Factcheck Doesdialing 21 Revealifyouriphoneis

A viral social media claim — circulating on TikTok and Instagram since at least 2020 and still spreading in 2025 — tells people to dial *#21# to find out if their phone has been tapped by the FBI, a stalker, or a jealous partner. If the screen shows settings that are “enabled,” the claim says, your phone is being monitored. This is a hoax. *#21# does not reveal whether your phone has been tapped. Apple has confirmed this directly.

What the code actually does is much more mundane — and actually useful once you understand it. What Does *#21# Do? Dialing *#21# on your phone shows you the current status of your call forwarding settings. That’s it. Call forwarding is a standard carrier feature that redirects your incoming calls, texts, or data to another number — for instance, when your phone is switched off, out of coverage, or busy. *#21# is what’s called a USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) code, sometimes also called an MMI (Man-Machine Interface) code.

When you dial it, your phone queries your carrier’s network and returns a status report for each type of forwarding on your line.

The results typically look something like this: - Setting Interrogation Succeeded: Voice Call Forwarding On All Calls — Disabled - Setting Interrogation Succeeded: Data Call Forwarding On All Calls — Disabled - Setting Interrogation Succeeded: Fax Call Forwarding On All Calls — Disabled - Setting Interrogation Succeeded: SMS Call Forwarding On All Calls — Disabled “Disabled” on every line means nothing is being forwarded — which is the normal result for most people.

“Enabled” means you have active forwarding set up for that service, which is common and expected if you use features like voicemail or business call routing. Does *#21# Show If My Phone Is Tapped? No. The code has no connection to phone tapping, surveillance, or spyware.

Apple’s own senior PR manager for iPhone told USA Today that “the idea of a phone being tapped is totally irrelevant from call forwarding settings, aside from social media memes making it relevant.” Phone tapping — in the sense of intercepting your calls or monitoring your device — is carried out through spyware, malware, or legal intercept mechanisms at the network level. None of those are visible to a USSD code dialed from your keypad.

A call forwarding status screen showing “Enabled” or “Disabled” tells you nothing about whether anyone is listening to your conversations. If you dialed *#21# and got an error message saying the number cannot be completed — that also does not mean your phone is tapped. Not all service providers use the same interrogation codes, so some users receive recorded messages about the number being incorrect. It simply means your carrier doesn’t support that specific code. Does *#21# Work on All U.S. Carriers? This is an important detail the hoax ignores.

*#21# works on GSM networks — meaning AT&T and T-Mobile customers. It may not work the same way on CDMA-based networks. If you’re on Verizon or US Cellular, the equivalent codes are different: This is why some people who dial *#21# on a Verizon phone get an error or a “call cannot be completed” message. It’s not a sign of anything sinister — it’s just the wrong code for their network. What Does ##21# Do? While *#21# checks your forwarding status, ##21# erases it.

Dialing ##21# disables all unconditional call forwarding settings on your line — the type that redirects every call regardless of whether your phone is busy or unanswered. An alternative that clears all types of call forwarding (unconditional and conditional) at once is ##002#, which works on GSM networks including AT&T and T-Mobile. I Dialed *#21# and Call Forwarding Is Enabled — What Now? Don’t panic, and definitely don’t throw away your phone. There are perfectly ordinary reasons why call forwarding might show as enabled: - Voicemail: Most U.S.

carriers use conditional call forwarding to route unanswered calls to voicemail. This is normal and expected. - You set it up and forgot: If you previously diverted calls to a work number or a family member’s phone, it may still be active. - Your carrier enabled it by default: Some carriers pre-configure call forwarding for specific services. If you see a number you don’t recognize in your forwarding results, that’s worth investigating.

To turn off forwarding: - AT&T / T-Mobile: Dial ##21# to disable unconditional forwarding, or ##002# to clear all forwarding at once. - Verizon / US Cellular: Dial *73 or *93 to disable forwarding. - iPhone (any carrier): Go to Settings › Apps › Phone › Call Forwarding and toggle it off. - Android (any carrier): Open the Phone app › tap the three-dot menu › Settings › Supplementary Services › Call Forwarding and disable it there.

Related Call Forwarding Codes Worth Knowing *#21# is just one of several useful USSD codes for managing call forwarding on GSM networks. Here’s a quick reference: How to Actually Tell If Your Phone Is Being Monitored Since *#21# doesn’t detect phone tapping, here’s what actually can raise a red flag: - Unexpected battery drain: Spyware runs background processes that consume power. A sudden, unexplained drop in battery life is worth investigating. - Unusual data usage: Monitoring apps send data to a remote server.

Check your mobile data settings for apps consuming more data than expected. - Phone running warm with no obvious cause: Background spyware activity can cause your phone to heat up even when idle. - Unfamiliar apps installed: Check your app list for anything you don’t recognize. Legitimate spyware often disguises itself with generic names. - You received a suspicious text with strange characters: Some spyware communicates with devices via encoded SMS messages.

If you genuinely suspect your phone has been compromised, the most reliable steps are: run a reputable mobile security scan (Malwarebytes, Norton Mobile, or Bitdefender are solid options for U.S. users), contact your carrier to audit your account for unauthorized changes, and in serious cases, perform a factory reset after backing up your data. Frequently Asked Questions: *#21# and Call Forwarding Codes What does it mean when *#21# shows call forwarding is enabled? Does *#21# work on iPhone? Does *#21# work on Android?

Why did *#21# give me an error or say “call cannot be completed”? What is the code to turn off all call forwarding? Is the *#21# “phone tapping” claim a hoax? Protect Your Phone Privacy: Useful Tools on Amazon If this article got you thinking about phone privacy more broadly, here are some genuinely useful tools. These address real-world privacy concerns — not USSD code myths. Privacy Screen Protectors — Stop Shoulder Surfing A privacy screen protector limits your screen’s viewing angle to roughly 30°.

Anyone next to or behind you sees a black screen; you see clearly from directly in front. Useful in airports, coffee shops, on public transit, or anywhere you handle sensitive information in public. Faraday Bags — Block All Wireless Signals A Faraday bag completely blocks all wireless signals when your phone is inside — no cellular, no GPS, no Wi-Fi, no Bluetooth. Used by security professionals, attorneys, and privacy-conscious individuals who want to ensure a device cannot be tracked, accessed remotely, or pinged while stored.

Note: A Faraday bag is a physical privacy tool for specific use cases — not a response to call forwarding. It is useful when traveling internationally through jurisdictions with invasive data laws, securing a device you are not actively using, or preventing vehicle key fob relay attacks. - SIMKET Faraday Bag 2-Pack — Budget-friendly double-layer shielding for phones and key fobs. Blocks Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, RFID, NFC, and 5G signals. A practical entry-level option for everyday privacy use.

(~$10–$15) Mobile Security Apps — Detect Real Threats For detecting actual spyware, stalkerware, or malicious apps on your device, a reputable mobile security app is far more useful than any USSD code. - Malwarebytes for Android — Scans for malware, spyware, and adware. Free tier available; premium adds real-time protection. Consistently top-rated for Android threat detection. - Norton 360 Mobile Security — Covers iOS and Android. Includes Wi-Fi security scanner, web protection, and identity monitoring alongside malware scanning.

Disclosure: MobilityArena may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through Amazon affiliate links on this page. This does not affect our editorial recommendations. Information current as of March 2026. Carrier codes and network architectures can change — verify with your carrier if a code does not produce the expected result. Ok, but how do you find out where the calls have been forwarded to assuming I inadvertently forwarded my calls?

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