This is happening to me too. Can't find a solution anywhere either. Answer from demimayhem on reddit.com
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Stack Overflow
stackoverflow.com › questions › 45541312 › android-incoming-or-outgoing-call-phone-number-is-null
Android incoming or outgoing call phone number is null - Stack Overflow
<receiver android:name=".broadcast.IncomingCallReceiver"> <intent-filter> <action android:name="android.intent.action.PHONE_STATE" /> </intent-filter> </receiver> <receiver android:name=".broadcast.OutgoingCallReceiver"> <intent-filter> <action android:name="android.intent.action.NEW_OUTGOING_CALL" /> </intent-filter> </receiver> ... <service android:name=".broadcast.IncomingCallReceiver$PhoneService" /> <service android:name=".broadcast.OutgoingCallReceiver$PhoneService" /> I might think that the intent or the intent's bundle is empty. As you can see, I'm making a check before if intent or bundle is different than null and after that setting the data to the newly created intent.
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Cisco Community
community.cisco.com › t5 › ip-telephony-and-phones › caller-id-shows-quot-null-quot-on-intermitant-inbound-calls › td-p › 2661790
Caller ID shows "NULL" on intermitant inbound calls - Cisco Community
March 18, 2015 - In one instance the caller ID showed "NULL@172.x.x.x (Call Manager IP)" The inbound trunk is an MGCP PRI on a 2911 registered to CM10.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/cybersecurity_help › i am getting some unknown calls which are named as null, i can't answer, decline or block that..
r/cybersecurity_help on Reddit: I am getting some unknown calls which are named as Null, I can't Answer, Decline or Block that..
March 25, 2025 -

From a couple of days I am getting Unknown Calls which are named as null, If I try to Decline it , I just can't, and when I answer it the call gets immediately cut. I can't even see the Phone number and I don't get options to call back in my call logs. Please Help.

Top answer
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4
You had some sort of app that was handling calls, then you uninstalled it, so the system don't know how to handle them anymore, but it's not fully deleted. You need to full delete them. https://www.reddit.com/r/AndroidQuestions/comments/1h2p5gq/never_ending_non_interactive_call_from_null/ Not a cybersecurity problem. Please follow-up or repost in r/AndroidQuestions
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Google Support
support.google.com › pixelphone › thread › 315319187 › receiving-call-from-null-from-android-system
Receiving "call from null" from Android System - Google Pixel Community
December 26, 2024 - Due to the latest device launch, we expect to receive higher contact volume than normal. To check if your question is already answered, go to the Pixel Phone Help Center
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Narkive
community.openmoko.narkive.com › sf3r68wu › phonelog-missed-call-null-name-and-number
Phonelog: missed call "NULL" name and number
- Why didn't the phone do anything (ringing/vibrating, missed call notification) when apparently somebody tried to call? NULL means hidden number. Kind of expected that one :-) A programmer can understand this, obviously, but from an end user perspective it is not very meaningful.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/androidquestions › never ending, non interactive, "call from null"
r/AndroidQuestions on Reddit: Never ending, non interactive, "call from null"
November 29, 2024 -

Sometime last week my phone started receiving this "call from null: answering this will end your current call" notification every single second of the day, it literally doesn't go away.

Can't answer it, can't decline it, can't change the volume while the "call" is ongoing, can't listen to music or videos because the calling notification overrides everything else.

Haven't downloaded anything in a while, too, just to put it out there.

Those last days it started to "disappear" for a couple hours per day, but it always triggers after someone calls me, and sometimes at random as well.

Top answer
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8

There are two different "types" of phone state receivers, receivers that have Manifest.permission.READ_CALL_LOG permission and receivers that don't.

If a receiver doesn't have the Manifest.permission.READ_CALL_LOG permission, it will be called for all state changed once, without the EXTRA_INCOMING_NUMBER extra.

If a receiver does have that above permission, like in your case, it will be called for every state changed twice, one without the EXTRA_INCOMING_NUMBER permission, and another time with it.

Since you have this code:

if (lastState == state) {
    return;
}

in your onCallStateChanged method, you're basically skipping the second call, and thus losing the EXTRA_INCOMING_NUMBER info.

