Cloaked identities give you full control over who can contact you and where those communications are delivered.

This article explains how Communication Settings, Locked Numbers, and Forwarding work together, how they differ, and how to configure them based on how you intend to use each identity.

How Identity Communication Works

Every Cloaked identity has two separate layers of control for each communication channel (Calls, Texts, and Email):

Communication Settings control who is allowed to contact the identity
Forwarding Settings control where those communications are delivered

These controls are independent. Who can reach you and where messages go are configured separately.

You can adjust these settings:

During identity creation
At any time on an existing identity
As global defaults for future identities

Where to Manage These Settings

Communication and Forwarding Settings can be managed:

During identity creation
From the identity’s settings page in the Cloaked app
From the desktop dashboard

Click on any Identity and then tap "Settings" to get started.

Communication Settings

Controlling Who Can Contact You

Communication Settings determine how new contacts are handled. Existing approved contacts are never affected.

Each channel (Calls, Texts, Email) can be configured independently.

Request Approval or Blocked

When set to Request Approval or Blocked:

New senders cannot reach you automatically
Incoming attempts are held until you approve the contact
Messages and calls do not deliver by default
This reduces spam and unknown outreach

Use when you want control over who can contact the identity.

Unrestricted

When set to Unrestricted:

Anyone can contact the identity immediately
Messages and calls are delivered without approval
Necessary when unknown senders must be able to reach you

Use when you expect contact from unknown or rotating numbers.

Communication Settings affect new contacts only. Contacts you have already approved can always reach you, regardless of later changes.

Locked Phone Numbers (Calls & Texts)

A locked phone number is a stricter communication control available for phone numbers.

When a number is locked:

Only already-approved contacts can reach you
New callers and texters are automatically blocked
No new contact requests appear
Locking becomes permanent after 7 days

Locked numbers are designed for identities where no new contacts should ever reach you.

When Locked Numbers Work Best

You know exactly who will contact you
You want to stop all new outreach permanently
You are maintaining an identity used only by a fixed group

When Not to Use Locked Numbers

Locked numbers may prevent important communication when:

Verification codes come from rotating numbers
Delivery or service providers call from unknown numbers
You cannot predict who will contact you

In these cases, locking may block legitimate calls or messages.

Forwarding Settings

Controlling Where Communications Go

Forwarding determines whether communications stay inside Cloaked or are delivered to your personal phone or email.

Forwarding is configured separately for Calls, Texts, and Email.

Forwarding does not affect whether messages are received, only where they appear.

Forwarding On

When forwarding is enabled:

Calls or messages are delivered to your personal device
The same content still appears inside Cloaked
Your real contact details remain hidden

Phone calls require a forwarding phone number in order to ring your personal phone. Without forwarding enabled, you cannot answer calls in real time.

Forwarding Off

When forwarding is disabled:

Messages and calls remain accessible only inside Cloaked
Nothing is sent to your personal phone or email
Your personal contact information remains completely isolated

Cloaked identities continue to function normally without forwarding enabled.

Account-Level vs Identity-Level Forwarding

Forwarding works across two layers.

Account-Level Forwarding

At the account level, you register and verify the personal email addresses and phone numbers Cloaked is allowed to forward to.

You must:

Add your destination phone number or email
Verify it using a one-time code

Unverified destinations cannot be used for forwarding or account access.

Identity-Level Forwarding

Identity-level settings determine whether a specific identity forwards communications.

Each identity independently controls:

Incoming Emails
Incoming Texts
Incoming Calls

This allows different identities to behave differently depending on how you use them.

Forwarding and Verification Codes

Forwarding affects where verification codes appear, not whether they are received.

With forwarding OFF, codes appear inside Cloaked
With forwarding ON, codes also arrive on your personal device
Your real contact details remain private in both cases

Global Defaults vs Existing Identities

Global default settings apply only to new identities created going forward.
They never change existing identities automatically.
Each identity can always be customized individually.

Example Identity Configurations and Why They Work

Verification or Signup Identities

Used for login codes and account creation.

Recommended behavior:

Texts: Unrestricted (verification codes often come from rotating numbers)
Calls and Email: Request Approval or Blocked (rarely needed for verification)
Forwarding: Off (codes still appear inside Cloaked, keeping your real contact isolated)

What this prevents:
Missed verification codes, spam calls, unnecessary exposure of your real phone or email.

Delivery or Service Identities

Used when someone may need to reach you temporarily.