What Does a Restricted Number Mean?

Sometimes when a phone call goes through, no caller identification will show for the call. Instead of the usual name or phone number, the term "restricted" will show on the screen, which indicates that your call is restricted. This means the person or company trying to contact you does not want you to have their phone number displayed and have, thus, blocked it from public viewing with a restricted number. They do this for increased security and privacy, but there are some downfalls to contacting people in this manner.

Many companies, such as collection agencies and solicitors, will restrict their number to increase security. If people who are called by them become disgruntled, they can use the phone number to track down the actual location of the agency calling them. This can be dangerous for such companies as collection agencies who deal with situations that can become very emotionally charged, which is why they will make sure that your call is restricted.

Individuals and companies alike can restrict their phone numbers to protect them from getting into the hands of solicitors and others who will then be able to contact them. This can lead to a form of harassment by solicitors, causing many to get a new phone number in order to stop the phone calls. Individuals also may get a restricted number for the added security of remaining anonymous when making calls, giving their contact information to people they specifically wish to have it instead of everyone they call.

"Restricted" numbers do have their downfalls. Most people who get called by someone with a "restricted" number do not answer the call; they simply do not want to answer a call without knowing who is on the other end. Also, for companies, it makes it harder for customers to get in touch with them and can lead to phone tag between themselves and customers because the customers do not want to answer calls from "restricted" numbers.

If you wish to restrict your own number when making a phone call, whether that be for privacy or security reasons, and you just want it restricted for that particular phone call, you can do so by typing in *67 before the phone number. This will make your call show up as "restricted" on the caller ID of the person you are calling.