Phone Star Codes List: Every * Code for US Phones (*67, *69, *72, *73, *82)
Every US phone star code in one table: *67 hides your number, *82 shows it, *69 calls back, *72/*73 forward. Landline vs cell, Verizon vs AT&T vs T-Mobile.
Star codes are short * codes you dial to switch a phone-network feature on or off. The ones worth knowing:
- *67 + number hides your caller ID for one call. *82 + number shows it.
- *69, dialed on its own, calls back the last person who called you.
- *72 + number forwards your calls; *73 turns forwarding off (Verizon and landlines).
- *77 blocks callers who hide their number; *87 turns that off (landlines).
Phone star codes, officially vertical service codes, were built for landline switches in the 1980s and 90s. Your phone company's equipment reads the code, not your handset, which explains most of the confusion around them: *67 works on every carrier because every carrier kept it, while *69 or *57 depend on whether your phone company still offers the feature at all. The tables below say which codes work on a landline, which work on a cell phone, and where Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile do things differently.
The full star codes list
These are the US star codes in current use, grouped by job. Where a code turns a feature on, the code that turns it off is on the same row. “Varies by carrier” means exactly that: some phone companies support it and some do not, so try it or ask your carrier.
Caller ID and call return
| Code | What it does | Landline | Cell phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| *67 | Hide your number for one call. Dial *67 + 10-digit number. | Yes | Yes, all major carriers |
| *82 | Show your number for one call when it is blocked by default. | Yes | Most carriers |
| #31# | GSM version of *67: hide your number for one call. | No | AT&T, T-Mobile |
| *69 | Last Call Return: call back the last number that called you. Dialed on its own. | Yes, often paid | Varies by carrier; use Recents |
| *57 | Call Trace: log the last call with the phone company for police follow-up. You are not told the number. | Yes, usually per-use fee | Generally no |
Blocking and do not disturb
| Code | What it does | Landline | Cell phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| *77 / *87 | Anonymous Call Rejection on / off: callers who hide their number hear a message and cannot get through. | Yes | Generally no; use Silence Unknown Callers |
| *60 / *80 | Selective Call Rejection (Call Block) on / off: block specific numbers, usually the last caller. | Yes, often paid | No; block in the Phone app |
| *78 / *79 | Do Not Disturb on / off. | Some phone companies | No; use Focus or DND mode |
| *70 | Turn off call waiting for the next call only. Dial *70 + number. | Yes | Varies by carrier; GSM uses #43# |
Call forwarding
| Code | What it does | Landline | Cell phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| *72 | Forward all calls. Dial *72 + 10-digit number. | Yes | Verizon, US Cellular |
| *73 | Turn call forwarding off. | Yes | Verizon, US Cellular |
| *71 | Forward only when busy, unanswered or unreachable. Dial *71 + number; *73 turns it off. | Varies | Verizon |
| *90 / *91 | Forward when busy on / off. | Many phone companies | No |
| *92 / *93 | Forward when not answered on / off. | Many phone companies | No |
| *63 / *83 | Selective Call Forwarding on / off: forward only calls from a list of numbers. | Some phone companies | No |
For step-by-step forwarding on each carrier, including the GSM codes AT&T and T-Mobile use, see our call forwarding codes guide, the Verizon call forwarding guide, or look up your carrier in the call forwarding code finder.
Other codes
| Code | What it does | Landline | Cell phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| *66 / *86 | Repeat Dialing: keep redialing a busy number and ring you when it frees up; *86 cancels. | Yes, often paid | No (on Verizon Wireless, *86 is voicemail) |
| *61 / *81 | Priority Ringing on / off: a distinctive ring for numbers on your list. | Some phone companies | No; set a contact ringtone |
| *74 / *75 | Speed Calling: program 8 or 30 short-dial numbers. | Some phone companies | No; use Favorites |
| *98 | Voicemail access on some landline and cable phone services. | Varies | No; hold 1 instead |
| *#06# | Show the phone’s IMEI. Handled by the handset itself, so no call is placed. | No | Every cell phone |
*67 vs *69 vs *82
*67 hides your number, *82 shows it, and *69 calls back whoever called you last. People mix them up because all three deal with caller ID, but only *67 and *82 go in front of a number. *69 is dialed on its own, with nothing after it, and it does not block anything.
*82
Show my number
Dial: *82 + 10-digit number
Use it: When your line is blocked by default, or the other person rejects private calls
Hiding and showing your number →*69
Call back my last caller
Dial: *69 on its own
Use it: After a missed call, mainly on landlines
Full *69 guide →Two combinations come up a lot. To call someone back without revealing your number, dial *67 and then their number; on a landline that has no caller ID screen you can find the number with *69 first. And if someone rejects private calls with *77, your *67 call will not get through at all: you will hear a message asking you to unblock your number, which is what *82 is for. The *67 caller ID blocking guide covers when *67 fails, and the *69 guide covers why it is mostly redundant on a smartphone.
