# What Is Number Masking? Call Masking Explained (2026 Guide)

> Number masking (call masking) connects two people on a phone call without revealing their real numbers. Learn how it works, use cases, India pricing, and how to add it via API.

Source: https://edesy.in/blog/what-is-number-masking-call-masking-guide-2026

If you run a marketplace, a delivery service, or any business where two strangers need to talk, you've probably faced this problem: how do buyers and sellers (or drivers and customers) call each other **without exposing their personal phone numbers**? The answer is **number masking** — also known as **call masking**.

This guide explains what number masking is, how it works, where it's used, what it costs in India, and how to add it to your product via API.

> **Want to skip ahead and build?** See the [Number Masking product overview](https://edesy.in/number-masking) or jump straight to the [API documentation](https://edesy.in/docs/number-masking).

## What is number masking?

**Number masking** is a telephony technique that connects two people on a phone call **without either party seeing the other's real phone number**. Instead, both parties see a temporary **masked number** as the caller ID.

It's called "number masking" because the real number is hidden, and "call masking" because the call is routed (bridged) through a proxy number. The two terms mean the same thing.

A simple example: on a classifieds marketplace, a buyer taps "Call seller". Instead of the seller's real mobile number, both people connect through a masked number. They can talk, but neither sees the other's actual number — and once the deal is done, there's no lingering personal contact data.

## How does call masking work?

The most common model is **click-to-call masking**, and it's straightforward:

1. **Your system requests a call** via the API, passing two phone numbers — Party A and Party B.
2. **The platform dials Party A first.** When they answer, it **bridges Party B**.
3. **Both parties see a masked number** as the caller ID — neither sees the other's real number.
4. **The call connects.** You can record it, poll its status, and pull detailed call logs afterwards.

With Edesy, a single API request kicks this off:

```bash
curl -X POST https://voice-api.edesy.in/v1/masking/calls \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer vp_YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ "party_a": "9876543210", "party_b": "9123456789" }'
```

The response returns a `call_sid` you can use to track the call to completion and fetch the recording. See the full flow in the [API quick start](https://edesy.in/docs/number-masking/getting-started/quick-start).

## Why number masking matters

- **Privacy** — personal numbers are never exposed, so users can't be contacted off-platform or harassed after a transaction.
- **Platform stickiness** — when communication happens through your platform, you keep the relationship (and the data) instead of leaking it to a direct WhatsApp/phone exchange.
- **Trust & safety** — masked, recorded calls give you an audit trail for disputes and abuse handling.
- **Compliance** — minimising exposure of personal contact data supports India's **DPDP Act** obligations.

## Common use cases

| Industry | How number masking is used |
|----------|----------------------------|
| **Marketplaces & classifieds** | Buyers and sellers talk without exposing personal numbers |
| **Ride-hailing & delivery** | Drivers and customers connect on a temporary masked line |
| **Field & home services** | Customer and technician privacy is protected both ways |
| **Recruitment & sales** | Teams call leads from a single masked business number |
| **Healthcare** | Patients and providers coordinate without sharing personal mobiles |

## Number masking vs related telephony tools

Number masking is part of a family of telephony-privacy products. Depending on your need, you might also look at:

- **[Voice OTP](https://edesy.in/voice-otp)** — deliver one-time passwords over a phone call instead of SMS.
- **[Virtual phone number](https://edesy.in/virtual-phone-number)** — a dedicated business number for inbound/outbound calls.
- **[SIP trunking](https://edesy.in/sip-trunking)** — connect your own PBX/telephony stack to the network.
- **[IVR system](https://edesy.in/ivr)** — automated menus and call routing.

For most marketplace and on-demand use cases, **click-to-call number masking** is the right starting point.

## How much does number masking cost in India?

Edesy number masking is priced for Indian businesses: **Rs 1.50 per masked minute**, on a **prepaid wallet**, with **INR billing and a GST invoice**. There's no per-seat licensing — you pay only for connected minutes. See full [pricing](https://edesy.in/number-masking/pricing).

## How to add number masking to your product

You can integrate number masking in minutes:

1. **Sign up** at [masking.edesy.in](https://masking.edesy.in) and create an API key.
2. **Fund your wallet** (prepaid, INR).
3. **Make your first masked call** with one API request — see the [Quick Start](https://edesy.in/docs/number-masking/getting-started/quick-start).
4. **Track and record** — poll [call status](https://edesy.in/docs/number-masking/api-reference/get-call-status), fetch the [recording](https://edesy.in/docs/number-masking/api-reference/get-recording), or subscribe to [webhooks](https://edesy.in/docs/number-masking/api-reference/webhooks).

The full [REST API reference](https://edesy.in/docs/number-masking/api-reference) documents every endpoint, parameter, and response.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is number masking?

Number masking (also called call masking) is a telephony technique that connects two people on a phone call without either party seeing the other's real phone number. Both see a temporary masked number as the caller ID, so personal numbers stay private.

### What is the difference between number masking and call masking?

They are the same thing. "Number masking" emphasises that the phone number is hidden; "call masking" emphasises that the call is bridged through a proxy number. Both describe connecting two parties on a masked caller ID.

### How does call masking work?

With click-to-call masking, your system calls the API with two numbers. The platform dials Party A first, and when they answer, bridges Party B. Both parties see a masked number as the caller ID, the call is connected, and you can record it and pull logs — all without exposing real numbers.

### How much does number masking cost in India?

Edesy number masking is billed at Rs 1.50 per masked minute on a prepaid wallet, with INR billing and a GST invoice. There is no per-seat licensing — you pay only for connected minutes.

### Is number masking legal and compliant in India?

Yes. Number masking is widely used by marketplaces, delivery, and ride-hailing platforms in India precisely to protect user privacy. It supports compliance with India's DPDP Act by minimising exposure of personal contact data, and calls can be recorded and logged for audit.

### Can I add number masking to my app via API?

Yes. Edesy exposes a REST API — one POST request initiates a masked call, and you can poll status, fetch recordings, list call logs, and receive webhooks. See the [number masking API documentation](https://edesy.in/docs/number-masking) to integrate in minutes.

## Get started

- [Number Masking product overview](https://edesy.in/number-masking)
- [API documentation](https://edesy.in/docs/number-masking) and [REST API reference](https://edesy.in/docs/number-masking/api-reference)
- [Pricing](https://edesy.in/number-masking/pricing) — Rs 1.50/min, prepaid, GST invoice
- [How Edesy compares to other masking providers](https://edesy.in/number-masking/api)

## Related reading

- [Number masking for marketplaces and gig platforms](https://edesy.in/blog/number-masking-for-marketplaces-gig-platforms-2026)
- [Number masking for delivery and logistics fleets](https://edesy.in/blog/number-masking-delivery-logistics-fleets-2026)
- [One-way vs two-way number masking](https://edesy.in/blog/one-way-vs-two-way-number-masking-2026)
- [How many masked numbers do you need](https://edesy.in/blog/how-many-masked-numbers-do-you-need-2026)
- [What number masking costs in India](https://edesy.in/blog/what-number-masking-costs-india-2026)