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.

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.

  • Step 1: Deactivate Truecaller Account
  • Step 2: Unlist Phone Number From Truecaller 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.

  • On the settings menu, select Privacy Center, and then choose Deactivate on the next page. Confirm when asked.

  • 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.

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.