---
title: "Why some calls show as \"Private Number\" or have no name"
description: "What \"Private Number\" means and how to get caller names showing again"
url: https://spamblocker-support.hiya.com/en/articles/40-why-some-calls-show-as-private-number-or-have-no-name
collection: "Troubleshooting"
updated: 2026-11-10
language: en
---

# Why some calls show as "Private Number" or have no name

What "Private Number" means and how to get caller names showing again

Sometimes an incoming call shows as **Private Number**, **Unknown**, or with no name. There are two reasons this happens — here's how to tell them apart.

## The caller hid their number

If a call shows as **Private Number** (or **Unknown**), the caller deliberately withheld their caller ID — for example by dialing a prefix like \*67 before your number. Because no number is sent, Hiya has nothing to look up, so it can't show a name — and these calls can't be identified, reported, or blocked one by one.

To reduce these calls:

-   **Android:** if you have a Premium subscription, open the **Hiya Spam Blocker app**, go to **Premium → Spam Blocking**, find **Private numbers**, and set it to block or warn.
    
-   **iPhone:** this setting is in your **phone's settings, not the Hiya app** — open the iPhone **Settings app → Phone** and turn on **Silence Unknown Callers**, so calls from numbers you don't know go to voicemail.
    

## Names aren't showing for calls that should have them

If calls that normally show a name appear blank in Hiya — but show names elsewhere, like on a smartwatch — caller ID isn't fully set up:

-   **Android:** see [Hiya Spam Blocker is not working on my Android device](https://apphelp.hiya.com/en/articles/3-hiya-spam-blocker-is-not-working-on-my-android-device) (set Hiya as your default phone app, allow "Display over other apps," keep notifications on, and grant Contacts access).
    
-   **iPhone:** see [Hiya Spam Blocker is not working on my iPhone](https://apphelp.hiya.com/en/articles/4-hiya-spam-blocker-is-not-working-on-my-iphone).
    

Enhanced caller ID also requires a Premium subscription.