How to Unblock a Phone Number on a Landline

You can easily block individual numbers from calling your landline phone, and unblocking those numbers is also straightforward. The method is different if you want to unblock the number temporarily, so you can call out to it, or permanantly, so they can call your phone again and connect.

In this article:

How to Temporarily Unblock a Phone Number on a Landline

Following these steps will allow you to call an unblocked number but will prevent the owner of the number from reaching you.

On Your Phone Dialer, Dial *82: If your service provider offers a per-call banning service, you can unblock any phone number with this universal code.
Dial the Phone Number You Want to Unblock: You can call the number you want to reach after dialing the unblocking short code, and the recipient of the call will be able to see your caller ID.
Repeat Each Time You Call the Blocked Number: Since this is a quick method to unblock calls, you may have to follow steps 1 and 2 every time you want to call a blocked number.

How to Permanently Unblock a Phone Number on a Landline

The permanent approach will stop blocking a number completely so that the owner of the number can call you and you can call the number. Generally, you must to contact your service provider before trying to unblock a phone number permanently, though the approach differs for each carrier:

How to Unblock a Phone Number on a Spectrum Landline

If you ever need to unblock a phone number on a Spectrum landline, you must dial *80 to unblock it.

How to Unblock a Phone Number on an AT&T Landline

On an AT&T landline, you have to follow these steps to unblock a number:

Dial *60 from a touch-tone phone to enter the selective-call-rejection system.
Press the * button to unblock a number.
Dial the number you wish to unblock.
Press the # key to confirm you want to unblock the number.
To unblock all numbers, dial *80 or 1180 to turn off the call-blocking feature.

How to Unblock a Phone Number on a Verizon Landline

Verizon landline customers can unblock a phone number through various touch-tone options.

Lift the receiver on your landline phone and listen for a dial tone.
To unblock numbers from your account, dial *80 from a touch-tone phone and wait for the automated instructions to walk you through the process. You must dial 1180 if you are using a rotary phone.
Enter the phone numbers you want to unblock when prompted.

How to Unblock a Phone Number on an Xfinity Landline (Formally Comcast)

To cancel Caller ID blocking per line for one call on an Xfinity landline:

Listen for the dial tone as you lift the receiver.
Dial *82.
A confirmation tone and a new dial tone will both be audible.
Enter the desired number on the phone.
Your name and phone number will only be displayed on your recipient’s Caller ID screen for that call. This process unblocks the number temporarily.

How to Block and Unblock Numbers With Community Phone

Customers who use Community Phone can enjoy access to easy blocking and unblocking of phone numbers. Here's how:

1. Community Phone’s Robocall Blocking

Community Phone's Robocall Blocking is an effective solution to unwanted calls and spam. Here's how it works: When someone dials your Community Phone number, they won't hear your phone ringing immediately; instead, they will be asked to press 1 to connect. The robodialler will not press 1, and will not be connected.

Robo-Call Blocking from Community Phone is easy to set up and use. Once you’ve signed up, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your private information isn't being exposed or compromised by spammers or malicious actors attempting to gain access through automated calls.

It is an incredibly cost-effective solution for anyone searching for a simple, quick way to block spam calls.

2. Community Phone’s Complete Scam Blocking

Community Phone’s Complete Scam Blocking enables users to set an “Allow List” of the people who can ring their phone.

All other calls are then blocked by default—preventing 100% of scam calls and unwanted solicitations without manually filtering through each call. The Allow List is easy to set up and manage. You can create a list of contacts you want to receive calls from. This list acts as a safe-list of approved callers. Then, all other numbers not on your list will be blocked from calling your phone line. If someone new attempts to call your phone line, the Allowed List will detect the unfamiliar number and automatically reject the call before it even reaches you.

FAQs

What is * 82 on the phone?

*82 on the phone unblocks Caller ID on one outbound call. If you previously used *61 to block caller ID for all outgoing calls, you can use this star code to unlock caller ID for a single call.

How do I unblock a number on my Panasonic landline?

Go to your blocked calls list to unblock a number on your Panasonic landline. Navigate to your main menu and choose the list - banned items. Once you've highlighted the blocked number, press the enter key or button to access it.

When you reach the blocked number you want, stop scrolling. Your selected blocked number will be highlighted and removed from the list of blocked numbers.

Can you unblock a caller?

You can unblock a caller by dialing *82, followed by the number you want, to allow access to your caller ID information.