How to Cover a Phone Jack on the Wall

Replacing the Jack with a Flat Cover Plate

1. 
   Pry the cover off the faceplate with a screwdriver if no screws are visible. Inspect the faceplate for screws. If you don't see any, you need to remove the cover so you can access the screws underneath it. Slide a flathead screwdriver between the wall and faceplate and apply a small amount of pressure to pop the cover off.^[4]

   1. This is a best option if you don't want to modify the way your room is set up or paint over anything. The flat cover plate is a much less conspicuous fixture than a phone jack, so it's a good way to blend it into your wall.
   2. If your jack is really old or someone previously painted over the edge where the jack meets the wall, you may need to crack the cover to remove it. To do this, tap the side of the cover gently with a hammer or screwdriver until it cracks and then pull it off of the jack.
   3. A faceplate refers to any plastic or metal cover used to hold an outlet, light switch, or electrical box in place.
2. 
   Purchase a flat cover plate that matches the screw slots on the jack. Count the number of screws on the phone jack and note their location. Measure the distances between them and jot the dimensions down. Go to any hardware or construction supply store and purchase a flat cover plate with identical screw slots. A flat cover plate is basically a flat piece of plastic or metal that is designed to cover up unnecessary outlets or jacks.^[5]

   1. There are roughly 5-6 different patterns for faceplate screws, so you need to make sure that the cover plate matches the screw pattern on the jack.
   2. Flat cover plates typically come in beige, white, gray, black, metal, or brass.
3. 
   Unscrew the jack's faceplate and pull it off of the wall by hand. Use a screwdriver to loosen the screws on the faceplate and remove them from the fixture. Then, simply lift the faceplate off. If the jack is really old or it sticks, slide a flathead screwdriver between the faceplate and the wall and pop it off. If there are wires attached to the faceplate, let it hang under your wall.^[6]

   1. Do not rip the faceplate off if the faceplate has wires attached to it.
   2. If there are no wires, the landlord or previous homeowner disconnected the jack a long time ago and removed the wires without replacing the fixture. You can skip to the last step in this section if this is the case.
4. 
   Cut the wires off of the faceplate with rubber-grip wirecutters. Get a pair of rubber-grip wirecutters and trim an insulated portion of the wires where they connect to the faceplate to remove it. Even when a phone line is live, there's very little electricity running through it and it won't shock you, so this is about as safe as it gets when it comes to cutting wires.^[7]

   1. Even if you flip the circuit breaker, the phone line will still have a current since landlines use a separate source of power. If you aren't paying for a landline, the wires are already as dead as they can get.

   Warning: Do not do this is if there's a thunderstorm outside or you have a pacemaker. A thunderstorm can cause electrical wires to surge and shock you, and even a low volt of electricity may disrupt a pacemaker.

5. 
   Cap the wires with wire nuts and wrap them in electrical tape. On each wire, stick a small wire nut on top of the cut wire. Turn the wire nut clockwise while pressing down until you won't turn it any further. Then, wrap each wire nut in enough electrical tape to secure it tightly to the wire it's attached to.^[8]

   1. While it's probably safe to just tuck the wires inside the electrical box if they're dead, it's better to not take any chances.
   2. Wire nuts look like thimble-shaped pieces of plastic. They're used to safely terminate live wires, but they can be used to cap off dead wires as well.
   3. You cannot use a different type of tape for this. Electrical tape is specifically designed to prevent wires from sparking and it won't ignite if this happens.
6. 
   Stuff the wires inside the electrical box and attach your new cover plate. Bend the wires into the box so that they're not sticking out past the wall. Then, unpack your flat cover plate and hold it over the electrical box so the screw slots on the box line up with the screw slots on the cover plate. Screw the new cover plate into place to finish replacing the jack with a sleeker fixture.^[9]