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How to use Call Privacy on my Bell Home phone

Call Privacy blocks incoming calls from private and unknown phone numbers. Note: This feature requires Call Display.

Learn more or subscribe to Call Privacy

Call Privacy asks callers with a private or unknown phone number to identify themselves before allowing the call to go through. They must either :

  • Press the star key (*) to enter their 10-digit number
  • Press the pound key (#) to reveal their private number.

Turning Call Privacy on or off

First, press *11 from your Bell Home phone to access the Call Privacy main menu.

  • To turn Call Privacy ON, press 1 and then 2.
  • To turn Call Privacy OFF, press 1 and then 1.

Selective Acceptance List

Selective Acceptance screens incoming calls against a list of numbers you specify and then accepts calls from only those numbers on the list. All other incoming calls from unknown or private numbers that are not on the selective acceptance list will be redirected to voicemail.

Creating a Selective Acceptance List

To add a number to your Selective Acceptance List:

  1. Press *11 from your Bell Home phone to access the Call Privacy main menu.
  2. Press 3 and then 1.
  3. Enter a 10-digit phone number to add to your list.

Peace & Quiet

If you also subscribe to Call Answer or Call Answer Message Manager, you can set up Peace & Quiet to temporarily direct all incoming calls to your voicemail.

To set up Peace & Quiet:

  1. Press *11 from your Bell Home phone to access the Call Privacy main menu.
  2. Press 5.
  3. Enter the number of hours you want Peace & Quiet to be active (1 to 24 hours).
  4. Press # to confirm

To remove Peace & Quiet:

  • Press 5 to manage Peace and Quiet.
  • Press 0 then #. An automated message will confirm your selection by saying The system will now have all calls ring your phone.
  • Hang up.

Friends & Family Passcode

Call Privacy allows you to set up a three-digit passcode that you can distribute to your family and friends. The passcode allows them to bypass the Call Privacy screening, unless Peace & Quiet time is activated.

To set or change your Friends & Family Passcode:

  1. Press *11 from your Bell Home phone to access the Call Privacy main menu.
  2. Press 2.
  3. Enter a three-digit passcode.

Note : You cannot disable the Friends & Family Passcode once it has been activated.  However, you are always able to change the passcode to control the phone numbers that can get through.

Phone numbers that can by-pass Call privacy

Press 3 to access the Selective Acceptance List.

An automated message will confirm how many numbers, if any, are on the list.

If there are no numbers on the list, press 1 and follow the prompts to add numbers. If there are existing numbers on the list, you can:

  1. Press 1 to add a number to the list.
  2. Press 4 to review or modify the list.
  3. Press 7 to erase all existing numbers in the list.

Call Screen is a Call Privacy feature that allows you to block up to 12 phone numbers.  These callers will receive a voicemail saying that you aren't taking calls at this time. Your home phone will not ring and the screened caller is unable to leave a message on your voicemail.

How to use Call Screen on my Bell Home phone