# Any guesses on how this Caller ID "feature" works?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-guesses-on-how-this-caller-id-feature-works/1030606>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [June 4, 2026, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-guesses-on-how-this-caller-id-feature-works/1030606 "2026-06-04T00:14:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2026, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-guesses-on-how-this-caller-id-feature-works/1030606/1 "2026-06-04T00:14:40Z")

</div>

Old AT&T cordless phone. EL52309 (2009ish). Incoming calls show full 10 digit# 123-456-7890. While reviewing received calls all 10 digits are displayed EXCEPT if it’s MY area code of 123. Then it just displays 456-7890. The phone does not know my area code (I don’t think).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2026, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-guesses-on-how-this-caller-id-feature-works/1030606/2 "2026-06-04T00:20:50Z")

</div>

Either that’s all the telco is sending, which I doubt, or more likely, you set it up when you got the phone and forgot.  
From the manual:

> If you dial seven digits to make a local call (no area code required), enter your area code into the telephone as the home area code. When you receive a call from within your home area code, the caller ID history only displays the seven digits of the telephone number.

See page 13:

> **[el52209\_manual\_Canada\_i2.pdf](https://cdn-media.vtechphones.com/ecp/documents/product_Product/119/UserManual/6761/el52209_manual_Canada_i2.pdf)**
>
> 9.21 MB

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2026, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-guesses-on-how-this-caller-id-feature-works/1030606/3 "2026-06-04T00:27:31Z")

</div>

Thanks. The Dope comes through again.