How to hide a number in a Xiaomi phone: the complete guide

Modern digital hygiene requires users to be sensitive to personal information, and one of the basic skills is the ability to manage the display of their ID when making calls. Owners of Chinese brand devices often wonder how to hide a number in Xiaomi to preserve privacy when calling support services, ads or unfamiliar contacts. The standard shell MIUI or its modern version of HyperOS provide flexible tools to manage this setting, but their location is not always intuitive.

In this article, we will discuss in detail all available ways to hide your subscriber ID, from the built-in system settings to the use of the system. USSD-It is important to understand that the procedure may vary slightly depending on the version of the Android operating system and the specific model of your Redmi smartphone or the other. POCO. We will look at the nuances that will help to avoid common errors when setting up.

Beyond the technical side, we'll also talk about the legal aspects and the way telecom operators work, because they are the endpoint of the caller chain, and you'll learn why hiding a number may be inaccessible or incorrect in some cases, and how to fix it, and the result will make you feel more confident when making business or personal calls.

Why Hide a Number and How It Works Technically

Technically, the process of hiding a number is sending a special signal to the carrier’s network before establishing a connection. When you dial a number, your Xiaomi smartphone sends a request that marks your ID as “private” or “hidden.” The operator receives this request and, depending on the network settings and your tariff plan, either hides the number or ignores the request.

Many users use this feature to protect against spam or when calling services where they do not want to leave their personal data in databases, but it is worth remembering that the call will not be completely anonymous: emergency services and the operator always see the real number of the caller, and the anonymizer in this case works only for the receiving party.

Using the feature is useful in situations where you need to contact the counterparty, but you do not want your contact to be saved in their phone book without your knowledge, and this is also true when calling ads for goods to avoid unnecessary calls in the future.

⚠️ Note: Hiding a number does not make you completely unrecognizable to law enforcement. In the event of illegal acts, your ID will be easily computed through a request to the carrier.

It's worth considering that some organizations and service providers automatically block incoming calls if the subscriber number is hidden, and this is a defense mechanism against fraudsters and telemarketers, so if you call a bank or government service and there are no beeps or there is a reset, try temporarily disabling the concealment function.

Configure the number hiding through the system menu MIUI

The most reliable and easy way to change the display of your number is to use the built-in settings of your smartphone. The interface of MIUI and HyperOS is based on the standard Android interface, but has its own features in the location of menu items.

In the app that opens, find the menu with additional options. Most versions of the shell are three dots in the upper right corner or three horizontal bars. Click on them, select Settings. Next, the system will offer you a list of options, among which you need to find the section associated with accounts or additional services.

• 📱 Open the phone app on the home screen.
• ⚙️ Click on the menu (three dots) and select Settings".
• 🔍 Go to the "Accounts" or "Additional" section".
• 👆 Choose. SIM-The card for which you need to change the settings (if there are two of them).

Inside the menu settings of a specific SIM-Look for the item "Display Number" or "Show Number." The system can offer three options: "Show Number", "Hide Number" and "Default (Operator Settings)". To achieve your goal, you need to select the option "Hide Number".

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If the "Display Number" item is not on the menu, it means that your carrier does not support the management of this function through the system menu. USSD-code.

Once the appropriate point is selected, the phone will send a request to the network, and if the operation is successful, you will see a confirmation notification, from which point on all outgoing calls will go with a hidden number, and it is important to note that the setting is applied globally for all outgoing calls from the selected SIM card.

Use of the USSD-codes for managing the identifier

An alternative and often faster method is to use the USSD-These codes are sent directly to the operator’s server, bypassing the settings of the smartphone operating system. This is especially useful if the settings menu in Xiaomi does not contain the necessary options or does not work correctly.

For different operators (the "big four" in Russia and operators of CIS countries) codes may differ, but there is a standard international code that works in most GSM networks. To activate permanent hiding of the number, enter the command #31# and press the call button.

