How to Stop Spam Calls on iPhone, Android and Landlines

You stop most spam calls by letting your phone screen or silence numbers you have not saved, turning on your phone’s spam filter and your carrier’s free blocking tool, and refusing to engage with the calls that still get through. Here is the short version:

• Turn on call screening or silencing for unknown numbers: Screen Unknown Callers on iPhone, Call Screen on Pixel, Block calls from unknown numbers on Samsung Galaxy.
• Switch on your phone’s spam filter and your carrier’s free spam blocker (AT&T ActiveArmor, Verizon Call Filter or T-Mobile ScamShield).
• Put your number on the National Do Not Call Registry so companies that follow the law stop their sales calls.
• When a spam call does get through, hang up. Do not press a key, do not call back and do not chat.

Will that get you to zero? No. Even the FCC says “no silver bullet exists to eradicate illegal robocalls” (March 2026). But it can turn a phone that buzzes all day into one that mostly rings when someone you know is calling, and that is a trade I will take.

On This Page

1. How To Stop Spam Calls On iPhone
2. How To Block Spam Calls On Android
3. Turn On Your Carrier’s Free Spam Call Blocker
4. How To Stop Spam Calls On A Landline
5. Does The Do Not Call Registry Stop Spam Calls?
6. Should You Use A Spam Call Blocker App?
7. How To Block Spam Texts
8. Why Spam Calls Still Get Through
9. Habits That Keep Spam Calls From Multiplying
10. Spam Call FAQ

Phone makers and carriers rename these settings all the time, so if a menu below does not match your phone, search the Settings app for the feature name. Every path in this guide matched the official help pages when I checked them on October 8, 2026.

01How To Stop Spam Calls On iPhone

On an iPhone, the setting that does the most is Screen Unknown Callers in Settings > Apps > Phone, which can make anyone you have not saved say who they are and why they are calling before your phone rings. The menus below are the same in iOS 26 and iOS 27, except where I note a difference. Older versions use different names, and I point those out as we go.

Screen Or Silence Unknown Callers

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Apps, then tap Phone.
3. Under Screen Unknown Callers, choose Ask Reason for Calling or Silence.

Here is what each choice does, according to Apple’s iPhone User Guide:

• Ask Reason for Calling: your iPhone answers calls from unknown numbers and asks the caller for their name and the reason for the call. Only then does it ring and show you the answer, so you can decide whether to pick up. Siri does the talking, in your iPhone’s default language.
• Silence: calls from unsaved numbers are silenced, sent to voicemail and listed in Recents. Your phone never rings for them.
• Never: screening is off and every call rings.

Which one should you pick? For most people I would start with Ask Reason for Calling. A real caller, like the pharmacy or your kid’s school, can still explain who they are, and you decide whether to pick up. Silence is the strict option, and it works well if you rarely get calls you were not expecting.

Two catches from Apple’s support article (September 2026): calls are not screened while you are roaming, and if you call emergency services, call screening turns off for 24 hours. Apple also suggests adding the important numbers to your Contacts (family, school, your doctor’s office) so those calls always come through.

On iOS 18, the same idea is a single switch called Silence Unknown Callers, in Settings > Apps > Phone.

Turn On The Spam Filter

1. Open Settings, tap Apps, then tap Phone.
2. Scroll down to Call Filtering.
3. Turn on Spam. You can also turn on Unknown Callers.

With Spam on, Apple says calls your carrier identifies as potential spam or fraud are silenced, sent to voicemail and moved to a Spam list. Unknown Callers moves calls from unknown numbers out of your Recents and into their own list. Note the word “carrier” there. The iPhone spam filter leans on your carrier’s data, which is one more reason to turn on the carrier tool covered further down. On iOS 18, the matching switch is Silence Junk Callers under Call Blocking & Identification, and only certain carriers offer it.

Block A Number On iPhone

1. Open the Phone app and tap Recents.
2. Tap the number you want to block (in the Classic layout, tap the Info button next to it).
3. Scroll down and tap Block Caller.

You can do the same from a text: open the conversation in Messages, tap the contact at the top, scroll down and tap Block Caller. According to Apple, a blocked number can still leave a voicemail, but you will not get a notification, and the caller is not told they were blocked. To see or undo your blocks, look for Blocked Contacts. In iOS 26 it sits under Settings > Privacy & Security. In iOS 27 it is under Settings > Apps > Phone.

