The world’s most popular crowdsourced caller-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 this helps 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 it easier to spot spammers, scammers, telemarketers and cold callers, and block 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.
Step 1: Deactivate Truecaller Account
Note: If you do not use Truecaller, you have nothing to deactivate, so skip this step and go directly to Step 2.
- Firstly, open Truecaller on your phone and hit the hamburger menu (three small lines) on the top-left. On the slide-out panel, tap on Settings.
- On the settings menu, select Privacy Center, and then choose Deactivate on the next page. Confirm when asked.
Note: On iOS, tap on the profile avatar on the top-left corner on Truecaller homepage, and then go to Settings > Privacy Center > Deactivate.
Step 2: Unlist Phone Number From Truecaller Database
- Now go to the official Truecaller Unlist page to request the de-listing. Enter your mobile number with the correct country code, solve the Captcha and click on the Unlist Phone Number button.
- Confirm by clicking on Unlist in the slide-out pane. You’ll get a message saying that your number will be unlisted from the company’s searchable database within 24 hours.
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.
Reclaim Your Digital Privacy By Removing Your Number From 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 to other caller ID apps as well, which is why you’d do well to stay away from third-party Called ID apps from the App Store or Google Play.