If you're sure you have the READ_CALL_LOG permission, you can try skipping the duplicated receiver call without that extra completely (however note that there's a difference between getting a "null" value for that extra which means a private number call, and not getting that extra at all), like so:

String stateStr = intent.getExtras().getString(TelephonyManager.EXTRA_STATE);
if (!intent.getExtras().containsKey(TelephonyManager.EXTRA_INCOMING_NUMBER)) {
    Log.i("Call receiver", "skipping intent=" + intent + ", extras=" + intent.getExtras() + " - no number was supplied");
    return;
}
String number = intent.getExtras().getString(TelephonyManager.EXTRA_INCOMING_NUMBER);

See the official docs at: https://developer.android.com/reference/android/telephony/TelephonyManager#ACTION_PHONE_STATE_CHANGED

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In Android 9, the number is included in intent extras under key incoming_number

Find elsewhere
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Zendesk help
support.zendesk.com › hc › en-us › articles › 4408830322714-Why-am-I-seeing-calls-with-a-NULL-call-group-on-my-reports
Why am I seeing calls with a NULL call group on my reports? – Zendesk help
If a person calls your line, but hangs up in the IVR or before the call is assigned to a group, that call has a value of NULL for the call group. Inbound calls have a group assigned based on the group they are set to route to.
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Google Groups
groups.google.com › g › automate-user › c › A2Zvi0SPFkE
Pie: Call Incoming returns null phone number
https://developer.android.com/about/versions/pie/android-9.0-changes-all#restrict-access-phone-numbers ... Either email addresses are anonymous for this group or you need the view member email addresses permission to view the original message ... Saw this just above the part of the article you linked to; maybe the trouble is related to them moving the permission to a new group? ... Android 9 introduces the CALL_LOG permission group and moves the READ_CALL_LOG, WRITE_CALL_LOG, and PROCESS_OUTGOING_CALLS permissions into this group.
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Ooma Forums
forums.ooma.com › viewtopic.php
Callers with no {empty, null} phone number.... -Ooma Forums
Hey dev team. Here is a new one for you. I received a call today (2/28) that got through the call screening filters (privacy, blacklist, etc). The callerid shows as NONE in my call log. I am unable to add it to my blacklist because the number (NONE) is in an invalid format.
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Oreate AI
oreateai.com › blog › understanding-null-in-call-contexts-what-it-means-and-why-it-matters › c33fad852dcc28912b648bc97ea8e840
Understanding 'Null' in Call Contexts: What It Means and Why It Matters - Oreate AI Blog
December 30, 2025 - Your phone rings, but instead of seeing the name of your friend or colleague on the screen, you see just ‘null.’ This could happen for several reasons. Maybe the person calling has blocked their number from being displayed, or perhaps there's a glitch in your network provider’s system preventing proper identification.
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Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 252311080
Null Incoming Call - Apple Community
I had an incoming call that showed my contacts name with (null) audio. What does that mean? I ignored that call. ... Silence Unknown Calls also block visible numbers When I turn on Silence Unknown calls in the settings. It automatically silence numbers that are NOT unknown.
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5

You can read through the source of TelephonyRegistry: Link

/** ... this class provides a centralized place that applications can register and be called back from. */

The broadcast for an incoming call is sent from this method:

Copyprivate void broadcastCallStateChanged(int state, String incomingNumber) {
    ....
    ....
    Intent intent = new Intent(TelephonyManager.ACTION_PHONE_STATE_CHANGED);
    intent.putExtra(PhoneConstants.STATE_KEY,
            DefaultPhoneNotifier.convertCallState(state).toString());

    // If `incomingNumber` is empty, the key 
    // `TelephonyManager.EXTRA_INCOMING_NUMBER` will not be present
    // in the attached Bundle
    if (!TextUtils.isEmpty(incomingNumber)) {
        intent.putExtra(TelephonyManager.EXTRA_INCOMING_NUMBER, incomingNumber);
    }
    mContext.sendBroadcastAsUser(intent, UserHandle.ALL,
            android.Manifest.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE);
}

So, you'll receive a value corresponding to TelephonyManager.EXTRA_INCOMING_NUMBER iff incomingNumber is not empty.

incomingNumber comes from DefaultPhoneNotifier#notifyPhoneState(Phone): Link

Copy@Override
public void notifyPhoneState(Phone sender) {
    Call ringingCall = sender.getRingingCall();
    String incomingNumber = "";
    if (ringingCall != null && ringingCall.getEarliestConnection() != null){

        // Here
        incomingNumber = ringingCall.getEarliestConnection().getAddress();

    }
    try {
        mRegistry.notifyCallState(convertCallState(sender.getState()), incomingNumber);
    } catch (RemoteException ex) {
        // system process is dead
    }
}

ringingCall.getEarliestConnection().getAddress() calls the getAddress() method from one of the classes that extend com.android.internal.telephony.Connection (GsmConnection, CdmaConnection..).