Star codes on Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile
Verizon still uses the classic * codes, while AT&T and T-Mobile use GSM codes for anything beyond caller ID. That split comes from history: Verizon ran a CDMA network built on the North American landline model, and AT&T and T-Mobile ran GSM networks built on the international standard. All three now run on LTE and 5G, but the feature codes stayed.
| What you want | Verizon | AT&T | T-Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hide your number for one call | *67 | *67 or #31# | *67 or #31# |
| Show your number for one call | *82 | *82 | *82 (or *31# + number) |
| Forward all calls | *72 + number | *21*number# | **21*1number# |
| Turn forwarding off | *73 | #21# | ##21# |
| Forward when busy / no answer | *71 + number | **67*, **61*, **62* + number# | **67*, **61*, **62* + number# |
| Cancel every kind of forwarding | *73 | ##002# | ##002# |
| Voicemail | *86 | Hold 1 | Hold 1 |
| Customer care | 611 | 611 | 611 |
Prepaid brands and MVNOs (Cricket, Visible, Mint, Metro and others) generally follow the network they run on, but not always: some leave out forwarding or call return entirely. If a code gives you an error, your plan probably does not include that feature. Carrier-specific walkthroughs: AT&T call forwarding, T-Mobile call forwarding, and Verizon forwarding codes.
GSM and USSD codes (the # codes)
Codes that end in # are GSM codes, not star codes, and they work on mobile phones worldwide. Some are handled by the phone itself (*#06#), the rest are sent to the network, which replies with a pop-up on your screen. These are the ones US users actually need:
| Code | What it does |
|---|---|
| #31# + number | Hide your number for this call |
| *#31# | Check whether your caller ID is shown or hidden by default |
| *#21# | Check whether all your calls are being forwarded |
| *#61#, *#62#, *#67# | Check forwarding when unanswered, unreachable, or busy |
| ##002# | Cancel every kind of call forwarding at once |
| *43# / #43# | Turn call waiting on / off |
| *#06# | Show your IMEI (works on every phone, every carrier) |
On AT&T and T-Mobile these all work. On Verizon, the network responds to some and ignores others, so use Verizon's * codes or the setting in your phone instead. If you suspect your calls are being forwarded without your knowledge, dial *#21# first, then ##002# to clear it; our guide to turning off call forwarding explains what each result means.
How to dial a star code
Type the code exactly as written, with no spaces or dashes, and press Call. For codes that go in front of a number, put the full 10-digit number straight after the code: *67 then 2125551234, not *67 then a pause.
- On a cell phone: open the Phone app keypad, type the code (and the number if it needs one), and tap Call. Feature codes like *72 or *73 usually end with a short tone or an on-screen message, then hang up by themselves.
- On a landline: pick up, wait for the dial tone, dial the code. A confirmation tone or a stutter dial tone means the feature changed. Rotary phones can use 11 in place of * (so 1167 instead of *67).
- From an office phone: business phone systems use their own feature codes. Dialing *67 on a desk phone may do nothing, or may do something else entirely; ask your IT team for the list.
Why a star code doesn't work
Almost always because your carrier or plan doesn't include the feature. A star code is a request to your phone company's switch; if the switch has nothing set up for that code, you get an error tone, “your call cannot be completed as dialed,” or silence. The usual causes:
- The feature is a paid landline add-on. Call Return (*69), Call Block (*60) and Repeat Dialing (*66) are often subscription or per-use features on landlines.
- Wrong code for your network. *72 forwards on Verizon, but AT&T and T-Mobile want GSM codes. See the carrier table above.
- Prepaid or MVNO plans often leave out forwarding and call return.
- Internet phone services and business systems use their own codes, or none.
- International numbers. These codes are North American; *67 in front of an international number may not hide anything on the far end. Use your phone's caller ID setting instead, described in how to hide your number when calling.
If you get “cannot be completed as dialed” on a normal number too, the problem is not the code; see what that message means.
Star codes and calling apps
Star codes don't control calls you make from an internet calling app. The code is read by your mobile carrier's switch, and an app call goes over the internet instead, so the app's own caller ID setting decides what the other person sees.
On BubblyPhone, outgoing calls show a number from a shared pool by default, never your personal SIM number. If you rent your own BubblyPhone number, calls can show that number instead, and number owners can also verify their own mobile and show their own number when they call. You pick per number, in the app, rather than with *67 or *82.
Star codes in other countries
The * codes above work in the US, Canada and the rest of the North American Numbering Plan; most other countries use different codes. In the UK, 141 before a number hides it and 1471 tells you the last caller. In Australia, 1831 hides your number for one call. GSM codes such as #31#, *#21# and *#06# work on mobile networks almost everywhere, which makes them the safer choice when you travel.
Frequently Asked Questions
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BubblyPhone calls mobiles and landlines in 200+ countries from your browser or phone, billed per minute from a prepaid balance. Your personal number isn't shown unless you choose to show it.
Related guides
- What does *67 do? How caller ID blocking works on iPhone, Android and landlines, and when it fails.
- Does *69 still work? Last call return on cell phones and landlines.
- How to hide your number when calling: permanent blocking on every phone and carrier.
- How to make anonymous calls: every method compared.
- Call forwarding codes: *72, *73 and the GSM codes for every US carrier.
- Conditional call forwarding: forward only when busy, unanswered or unreachable.