID
- Click on the Show number
iPhone Users: - Open Settings
- Scroll to Phone > Show My Caller ID
- Toggle the button ON
- Use the MTN USSD code.
MTN also provides codes which can manage caller ID.
Dial #31# then press call to remove the private number setting. You can also dial *31# to reactivate displaying your caller ID.
-
Call MTN Customer Service
If you still have an issue, this may be related to the network. In this case, you may:
- Call 180 (MTN customer service line)
- Explain that you number is coming up as a private number
- Ask them to reset or re-enable your caller ID feature.
Remember:
- Always keep your caller ID on if you want people to answer your calls.
- Third party apps might also modify this, or the SIM toolkit settings, so if you have other apps installed, you might want to go ahead and disable that.
- Restart your phone if you make edits to apply them.
Conclusion
Getting rid of the private number on MTN is an easy process once you know the appropriate settings and codes. You can quickly make sure that your number is showing when you make a call from your phone menu, using MTN short codes, or by contacting customer care.
You won’t have to worry about your calls being ignored anymore because your number was labeled “Private” and now your MTN number will always be displayed.
