How to Deactivate and Unlist Your Phone Number from Truecaller

Feb. 22, 2021

The world’s most popular crowdsourcedcaller-ID software, Truecaller, has often been cited as a major privacy risk by users and activists alike. That’s because the app uploads your entire contact list, including names, phone numbers, email IDs, and even location info onto its servers. While thishelps you better identify the people calling you, it is a privacy nightmare for your contacts who didn’t sign-up to have their info on third-party servers. So if you don’t want your phone number to be listed in the Truecaller database anymore, you can follow our guide below to deactivate your account and request the company to remove or unlist it from its searchable databse.

Remove (Unlist) Your Phone Number From Truecaller Database

Truecaller makes iteasier to spot spammers,scammers, telemarketers and cold callers, andblock spam calls, but it comes at a heavy price. While non-users have their numbers listed on the Truecaller database without their consent, it’s also bad for the users themselves. That’s because the app uploads the phone’s IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) number, which is unique to each handset and can be used to positively ID anybody. So if you’re concerned about your privacy, follow the steps described below to deactivate your Truecaller account. You should then remove or unlist your number from the company’s database.

Note:The method described below works irrespective of whether you’re a Truecaller user or not. However, Truecaller users have to first deactivate their account before requesting for the de-listing.

Note:If you do not use Truecaller, you have nothing to deactivate, so skip this step and go directly to Step 2.

Note:On iOS, tap on the profile avatar on the top-left corner on Truecaller homepage, and then go to Settings > Privacy Center > Deactivate.

You should check back in a day or two to see if your number has been removed from the database. If your number is still searchable more than a day after your request for de-listing, it could be because the profile is locally cached (saved) on the device you are searching on. Delete your search results on that device and try again. Alternatively, clear the cache memory of the device via Phone Settings > Apps> Truecaller.

Note that the de-listing won’t prevent your number from showing your personal information to users when you call. Instead, it will simply be removed from the company’s ‘searchable database’, which means people won’t be able to get information about you by simply searching for your number. It isn’t ideal, but that’s the only option the company offers. It’s pretty similar toother caller ID appsas well, which is why you’d do well tostay away from third-party Called ID appsfrom the App Store or Google Play.

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