Chances are you've found yourself inundated by spam calls, SMS and emails at one time or another, and even if you've turned to a third-party solution like Truecaller, the subsequent notifications still often prove a bit of a handful.
Thankfully, even without additional apps, Android and iOS devices already grant you the ability to block unwanted calls and spam.
In this guide, we’ll explain how to enable spam filtering feature and how to block calls from unidentified numbers; covering both Android and iOS, independently.
How to turn on the spam filter
While there are some exceptions, for most Android devices Google’s native Phone app comes pre-installed; serving as the default dialler. Be it a budget, mid-range or flagship smartphone, experiencing spam calls is often the same and - assuming your handset natively uses Google's Phone app - dealing with them should be the same too.
For those using a dialler from their device's manufacturer (like Samsung) or a third-party, the steps to block spam will likely differ from what you'll find in this guide.
- Open the Phone app
- Tap the three dots at the top-right corner and open ‘Settings’
- Under ‘Assistive’, you’ll see ‘Caller ID and spam’
- Turn on the toggle for ‘See caller ID and spam ID’
- Next, you'll also have to turn on the toggle for ‘Filter spam calls’
How to block unwanted calls
While there are ways to simply identify and avoid spam callers, you might be looking to add numbers that manage to slip past the filter or block known spurious numbers permanently.
There are two ways of doing this, one is to go to your list of recent calls and long-press on the number you want to block. Once the option menu appears, select ‘Block/report junk’. The other way is to head over to the settings page:
- From the same Phone app settings menu, select ‘Blocked numbers’
- Turn on the toggle corresponding to ‘Unknown’
- You can also add a number manually by clicking on ‘Add a number’ and entering the number you want to block.
How to block calls on iPhone
Blocking calls on iPhone is pretty straightforward. iOS' native Phone app doesn't offer quite the same breath of options as Google's dialler; so you'll likely have to rely on third-party call-identification apps like Truecaller to help spot spam calls.
- Open the 'Settings' app
- Scroll down to access the 'Phone' section
- Turn on 'Silence Unknown Callers'. This is the simplest way to avoid spam calls but, unfortunately, means you could miss legitimate calls, as well.
- To resolve this, if using Truecaller, turn on all the options under 'Call Blocking & Identification'
Step 4 is entirely up to you, of course. If you've installed Truecaller and enabled its key features, you can block calls directly after they are identified. The app will automatically add numbers to your blocked numbers list for you.