5 Secret Codes to Unlock Hidden Features in Your iPhone

There are a handful of secret codes that unlock hidden features in your iPhone, according to a new video series by Tech Insider. If they were ever truly secret, and if so, why Apple never publicized them in the first place, we don’t know. But they’re pretty cool and simple to learn.

1. How to Block Caller ID on Your iPhone

There’s a nifty code you can use to mask your phone number so that other people can’t see it when you call them. This can be useful for many reasons, and can also form the basis of a good prank.

In any case, in order to mask your phone number, just perform the following simple tasks:

1. Before you dial the phone number of the person you are calling, enter #31#
2. And then dial the phone number
3. It should look something like this: #31#_ _ _ – _ _ _ – _ _ _ _
4. Then press call, and the phone receiving your call will not be able to see your phone number

2. Gauge Your Signal Strength

The five signal dots on the top left corner of your iPhone screen are a fairly imprecise indicator of your signal strength. If you want your phone to indicate signal strength with a numerical value instead, follow these steps:

1. Open the Phone app and dial *3001#12345#* and then tap Call. This will take your phone into Field Test mode.
2. Then immediately hold down the power button. A series of options should pop up.
3. Ignore those options and instead hold down the home button until you’re back on your home screen.
4. If you look at the upper-left corner of your phone screen, you’ll see a negative number where the signal dots used to be. The closer the number is to zero (i.e. the greater it is), the stronger your signal is. So, -80 is a much stronger signal than -140.

3. Find Your iPhone’s Unique Identifier Code

Do this by typing *#06# in your Phone app and the code should immediately appear.

4. Find Out Where Your Text Messages Go

Your regular text messages are routed to a call center by your carrier via a hidden phone number. To find what your carrier’s number is: Dial *#5005*7672# and call that number. The phone number should pop up immediately.

5. Call Barring and Call Waiting

Call barring allows you to block all outgoing and incoming calls from your iPhone. Call waiting lets you place your incoming and current calls on hold. Please note, that to enable either of these features, you first need to pay your carrier for them.

Here are the codes:

*33* + PIN # – Enables Call Barring

#33* + PIN # – Disables Call Barring

Dial *#43# and then call – Call Waiting Status

Dial *43# and then call – Enables Call Waiting

Dial #43# and then call – Disables Call Waiting

Dial *#21# and then call – Call Forwarding Status