To cancel the action and return to the standard display of the number, a cancellation code is used. Usually it is #31# with an additional character, but most often to turn off the service you need to enter a deactivation code that depends on the operator. For example, the combination *#31# is often used to check the status.

It is important to understand that USSD-The only way that the commands work is if there's a cellular signal, and if you're in a bad reception area or in an airplane mode, the request won't go away. Some operators may also require the pre-connection of the number antideterminer service via their personal account before the teams start working.

Features of settings on two-symbol smartphones

Owners of Redmi devices and POCO frequently SIM-The cards are simultaneously making adjustments to the setup process. MIUI It allows you to manage each SIM card independently, but requires careful attention when choosing an active line for calls.

If you hide the number on the first SIM, it won't affect the second one, and when you make a call, the system can ask which card to call from, or use the default card every time you make a call.

If you want the number to be hidden always, you need to go through the procedure of setting up for each SIM-Go to the call settings, select the first card, hide the number, then go back, select the second card and repeat the action, which ensures that which card you choose to call, your number remains hidden.

⚠️ WARNING: When using two SIM cards, make sure you don't mix them up when setting up.Hiding a number on the card with an internet fare (if it supports voice) may be useless if you're calling through instant messengers.

Also worth paying attention to is the "Internet Calls" feature in Xiaomi's settings. If it's activated, the phone may try to make Wi-Fi calls (VoWiFi) or prefer messengers. GSM-Networks may not be used because the call is via Internet Protocol.

Hiding a number for a specific call (one-time promotion)

Often, there is a situation where you don't have to hide the number all the time, but you only have to do it for one particular call. Constant activation of the function can be uncomfortable, because you have to switch the settings back every time.

To hide a number one-time, you don't have to go into the deep settings menus. Just add a special prefix before the number you dial. In most regions and networks, that prefix is the #31# combination. You dial that code, then the primary subscriber number, and you press the call button.

#31#7991234567

In the example above, 7991234567 will be hidden only for this call, and all subsequent calls will be displayed with a number unless the main settings have a global cover-up, which is ideal for ad calls or delivery calls.

Some users confuse this method with the Blacklist function, but these are different things: the blacklist blocks incoming, and the prefix hides outgoing ones. Be careful when dialing, so as not to accidentally block yourself or send a wrong request.

Problems and solution: why not hide the number

Despite the ease of setting, Xiaomi users may encounter situations where the number continues to be displayed by the interlocutor, despite the settings enabled, most often the problem lies not in the smartphone, but in the limitations of the operator or the misinterpretation of settings.

The first and most common reason is that the service is not activated on the operator side. Even if you tick Hide a number on your phone, the network may ignore this request if you do not have the appropriate tariff option. Many operators provide the service Anti-Number Detector for a fee or free on application.

• 📞 Check the status of the service in the application of your operator.
• 🔄 Reboot your smartphone after changing your network settings.
• 📡 Make sure you are in a confident signal reception zone.
• 📱 Check if the firmware update that could reset the settings is worth it.

The second reason is VoLTE (Voice over LTE) -- when calling over 4G/LTE, voice technology may have its priorities. In rare cases, the concealment settings in older versions of MIUI have conflicted with VoLTE. Try temporarily switching the network to 3G/2G and check the function.

⚠️ Warning: Resetting network settings to factory settings can help solve software glitches, but remember that it will also remove stored Wi-Fi passwords and Bluetooth device settings.

If nothing works, it’s worth checking if you have a third-party caller program installed (like Truecaller or analogues).These apps may have their own display settings that override Android system settings. Go to the settings of the caller app itself and check the privacy settings there.

In a last resort, if the problem persists on all numbers and with all configuration methods, you may need to flash the communication module or replace it. SIM-New cards, as old cards may not properly handle modern network requests 4G/5G.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Hiding a number on Xiaomi is a combination of phone settings and operator services. MIUI It doesn’t work, the problem is almost always solved by USSD-codes or connection of services in the operator's personal account.