What are phone star codes?

Star codes (technically “vertical service codes” or CLASS codes) are short commands you dial starting with the * key to control phone-network features — blocking your caller ID, returning the last call, forwarding calls, rejecting anonymous callers, and more. They're a feature of the phone network, not your handset, so the same code works on any phone on a given line. North-American landline, cable-VoIP, and many wireless lines use them; GSM wireless carriers use USSD codes instead.

Dialing *67 immediately before a phone number hides your caller ID for that one call — the person you're calling sees “Private,” “Blocked,” or “Unknown.” It resets after the call. It won't hide your number from 911, many toll-free numbers, or law enforcement.

*82 reveals your caller ID for the next call if your line is set to block it by default. Dial *82 before the number to show your number for that one call — useful when calling a business that rejects anonymous callers.

*69 returns the last call you received — handy when you missed a ring and the number wasn't saved. On landlines an automated voice usually reads the number and offers to connect you. On wireless it's hit-or-miss and many carriers have dropped it in favor of your recent-calls list. A per-use fee may apply on some plans.

What's the difference between *72 and *71?

*72 forwards every incoming call (unconditional) — your phone doesn't ring at all. *71 forwards only when your line is busy or you don't answer (conditional), so you keep the option of picking up directly. *71 is what most small businesses want when pairing their line with an answering service. Cancel either with *73. (GSM wireless carriers use **21*number# and **61*number# instead.)

Do star codes work on cell phones?

It depends on the carrier. Verizon and most CDMA-rooted carriers (and their MVNOs) honor the classic *72 / *71 / *73 and *67 / *82 codes on wireless. AT&T and T-Mobile (GSM) use USSD codes — **21*number#, #31# and the like — for the network features, though *67 still works for per-call caller-ID blocking. Landline and cable-VoIP lines support the full star-code set.

How do I stop a star code feature I turned on?

Each feature has an “off” counterpart: *73 cancels call forwarding, *87 turns off anonymous call rejection (*77), *80 turns off selective call blocking (*60), and *31# re-shows your caller ID after #31#. The lookup tool above lists the cancel code in each feature's details.

Free tool

Phone star codes list

Search every common star code — *67, *69, *72and more — and see exactly what each one does in plain English. Works on Verizon, AT&T, Spectrum, Bell, and most US & Canadian landline, cable-VoIP, and wireless lines.