Blocking is great for the ex who will not stop calling. Against spam it is whack-a-mole, and I explain why further down.

Use Live Voicemail

Live Voicemail shows you a transcript of a voicemail while the caller is still leaving it, and you can pick up mid-message if it turns out to be someone you want to talk to. To turn it on, go to Settings > Apps > Phone and turn on Live Voicemail.

It pairs nicely with silencing. Apple says that when unknown callers are silenced, those numbers go straight to Live Voicemail without ringing you first, and calls your carrier identifies as spam skip Live Voicemail and are declined. Live Voicemail is not available in every country, region or language.

Add A Call-Blocking App On iPhone

If you install a third-party call-blocking or caller ID app, you have to switch it on before it can do anything:

1. Install a call-blocking or caller ID app from the App Store.
2. Go to Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification.
3. Turn on the app under Call Identification apps.

02How To Block Spam Calls On Android

On Android, the spam filter and Call Screen in the Google Phone app do most of the work, while Samsung Galaxy phones use Smart Call in the Phone app’s settings instead. Android menus vary by phone maker and Android version, so the steps below come straight from Google’s and Samsung’s help pages.

Google Phone App And Pixel Phones

Start with the spam filter. Google says caller ID and spam protection is on by default, but the part that actually blocks spam is a separate switch:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Tap More options, then Settings, then Caller ID and spam.
3. Make sure See caller ID & spam is on.
4. Turn on Filter spam calls.

You get no missed-call or voicemail notifications for filtered calls, but they still show in your call history and you can check your voicemail. If you do not see Filter spam calls, your phone probably has automatic Call Screen, where spam blocking is one of the screening options instead.

Call Screen is the Android cousin of Apple’s call screening. To set it up:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Tap More, then Settings, then Spam and Call Screen (on some phones it just says Call Screen).
3. Tap Call Screen.
4. Pick a protection level: Maximum, Medium or Basic. On a Pixel 7 or newer, you can choose which callers get screened: spam, possibly faked numbers and first-time callers.

When a call is screened, an assistant answers and asks who is calling and why. If it decides the call is spam, your phone hangs up. If not, your phone rings and shows you what the caller said. Google lists automatic screening for Pixel phones in the US and manual Call Screen on selected Android devices in the US and Canada. It does not screen automatically while you are roaming.

Pixel owners in the US get one more option, Scam Detection, which warns you during a call if the conversation looks like a scam. It works on Pixel 6 and later, it is off by default, and you turn it on under Phone app > More > Settings > Scam Detection. Google is upfront that it is “not 100% accurate.”

A privacy note, since it is fair to ask: Google says that when someone outside your contacts calls you, that number is sent to Google to check whether it is spam. Google says it does not get the numbers from your contact list.

Samsung Galaxy Phones

Samsung’s spam blocker is called Smart Call. Samsung’s steps:

1. Open the Phone app and tap More options (the three vertical dots), then Settings.
2. Tap Caller ID and spam protection, turn on the switch at the top and agree to the terms.
3. Turn on Block spam and scam calls, then choose Block all spam and scam calls, or Only block high-risk scam calls.

The high-risk option lets less severe spam through, so I would pick Block all unless you start missing calls you want. Samsung notes that Smart Call may not be available on all carriers or models.

Samsung also has a stricter switch: Phone app > More options > Settings > Block numbers > Block calls from unknown numbers. It blocks any number that is not saved in your contacts or identified by Smart Call. Great for a parent’s phone, maybe too much if you are waiting on a call from a new doctor.

Block A Number On Android

On the Google Phone app, blocking one number takes four taps:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Tap More, then Call history.
3. Tap a call from the number you want to block.
4. Tap Block / report spam.

One thing trips people up here. Google’s Phone app also has an Unknown switch under Settings > Blocked numbers, but it only blocks private or unidentified numbers. You will still get calls from numbers that are not in your contacts. If you want strangers silenced, use Call Screen instead.

On a Samsung, open the Phone app, tap Recents, tap the number, tap the Menu icon below it, then tap Block and confirm.

