What Recipients See: Shared Numbers Explained
By default your CallTuv calls show a real number from our shared pool, chosen to suit the country you are calling - here's how Shared Numbers work and when to use your own number instead.
Updated
View as MarkdownEvery call needs a caller ID - the number the recipient's phone displays. CallTuv gives you two options: the default Shared Number, or your own verified number.
How Shared Numbers work
When you call with the Shared Number setting (the default for new accounts), the recipient sees a real phone number drawn from CallTuv's pool. Seeing a different number than your own on the recipient's screen is normal and not an error on your account: it's how the default setting works, and it keeps your personal number private. The number shown is a legitimate, working-format number - not "Unknown" or "No Caller ID" - which helps your calls look normal and get answered.
Because the pool is shared across CallTuv:
- The number can differ between calls - you're not assigned one specific number.
- It's outbound-only - if the person calls the number back, they won't reach you. Shared Numbers are for making calls, not receiving them.
Which country the Shared Number comes from
CallTuv doesn't pick a number at random from one big list. Where we hold numbers close to the country you're dialling, we use one of those. That does two useful things at once:
- Your call is more likely to be answered. A number that looks familiar on the recipient's screen gets picked up more often than a foreign one.
- It keeps the price down. Each pool is chosen for the calling route it travels on, and those routes are what the per-minute prices on our rates page are based on.
In practice that means:
- Calling the United Kingdom usually shows a UK number on their screen.
- Calling Israel usually shows an Israeli number.
- Calling much of continental Europe usually shows a European number.
- Everywhere else shows a US number, which is our general-purpose pool.
Two things worth knowing, so nothing comes as a surprise:
- The list of countries with their own numbers grows over time. We add local numbers as we go, so a destination that shows a US number today may show a local one later. Nothing changes on your side when it does.
- Occasionally a call shows a US number anyway, even to a country where we normally have local ones. This is a deliberate safety net so your call still connects rather than failing.
You don't need to choose any of this or change a setting. It happens automatically on every call, on the website, the mobile app, and the extension alike.
When Shared Numbers are the right choice
- You're calling businesses, hotlines, or services that don't need to call you back.
- You want to keep your personal number private.
- You just signed up and want to start calling immediately, with zero setup.
When to use your own number instead
If you're calling family, clients, or anyone who should recognize you and be able to call you back on their regular phone line, verify your own mobile or landline number as your caller ID - then every CallTuv call displays your number. It takes about a minute:
There is one trade-off worth knowing before you switch. Because the Shared Number pool is picked with calling routes and prices in mind, showing your own number instead can change the per-minute price for some destinations - sometimes up, sometimes down. Nothing is hidden: the dialer always shows the exact price for the number you've typed before you press call, so you can check it either way.
Where to find the setting
- Web dialer: the caller ID selector on the Call page, showing "Shared Numbers" or your custom number.
- Mobile app: Settings → Caller ID.
Your caller ID choice applies account-wide - set it once and it's used on web, mobile, and the extension alike.
Frequently asked questions
- Can people call me back on a Shared Number?
- No. Shared Numbers are outbound-only - they come from a pool used by many CallTuv calls, so calling one back won't reach you. If you need people to recognize and return your calls, verify your own number as caller ID.
- Will I always show the same Shared Number?
- Not necessarily - the number is picked from the pool each time, so different calls may show different numbers, even when you call the same person twice.
- Why did the person I called see a number from their own country?
- That is deliberate. Where CallTuv holds numbers close to the country you are calling, it uses one of those, for two reasons - a familiar-looking number is more likely to be answered, and the calling route it travels on is what keeps the per-minute price low.
- Does showing my own number instead change what a call costs?
- It can, for some destinations - sometimes up, sometimes down. The Shared Number pool is picked with calling routes and prices in mind, so switching to your own number can put the call on a different route. The dialer always shows the exact price for the number you typed before you press call.
