Truecaller is one of the most popular crowdsourced caller ID apps in the world, but users can easily unlist or remove their number from the company's searchable database to improve their privacy. Like other caller-ID software, Truecaller also makes it easy to block spam calls and identify cold callers, but the convenience comes at a price. While non-users get their numbers listed on the Truecaller database without their knowledge, users have their phone’s unique IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) number uploaded to the company's database, creating a privacy risk.

Thankfully, Truecaller offers a way out of this, allowing users to remove their number(s) from the company's searchable database. While users have first to deactivate their Truecaller account to remove their number, non-users can request the company directly without deactivating anything. The company generally complies with removal requests unless the number is already marked as 'spam,' in which case it is not removed from the searchable database.

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As explained by Truecaller, removing a number from the company's searchable database is a two-step process for people using the app. Non-users can skip step one and go directly to step two. For users, the first step is deactivating their Truecaller account on the phone. To do that, open the app and tap on the hamburger menu (three small lines) on the top-left corner of the screen. On iOS, users will need to tap on their profile avatar instead of the hamburger menu. Then on the slide-out panel, select 'Settings.' Now go to 'Privacy Center' and hit 'Deactivate' on the next screen. Finally, confirm the action to deactivate the Truecaller account for that number.

Use An Alias For Improved Privacy

How To Remove Your Number From Truecaller & Protect Your Privacy

Once the app is deactivated, the user needs to go to the 'Truecaller Unlist' page on the Trucaller website to request the delisting of their number. So navigate to that page, enter the phone number with the correct country code, solve the captcha, and click on the 'Unlist Phone Number' button. Finally, confirm the removal request by clicking on 'Unlist' on the popup menu. Truecaller will show a message saying that the number will be removed from the company's searchable database within 24 hours.

Removing a number from the Trucaller searchable database will not prevent the company from showing that user's personal information to others when they make a call. Instead, the number will only be removed from the company's 'searchable database,' which will prevent others from getting information about that user by simply searching their number on the Truecaller app.

Users wanting to hide their identity while calling other Truecaller users can manually enter their own information in the app. Users can choose any alias instead of their real name to ensure that people receiving their call will see that made-up name. To change the name manually on Truecaller, tap on the hamburger menu on Android or the profile avatar on iOS. Then hit the 'edit' button (pencil icon) next to the username on the slide-out panel, and on the next page, type in the alias or fake name that will appear on-screen for others during incoming calls. Make sure to keep the other fields empty, including email, birthday, gender, etc. Finally, hit the 'Save' button at the bottom. Truecaller says it might take "up to 24-48 hours" to implement the changes.

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Source: Truecaller