03Turn On Your Carrier’s Free Spam Call Blocker

AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile each include a free spam call blocking tool with eligible phone plans, so check that yours is switched on and set to block or send spam to voicemail. On iPhone, as you saw above, the spam filter depends on your carrier’s spam data anyway.

AT&T ActiveArmor

AT&T ActiveArmor is free with every AT&T wireless plan. Per AT&T’s setup page (updated June 2026), fraud calls are automatically set to Block. Spam calls are labeled when possible, and in the ActiveArmor app you decide what happens to them:

1. Open the ActiveArmor app and go to the Calls tab.
2. Under Call Routing, choose to allow, block or send all spam calls to voicemail. Custom lets you route by category, such as telemarketers, political calls or surveys.
3. Turn on Always allow contacts so people you know are never blocked.

One gotcha: you need an active voice mailbox to send callers to voicemail. AT&T also says the service may not detect all threats.

Verizon Call Filter

Verizon says Call Filter (free) is included on standard monthly and prepaid plans with a compatible device. The app comes pre-loaded on most Android phones. On other phones, download it from the App Store or Google Play. If your phone cannot run the app, turn Call Filter on from the Services & perks page in the My Verizon app or website. If you do not change anything, spam calls go to voicemail by default.

Heads-up: Verizon’s own FAQ says Call Filter is moving into Verizon Protect, so the name in your app may change. Verizon also says it does not guarantee that every spam call will be detected.

T-Mobile ScamShield

T-Mobile’s ScamShield is built into its network at no extra cost. Calls get a Scam Likely or Potential Spam label. The useful extra step is Scam Block, which blocks Scam Likely calls outright:

1. On your T-Mobile phone, dial #662#.
2. Or turn on Scam Block in the T-Life app or My T-Mobile.

T-Mobile warns that Scam Block might block calls you want, and you can turn it off any time.

Prepaid And Smaller Carriers

Prepaid brands often have their own tool with a different name:

• Cricket: Cricket Call Defense is free with all rate plans on eligible devices. Find it in the myCricket app under the gear icon, then Line Settings, then Call Defense.
• Visible: Spam Protection is on by default and set to high-risk calls. To catch more, go to My Account > Dashboard > Settings > Spam Protection and choose High & Medium-risk or All spam calls.
• Everyone else: check your carrier’s website or ask support what call blocking or labeling it offers. The FCC keeps a list of carrier blocking pages, and notes that phone companies may enroll you automatically, with the option to opt out.

All three big carriers also sell paid upgrades that add extras like caller lookup or identity monitoring. Prices change, so I am leaving them out. Turn on the free tool first and see whether you even need more.

04How To Stop Spam Calls On A Landline

A home phone needs a different fix: ask your phone company which blocking features your line supports, and add a call-blocking device if you still have a traditional copper landline. The FTC’s call-blocking guide splits it into two cases, and the first step is figuring out which one you have.

1. Check what kind of line you have. If you get phone service from a cable company, or as part of a phone, internet and cable bundle, the FTC says you probably have an internet-based (VoIP) line. If you do not have internet-based service, treat it as a traditional landline. Your bill or your provider can confirm which you have.
2. Ask your provider what it offers. The FCC’s call blocking resources link to home-phone pages from AT&T, CenturyLink, Comcast, Frontier, Spectrum and Verizon.
3. Turn on the features your line has. The codes differ by company. Two examples: on AT&T’s digital home phone, you press *61 right after an unwanted call to block that number. On Verizon’s traditional lines, *60 manages Call Block and *77 turns on Anonymous Call Block, though Verizon says Call Block is not available everywhere for new customers.
4. Add a blocker if you need one. For a traditional landline, the FTC suggests a call-blocking device, a small box you attach to your phone that uses a list of known scam numbers, your own list, or both. For a VoIP line, look at internet-based blocking services and read expert reviews of a few before you choose. Some are free and some charge a monthly fee.

If an older relative still relies on a home phone, this is the section to work through with them on your next visit (bring snacks, it may take a while).

05Does The Do Not Call Registry Stop Spam Calls?

The National Do Not Call Registry cuts sales calls from companies that follow the law, but it does not block anything and it will not stop scammers. The registry is a list that tells legitimate telemarketers which numbers to leave alone. In the FTC’s own words, it “doesn’t block calls”, so “being on the Registry won’t stop calls from scammers making illegal calls.”

