14 secret phone codes that unlock hidden features on your Android and iPhone

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.

ZDNET's key takeaways

• Use these codes to forward calls, pay your bill, check balances, etc.
• Some of the codes work only on certain carriers or devices.
• One of the codes also might erase your data, so use with caution.

I've always known that some carriers support phone codes -- numbers that start with * or # -- so you can check things like your data usage or bill balance. But I recently learned, thanks to ZDNET's sister site PCMag, that your device itself also supports many secret phone codes that unlock hidden menus. 

Admittedly, these are mostly something only techies or developers would need to access or tinker with, but if you're anything like me, learning the hacky ins and outs of your device is incredibly fun.

Also: Before you quit Netflix, use these secret codes to ...