Search codes

17 star codes

*67Block caller ID (per call)US + CA · all carriersHides your number on the next outgoing call only.
Dial *67 immediately before the destination number (for example *67 555-123-4567). Your number shows as “Private,” “Blocked,” or “Unknown” on the recipient's caller ID for that one call — your setting resets to normal for the next call. Works on virtually every US and Canadian landline, cable-VoIP, and wireless line. It does not hide your number from 911, toll-free (800/888) numbers that pay for ANI, or law enforcement.
*82Unblock caller ID (per call)US + CA · all carriersShows your number for the next call if your line blocks by default.
If you have per-line caller-ID blocking turned on (so every call goes out private), dial *82 before the number to reveal your caller ID for that one call. Useful when calling a business that rejects anonymous calls. Like *67, it applies only to the next call.
*69Call return / last-caller redialUS + CA · landline (wireless varies)Calls back the last number that called you.
Dial *69 to return the most recent incoming call — handy when you missed a ring and the number wasn't saved. On most landlines an automated voice reads the number and time, then offers to connect you. On wireless, behavior varies and many carriers no longer support it (use your recent-calls list instead). A per-use fee may apply on some landline plans.
*66Busy redial / repeat dialingUS + CA · landline / cable VoIPAuto-retries a busy number and rings you when it's free.
After reaching a busy signal, hang up and dial *66. The network keeps trying the number for about 30 minutes and rings your phone with a special callback ring once the line is free. Dial *86 to cancel repeat dialing (landline). Mostly a landline / cable-VoIP feature; a per-use fee may apply.
*70Cancel call waiting (per call)US + CA · all carriersSilences call-waiting beeps for the next call.
Dial *70 before placing a call (or before sending a fax / dial-up data call) so an incoming call won't interrupt with a call-waiting tone. The call you're on stays uninterrupted and the second caller hears your normal ring/voicemail. Applies to that single call only; call waiting returns to normal afterward.
*72Forward all calls (unconditional)US + CA · landline / cable VoIPSends every incoming call to another number.
Dial *72 followed by the destination number (for example *72 555-123-4567) and wait for the confirmation tone. From then on, every call routes to that number and your phone doesn't ring at all. Used on Verizon, Spectrum, Cox, Bell, Telus, and most landline + cable-VoIP carriers. GSM wireless carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile) use the USSD code **21*number# instead.
*71Forward when busy / unanswered (conditional)US + CA · landline / cable VoIPForwards only the calls you don't pick up.
Dial *71 followed by the destination number to forward a call only when your line is busy or doesn't answer in about four rings — you keep the option of answering directly when you're free. This is what most small businesses want when pairing their line with an answering service or AI receptionist. Cancel with *73.
*73Cancel call forwardingUS + CA · landline / cable VoIPTurns off *72 or *71 forwarding.
Dial *73 from the same line that has forwarding active and wait for the confirmation tone — calls ring your phone normally again. It clears whichever forwarding (*72 or *71) is currently routing. GSM wireless carriers use ##21# instead.
*60Selective call block (on)US · landline / cable VoIPBuilds a list of specific numbers to reject.
Dial *60 and follow the voice menu to add numbers to your block list (or block the last call that came in). Blocked callers hear a message that you're not accepting calls. A landline / cable-VoIP feature on Verizon, Frontier, CenturyLink and others; the list size limit varies by carrier.
*80Selective call block (off)US · landline / cable VoIPTurns off the *60 block list.
Dial *80 to deactivate selective call blocking without erasing the numbers you've stored, so you can re-enable it later with *60. Landline / cable-VoIP feature.
*77Anonymous call rejection (on)US + CA · landline / cable VoIPRejects calls from blocked/withheld numbers.
Dial *77 to automatically refuse any incoming call whose caller ID is blocked or withheld — those callers hear a message asking them to unblock and call back. A blunt but effective spam filter for landlines. Doesn't affect calls from numbers that simply show as “Unknown” because the carrier couldn't deliver the ID.
*87Anonymous call rejection (off)US + CA · landline / cable VoIPTurns off *77 anonymous rejection.
Dial *87 to stop rejecting calls from blocked numbers, allowing private/withheld caller IDs to ring through again.
*57Malicious call traceUS + CA · most carriersLogs the last call with your carrier for law enforcement.
Immediately after a threatening or harassing call, hang up and dial *57. The carrier records the originating number, time, and date in a confidential log released only to law enforcement — you won't see the number yourself. Use it for harassment or threats, then file a police report referencing the trace. A per-use fee usually applies, and it must be dialed right after the offending call.
*86Voicemail (Verizon Wireless)US · Verizon WirelessDials your voicemail box on Verizon Wireless.
On a Verizon Wireless line, dial *86 to reach your voicemail and record or change your greeting. Note: on some landlines *86 instead cancels busy redial (*66) — voicemail there is usually *98. Carrier-dependent, so confirm with your provider if you're unsure which applies.
*98Voicemail (landline)US + CA · landline / cable VoIPReaches your voicemail box from your own landline.
Dial *98 from your own landline / cable-VoIP phone to jump straight into your mailbox to retrieve messages or change your greeting, without dialing your full number. Supported by most North-American landline carriers.
*74Program speed dial (1-digit)US + CA · landlineStores numbers under single-digit shortcuts (2–9).
Dial *74, wait for the tone, press the shortcut digit (2 through 9), then enter the full phone number and press # to save. Afterward you can call that number by dialing the single digit followed by #. A landline feature; the number of stored entries varies by carrier.
*75Program speed dial (2-digit)US + CA · landlineStores numbers under two-digit shortcuts (20–49).
Like *74 but for two-digit codes (typically 20–49), giving you more speed-dial slots. Dial *75, the two-digit code, the full number, then #. Landline feature.