So is it useless? No. Here is what you get, per the FTC:

• It is free. Register a home or cell number at DoNotCall.gov, or call 1-888-382-1222 from the phone you want to register.
• Your number shows up on the registry the next day, but it can take up to 31 days for sales calls to stop.
• Your registration never expires.
• Political calls, charity calls, debt collection calls, purely informational calls and surveys are still allowed, as long as they do not include a sales pitch.
• Companies you recently did business with, or gave written permission to, can still call. But if you ask them to stop, they have to.

Here is the part I like: the FTC says being on the registry should reduce the calls you get and make it easier to spot scam calls. Once you are registered, a sales call from a company you never dealt with is more likely to be a scam. And a robocall selling something without your written permission is illegal whether you are on the registry or not.

If an unwanted sales call gets through anyway, report it at DoNotCall.gov. If you lost money, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov instead. The FTC says it releases the reported numbers each business day to help the phone companies and partners that build call-blocking and call-labeling tools.

06Should You Use A Spam Call Blocker App?

A spam call blocker app can catch calls your phone and carrier miss, but some apps want access to your contacts or call data, so read the privacy policy before you install one. The FTC explains that these apps work like a filter. The company behind the app uses call data and reports from users, the FTC and other sources to predict which calls are illegal or likely scams, and the app intercepts those calls before they reach you.

The trade-offs, before you download anything:

• Privacy. Some apps access your contacts list, and the FTC suggests reading the privacy policy to see how the app uses your information. Built-in tools are not data-free either (remember Google checking unknown numbers), but an app means trusting one more company with your call history.
• Wrong blocks. The FTC warns that call-blocking services might block some calls you want. Set the app to send suspected spam to voicemail rather than block it, at least for the first few weeks.
• Cost. Some apps are free and others charge a fee.
• Overlap. If your phone’s screening and your carrier’s blocker are already on, an app may add little. If spam still gets through after a couple of weeks, then try one.

How to choose one: the FTC suggests checking app store ratings, reading expert reviews and looking at the wireless industry’s list of apps at ctia.org. The FCC’s resource page names several third-party call analytics companies, including Hiya, Nomorobo, YouMail and First Orion, and makes clear it does not endorse any of them. I am not recommending a specific app either, because the right one depends on your phone and your carrier.

07How To Block Spam Texts

To cut spam texts, turn on your phone’s unknown-sender filter and spam protection, then report the scam texts that still get through to your carrier and delete them.

On iPhone (iOS 26 and iOS 27), per Apple:

1. Open the Messages app.
2. In the conversation list, tap the Filters button, then tap Manage Filtering.
3. Turn on Screen Unknown Senders.

Texts from unknown senders then go to their own folder, and you are not notified about them unless you choose to be. You can still allow notifications for things like verification codes. One limit worth knowing: Apple notes that text message filtering does not apply to any sender you have replied to three times or more. On iOS 18, the older switch is called Filter Unknown Senders, under Settings > Apps > Messages.

On Android with Google Messages, spam protection is turned on automatically where it is available. To check it:

1. Open Google Messages and tap your profile picture or initials at the top right.
2. Tap Messages settings, then Protection & Safety, then Spam protection.
3. Make sure Enable spam protection is on.

When you report a conversation as spam in Google Messages, it also blocks the sender and moves the text to your Spam & blocked folder.

Report the ones that get through. The FTC says to copy the message and forward it to 7726 (SPAM), which helps your wireless provider spot and block similar messages. The FCC adds that most mobile carriers support 7726, but check with yours. Verizon says there are no charges for using 7726. Then delete the text.

Never tap the links in a scam text. AT&T, for one, points its customers to the text filters built into iPhone and Android. If you want to see what the toll, package and job texts going around look like, I break them down in our guide to common phone scams and scam texts.

08Why Spam Calls Still Get Through

Spam calls still get through because scammers fake the number on your caller ID and keep switching numbers, so blocking the last number does nothing about the next call. The FTC describes “neighbor spoofing,” where scammers often match the first six digits of your phone number to look local, and the faked number often belongs to a real person who has no idea. The FCC says you may not be able to tell right away whether a call is spoofed. That is why blocking one number at a time feels like bailing out a boat with a fork. If you want the full story of how faked caller ID works, read about phone spoofing.

