TechTipADay

By task · 2 tips

How to stop spam calls

Both iPhone and Android can stop junk calls without an extra app. An iPhone can send every number you haven't saved to voicemail. Android can quietly drop the calls it already flags as spam. Each is one switch in the phone's own settings.

  1. How to stop spam calls on Android

    Open the Phone app, tap the three dots > Settings > Caller ID & spam and turn on Filter spam calls. Calls flagged as spam stop ringing and go to your call history instead. On a Samsung Galaxy the switch is under Settings > Caller ID and spam protection.

    Use it when: Use it when the same kind of calls keep coming: fake deliveries, car warranties, Suspected spam on the screen three times a day.

    Android · Easy · 1 min · Full steps

  2. How to silence unknown callers on iPhone

    Go to Settings > Apps > Phone and turn on Silence Unknown Callers. Numbers that aren't in your contacts go straight to voicemail. Contacts still ring.

    Use it when: Sales calls stop ringing. So do the doctor and the delivery driver, until you save their numbers.

    iPhone · Easy · 1 min · Full steps

Questions people ask

Will I miss real calls?

Only if a real number gets flagged as spam, which is rare. Filtered calls still show up in your call history and can leave a voicemail. If one is wrong, tap it and choose Not spam.

Will I miss calls from a doctor or a delivery driver?

They go to voicemail unless they're in your contacts or you called them recently. Turn it off on days you expect a call from a new number.

Related tasks