How to stop annoying spam calls
Spam calls are the word, a waste of time And a threat to your privacy and security. Unfortunately, they can be very effective and profitable for the scammers on the other end of the line, which is why these spam calls persist.
You can fight back. Both Apple and Google have developed anti-spam technologies. Apply some of these settings and features and you should have fewer spam calls interrupting your day.
If you are on an iPhone
Introduced in iOS 26, call screening will put a robot voice between you and unknown callers, asking them why they’re ringing. You will be able to see their response transcribed in text on your screen, and you can then decide whether to pick up or not.
You can configure this by going to Settings in iOS, then tapping Applications > Phone. Below Filter unknown callersyou have three options: Never (calls will ring normally), Ask the reason for the call (the call screening function), and Silence (unknown callers do not ring and always go to voicemail).
There is also the Unknown callers toggle switch lower. When enabled, a missed call from a number not in your contacts is moved to a separate list in your Phone app (these calls will not appear in the main recent calls list).
Of course, this depends on updating all your known contacts. If someone you know has a new number and you haven’t yet given them a name in the Contacts app, now is the time to do so. If you don’t do this, you risk having the calls of your friends, family, and work colleagues silenced or sent to call screening.
Another step you can take is to block numbers once you know they are spam. Scammers often change their numbers, but blocking can still help. In the Phone app, tap any empty avatar of any spam caller (left), then choose Block contacts.
You can also take help from a third-party spam blocking app. We don’t have room for a full roundup here, but some of the most popular include RoboKiller, Hiya, and Truecaller. It’s also worth checking with your carrier to see what security apps they offer, such as the ActiveArmor app offered by AT&T.
If you are on an Android phone
On Pixel phones, open the Phone app, then click the menu (three horizontal lines, top left) and choose Settings > Caller ID & Spam. Activate the View caller ID and spam toggle switch, and incoming calls that Android recognizes as coming from suspected scammers will be flagged as such before you answer.
There are a few additional options on the Settings screen that are worth checking out. Faucet Scam detectionand if you enable this feature, your phone will alert you during a call if it looks like a scam, although Google warns that it’s not 100% foolproof. There is a full description of how it works on the configuration page.
Pixel phones also offer a screening feature that lets you ask unknown callers to state their business and see a transcript of their response before you pick up. From the Settings screen in the Phone app, tap either Spam and call filter Or Call screen. You can choose from three levels of protection, based on the descriptions given. Note that calls from saved contacts are never filtered unless you do it manually from the incoming calls menu.
Samsung Galaxy phones also have a Caller ID and spam protection toggle switch that you can activate in the Phone app (tap the three dots in the upper right corner and choose Settings). This means that potential spam calls will be flagged before you answer them, although (for now at least) the call screening feature remains a Pixel exclusive.
You can also block numbers on any Android phone, just like on an iPhone. Open Settings in the Phone app, then tap Blocked numbers (Pixels) or Block numbers (Galaxy): You can automatically block calls from unknown numbers here (numbers not in your contact list) and block specific numbers you know to be scammers.
And like iOS, there are plenty of third-party spam blockers you can turn to if you need extra help: they include Call Blocker, Should I Reply? and CallApp. Your carrier may also offer additional tools you can consider, including the Call Filter Plus package available from Verizon.
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