What are star codes?

A star code is a short command — a * followed by two or three digits — that you dial to switch a phone-network feature on or off. The phone industry calls them vertical service codes or CLASS codes. They control things like hiding your caller ID, returning the last call, forwarding your line, and rejecting anonymous callers.

The key thing to understand: star codes are a network feature, not a phone feature. That's why the same *72works whether you're on an old desk phone or a brand-new smartphone — your carrier does the work. North-American landline and cable-VoIP lines support the full set; GSM wireless carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile) use USSD codes for most of the same jobs.

Most star-code features come in pairs — one to turn the feature on and one to turn it off. Use the lookup above to find the on code, the off code, and the carriers each works on.

The most-dialed star codes

The handful people reach for most often. Use the searchable tool above for the full list with cancel codes and carrier notes.

Code	Feature	What it does
*67	Block caller ID (per call)	Hides your number on the next outgoing call only.
*82	Unblock caller ID (per call)	Shows your number for the next call if your line blocks by default.
*69	Call return / last-caller redial	Calls back the last number that called you.
*70	Cancel call waiting (per call)	Silences call-waiting beeps for the next call.
*72	Forward all calls (unconditional)	Sends every incoming call to another number.
*73	Cancel call forwarding	Turns off 72 or 71 forwarding.
*77	Anonymous call rejection (on)	Rejects calls from blocked/withheld numbers.
*57	Malicious call trace	Logs the last call with your carrier for law enforcement.

Star codes FAQ

What are phone star codes?+
Star codes (technically “vertical service codes” or CLASS codes) are short commands you dial starting with the * key to control phone-network features — blocking your caller ID, returning the last call, forwarding calls, rejecting anonymous callers, and more. They're a feature of the phone network, not your handset, so the same code works on any phone on a given line. North-American landline, cable-VoIP, and many wireless lines use them; GSM wireless carriers use USSD codes instead.
What does *67 do?+
Dialing *67 immediately before a phone number hides your caller ID for that one call — the person you're calling sees “Private,” “Blocked,” or “Unknown.” It resets after the call. It won't hide your number from 911, many toll-free numbers, or law enforcement.
What does *82 do?+
*82 reveals your caller ID for the next call if your line is set to block it by default. Dial *82 before the number to show your number for that one call — useful when calling a business that rejects anonymous callers.
What is *69?+
*69 returns the last call you received — handy when you missed a ring and the number wasn't saved. On landlines an automated voice usually reads the number and offers to connect you. On wireless it's hit-or-miss and many carriers have dropped it in favor of your recent-calls list. A per-use fee may apply on some plans.
What's the difference between *72 and *71?+
*72 forwards every incoming call (unconditional) — your phone doesn't ring at all. *71 forwards only when your line is busy or you don't answer (conditional), so you keep the option of picking up directly. *71 is what most small businesses want when pairing their line with an answering service. Cancel either with *73. (GSM wireless carriers use **21*number# and **61*number# instead.)
Do star codes work on cell phones?+
It depends on the carrier. Verizon and most CDMA-rooted carriers (and their MVNOs) honor the classic *72 / *71 / *73 and *67 / *82 codes on wireless. AT&T and T-Mobile (GSM) use USSD codes — **21*number#, #31# and the like — for the network features, though *67 still works for per-call caller-ID blocking. Landline and cable-VoIP lines support the full star-code set.
How do I stop a star code feature I turned on?+
Each feature has an “off” counterpart: *73 cancels call forwarding, *87 turns off anonymous call rejection (*77), *80 turns off selective call blocking (*60), and *31# re-shows your caller ID after #31#. The lookup tool above lists the cancel code in each feature's details.

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