If you look at the constructor of GsmConnection, you can see that there are variables assigned for number AND caller name. From what I can tell, as a receiver, you only receive the number - if one is available. So, in case of an empty string (when a caller id is blocked/withheld), the key TelephonyManager.EXTRA_INCOMING_NUMBER will not be present in the Bundle you receive.

You did not mention as to why you need this information. If you are trying to show a personalized message by comparing String values, I suggest you do the following:

CopyString phoneNumber = extras.getString(TelephonyManager.EXTRA_INCOMING_NUMBER,
                              "Personalized message for a Blocked Call");

I am not sure if this will be an adequate test, but to simulate a blocked caller id, you can take a look at this question: Link.

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Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 253978204
Null in my contact - Apple Community
June 18, 2022 - No impact on privacy, as far as I know. Simple press "Edit" in the top right corner, then select the label for the number, which will be just to the left of it. You can then change it to whatever you like. ... The value 'null' is used whenever the device cannot find an expected value.
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Stack Overflow
stackoverflow.com › questions › 12430704 › why-an-incoming-call-number-is-null-in-intent-extra-telephonymanager-extra-incom
android - Why an incoming call number is null in intent extra TelephonyManager.EXTRA_INCOMING_NUMBER? - Stack Overflow
It mainly works just fine getting phone number from the intent, but sometimes, rather randomly, it fails on some phones. It looks like a some firmware bug. Does anybody experiences the same issue and know what the reason is actually, how to cope with it? ... I have used something like... And I had no problems with using of it... IntentService = new Intent(context, PlayService.class).setAction("outgoing_call"); IntentService.putExtra("phone_number",intent.getStringExtra(Intent.EXTRA_PHONE_NUMBER)); context.startService(IntentService);
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/sysadmin › port a cell number to null?
r/sysadmin on Reddit: Port a cell number to null?
May 29, 2018 -

I've been thinking about this, and figured it might be a decent discussion on this sub. I'm always "connected" to people all the time, the past year or so I have made good habit of using "do not disturb" on my phone. I'm hitting a some sort of a point where with work, friends, etc, I just for the love of god what to "unplug" and have 0 way of contacting me. I don't even want to be able to check if you texted me, I don't even want to see the missed calls.

I used to have another number on our company plan. But Jesus H Christ, telemarkets and scam callers still find it. I want to be left the fuck alone sometimes.

First thought, obvious, chuck your phone. I've done this, but honestly, sometimes I just want to browse reddit, read whatever, steam some music, something to decompress, and inevitably I see the missed calls and texts. I know it's there, so it's impossible to ignore.

I'm hoping some of you can sympathize with my perspective, and there's no malcontent with it. I just need to be left the fuck alone sometimes but I also want an internet connection.... Nothing is better than driving way out into nowhere just blasting some music on Spotify and not thinking about shit, until you get a fucking call.

I really wish there was some sort of firewall service I could port my number to. I wish I could have "push 1 for this, push 2 for that" before my phone even sees a call. I wish I could actually go offline on my own terms.

I'm just going to leave that as that. I really would like to see what everyone else has to say. I would like to see ideas how to fix this problem. In fact, I bet some business plan could be made. Seriously, if someone charged $X/Mo and I could just not have texts and phone calls come to my phone for X period of time, holy shit, I would buy that instantly.

How do you all stay sane while also wanting to reap the benefits of being online?

Edit: basically, ideally, I just want a number that can't be callled or texted by anyone. How can I do this?

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Quora
quora.com › Why-am-I-getting-calls-with-no-number-showing-up
Why am I getting calls with no number showing up? - Quora
Answer: If the caller ID is completely blank and does not show “blocked number” or “private number” its usually a sign that its a telemarketer. And an inexperienced one at that.