A few other reasons the filters miss some calls:

• Phone companies look for suspicious calling patterns, so a fresh number can slip through until enough people report it.
• Labels can be wrong in both directions. The FCC notes that a legitimate caller can be blocked by mistake when its calls look like robocall patterns, and the FTC says not all scam calls get flagged.

None of this means the settings are pointless. It means they are a seat belt, not a force field.

09Habits That Keep Spam Calls From Multiplying

Hang up on spam calls without pressing any keys, never call back a number you do not know, and let unknown numbers go to voicemail, because engaging tells callers your line is worth trying again. These habits come straight from the FCC’s consumer guide and the FTC’s robocall advice:

• Do not answer numbers you do not know. A real caller will leave a message.
• Do not press 1 to “talk to someone” or “be removed.” The FTC says pressing numbers will probably only lead to more robocalls.
• Hang up right away if a caller asks for money or personal information.
• Do not call back an unknown number. If a caller claims to be your bank or a government agency, hang up and call back on the official number from your statement or the agency’s website.
• Set a voicemail password. The FCC warns that some voicemail services let anyone in who calls from your own number, and that number can be spoofed.
• Save the numbers that matter (doctor, pharmacy, school, family) so your filters never catch them.

Yeah, I know, “do not answer” sounds too simple to count as advice. It is also the one habit that costs nothing and needs no app.

10Spam Call FAQ

The spam call questions people ask most have short answers: hang up if you pick up by mistake, expect local-looking numbers because caller ID can be faked, and treat blocking as a partial fix rather than a cure.

What Happens If I Answer A Spam Call?

Hang up. If it is a recording trying to sell you something, the FTC says the call is almost always illegal and probably a scam. The risk is in what you do next: pressing keys, confirming details, paying or calling back. If you already shared information or money, see what to do after a scam call for the next steps.

Why Am I Getting So Many Spam Calls?

Because calling is cheap and your number travels. The FTC says it is easy and cheap for scammers to call people anywhere in the world. The FCC suggests checking whether the companies you deal with sell or share your information, and reading a website’s privacy policy (and looking for an opt-out checkbox) before you type in your number.

Why Do Spam Calls Show My Own Area Code?

That is neighbor spoofing. Scammers fake a number that looks local, often matching the first six digits of yours, because you are more likely to answer. The FTC notes the faked number often belongs to a real person who has no idea it is being used.

What Does Scam Likely Mean?

It is a carrier label. T-Mobile uses Scam Likely for calls it identifies as a likely scam, and Potential Spam for unwanted sales calls that are not aimed at you specifically. Verizon’s labels are Potential Spam, Robo Caller and Potential Fraud, though on the free version of Call Filter every spam call shows as Potential Spam. Google’s Phone app shows “Suspected spam caller.” A label is a warning, not a verdict, so let it go to voicemail.

Does Blocking A Number Stop Spam Calls?

It stops that number and nothing else. Spam callers switch and spoof numbers, so blocking works far better against a person who keeps calling you than against robocallers. Screening and spam filters judge every call instead.

Can You Stop Spam Calls Completely?

No, and anyone who promises that is selling something. The FCC itself says there is no silver bullet. You can cut them down a lot and make the rest easy to ignore.

Will Call Blocking Block Calls I Want?

Sometimes, yes. The FTC warns that call-blocking services might block some calls you want, and T-Mobile says the same about Scam Block. Save important numbers in your contacts, send suspected spam to voicemail instead of blocking it outright, and mark mistakes (in the Google Phone app, tap Not spam). The FCC says you can also opt out of blocking your phone company turned on for you.

Should I Reply STOP To A Spam Text?

Not to a stranger. The FCC says not to respond to texts from unknown or questionable sources, and Verizon says not even to say STOP. Report it to 7726 and delete it. A real company you signed up with is different: the FCC says you can opt out of robotexts in any reasonable way, so STOP is fine there.

If you only do one thing tonight, turn on call screening on your phone, then help the person in your family who still answers every call do the same. For more ways to protect yourself and the people you love, browse our personal security guides.