To put your iPhone on "private" (hide your number), you can globally turn off Caller ID in Settings > Phone > Show My Caller ID, or dial #31# before a single number to hide it just for that call (in Australia/NZ). For browsing, use Safari's Private Browsing by tapping the tabs button and selecting "Private".
14 iPhone Privacy Settings You Need To Update
Android as the Most Targeted Mobile Platform by Cyber Attackers
Change your caller ID on an Android phone
Use a Privacy Filter Screen
It does nothing to hide your browsing data from advertisers, hackers, and other third parties like your ISP. Incognito mode in Safari still lets websites and other third parties track your online activity, and unless you're using a private search engine, your searches will still be logged.
Tips:
Three-finger gestures on iPhone primarily activate accessibility features like VoiceOver (for screen reading and navigation) and Zoom (magnification), allowing scrolling, zooming, and text manipulation (copy/paste/undo) with specific taps and drags, though some text actions work without VoiceOver enabled for quick editing. Common gestures include three-finger double-tap to toggle VoiceOver speech, triple-tap for the screen curtain, and pinching/spreading with three fingers for copy/paste actions, notes this YouTube video.
To open an Incognito window, you can use a keyboard shortcut:
No, Incognito mode isn't truly private; it just stops your browser from saving history, cookies, and form data locally on your device, but your Internet Service Provider (ISP), employer, school network, the websites you visit, and ad trackers can still see your activity, IP address, and online behavior. It's great for keeping local browsing history hidden on shared computers, but it doesn't provide anonymity or protection from online tracking or cyber threats like malware.
On an iPhone, dialing *#21# is a USSD code used to check the status of your unconditional call forwarding, revealing if your calls, SMS, or data are being redirected and to which number, without actually changing settings; it's a simple privacy check to see if someone has secretly set your phone to forward everything, though it doesn't detect advanced spyware. Dialing this code brings up a message from your carrier about your call forwarding status, often showing "Disabled" or a specific number if it's active.
Both Android and iOS phones can be subject to malicious software capable of tracking your location, reading your texts, and listening in on phone calls.
Privacy and Security settings help you manage how much information you share across apps. Each data type shows how many apps are accessing that data, making it easier for you to find out and control how much information you're sharing.
The easiest way to hide your number when calling on your Android phone is to enter *67 on your keypad before typing in the area code and phone number. If you do this, your number will show up on the phone you're calling as “Private” or “Blocked”.
You can use Private Browsing to open private tabs that don't appear in History on iPhone or in the list of tabs on your other devices. Tabs in Private Browsing aren't shared with your other Apple devices, even if you're signed in to the same Apple Account.
Safari can keep your browsing history private. When you turn on private browsing, Safari doesn't remember the pages you visit, your search history, or your AutoFill information, so your partner cannot see where you have been, but you must also remember to also turn off acceptance of cookies.
Summary. If you want to browse the web privately, incognito mode doesn't cut it. Rather, we recommend using a VPN or, if you're not using any web apps, a secure browser like Tor. The more encryption there is, like with a double VPN, the more secure you are online, and therefore the more private.
Duplicate screen activity
If your device is being mirrored, you may notice some unusual behavior on the screen. It might light up randomly or without you interacting with it, which could indicate that a cybercriminal is interacting with your device in some way.
What Does ##002# Really Do? 🔐📞 ##002# instantly cancels all call forwarding on your phone — busy, unreachable, or no-answer. It's a simple way to reset settings and protect your privacy.