person hanging up landline phone to stop spam calls

How to Stop Spam Calls on iPhone, Android, and Landline

By Cyrus Grant•

These days it’s not unusual to get more spam calls than legitimate calls. Everybody hates them, and most people ignore them, but scammers keep trying because sadly, it still works. If you want to protect your private information and stop pesky spam calls, we’ve got you covered.

Here’s how to block spam likely calls, and how to stop spam calls on iPhone, Android, and other devices.

man stopping spam calls on iphone

How to Stop Spam Calls on iPhone 

When it comes to blocking spam calls on iPhone, there are a few different ways to go about it, with varying levels of how restrictive you want to be regarding incoming calls.

Silence Junk Callers

If you still want to be able to receive calls from unknown senders, but specifically don’t want calls that are likely spam or fraud, here are the steps you’ll take on your iPhone. (Note: this isn’t available with every phone carrier, so if you don’t see this option, you’ll have to try the methods in the sections below.)

  1. 1.
    Go to “Settings”
  2. 2.
    Select “Apps”
  3. 3.
    Select “Phone”
  4. 4.
    Select “Call Blocking & Identification”
  5. 5.
    Toggle “Silence Junk Callers” to on

Silence Unknown Callers

Going up a level of call filtering, you can choose to have any unknown number go straight to voicemail (it will also be displayed on the “Recents” list). This way, your phone won’t ring, but if it’s a legitimate caller, they can leave a voicemail letting you know who they are and why they called.

  1. 1.
    Go to “Settings”
  2. 2.
    Select “Apps”
  3. 3.
    Select “Phone”
  4. 4.
    Select “Silence Unknown Callers”
  5. 5.
    Toggle “Silence Unknown Callers” to on

Block a Specific Caller

Sometimes you’ll notice that spam calls are coming from the same number (or set of numbers). If this is the case, the easiest thing to do is block the number. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. 1.
    Open your Phone app
  2. 2.
    Select “Recents”
  3. 3.
    Tap the info icon (looks like an “i” with a circle around it) on the far right, next to the number you want to block
  4. 4.
    Select “Block Caller”
  5. 5.
    Select “Block Contact” on the pop-up

How to Stop Spam Calls On Android

If you’re on an Android device, you’ll have many of the same spam-blocking options as iPhone users, with slightly different ways to go about activating them. 

Filter Spam Calls

Most Android phones have a feature to filter calls that are identified as most likely being spam. Here’s how to enable it:

  1. 1.
    Open the Phone app
  2. 2.
    Select the three-dot icon
  3. 3.
    Select “Settings”
  4. 4.
    Select “Assistive” settings
  5. 5.
    Select “Caller ID & Spam”
  6. 6.
    Toggle “See caller and spam ID” to on
  7. 7.
    Toggle “Filter Spam calls” to on

After doing this, any call you receive that’s likely spam won’t ring, nor will it leave you with a missed call indicator. You will, however, still be able to see the call in your Call History, and you will get notified if the caller leaves a voicemail.

Block a Specific Caller

As we mentioned in the iPhone section above, spam calls can often come from the same number or set of numbers. The best solution for these types of spam callers is to directly block the specific number. Here’s how:

  1. 1.
    Open the Phone app
  2. 2.
    Select “Recents”
  3. 3.
    Tap the avatar located next to the number you want to block
  4. 4.
    Select the three-dot icon located at the top right
  5. 5.
    Select “Block numbers”
  6. 6.
    Tap the “Report as spam” box and confirm by selecting “Block”

How to Stop Spam Calls on a Landline 

While landlines are no longer in most American homes, those who are still working with a home phone also have some options when it comes to stopping spam and fraud calls. Whether you have a landline or you have a family member with one, your best option will be to sign up for the Do Not Call Registry (more on that in the next section). To do so, dial *60 and follow the instructions to block a specific number, or dial *77 to block unknown callers.

woman annoyed receiving spam call

Add Your Number to the Do Not Call Registry 

If you’re being bombarded by telemarketer calls, then the Do Not Call Registry should provide you with some relief. To add your number, simply:

  1. 1.
    Visit DoNotCall.gov (or call 1-888-382-1222) 
  2. 2.
    Click “Register”
  3. 3.
    Click “Register Here”
  4. 4.
    Enter up to three phone numbers you’d like to add to the Registry
  5. 5.
    Enter and confirm your email
  6. 6.
    Click on the confirmation link you receive by email

One thing to note is that this is specifically to stop telemarketing calls from legitimate businesses, but sadly does not affect scammers.

How to Stop Spam Calls With Your Phone Provider

On top of phone-specific features, some phone providers offer additional services to help reduce the number of spam calls you receive.

 Stop Spam Calls on Verizon

If you’re a Verizon customer, you have the option to use what they call the Verizon Call Filter, including both a free and a premium version. This service is quite similar to the built-in features of many phones, in that it aims to detect and block any spam or high-risk scam calls. Regardless of device, Verizon Call Filter can be enabled by downloading the app or through the My Verizon web/app service.

 Stop Spam Calls on AT&T

AT&T has its own free security service called AT&T ActiveArmor (as well as a paid “Advanced” option). This includes fraud call blocking, nuisance call identification, spam call blocking, and other filtering services. To get these features on your device, all you have to do is download the app and follow the prompted instructions.

 Stop Spam Calls on T-Mobile

Just like AT&T, T-Mobile has an app designed to specifically help stop scam calls. T-Mobile customers can download the T-Mobile Scam Shield app (both free and premium options available), and follow the prompted instructions to gain scam blocking, increased caller ID, and scam reporting.

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Know Who’s Calling

By turning on spam filters and scam call blockers on your devices, you should be able to gain a little more peace and quiet without your phone going off due to pesky callers. While fewer calls are great, some calls are still going to get through. When you do have a missed call from a number you don’t recognize, one of the easiest things to do before hitting block is to look up who’s behind the number. Using a People Search Tool, you can find out who’s behind a number, tipping you off to whether it’s a legitimate caller or just another spam call.

Cyrus Grant is a writer from Southern California with a background in law and dispute resolution. When he isn’t writing he can be found deep-diving into the latest technology trends or simply spending time at the beach.