Unwanted calls may disrupt your day, threaten your privacy, and lead to scams that aim to steal your identity and money. You don’t have to tolerate the disruption and potential threats that spam calls could bring. There are ways you can block them and go about your day smoothly.

In this guide, we will share with you some ways you can filter spam calls on iPhone, Android, and landlines, guidelines on adding a trusted call protection app, and some tips to adopt safer habits that keep the scammers at bay.

What counts as spam calls

Spam calls could include unsolicited telemarketing promotions, impersonation scams, and robocalls you receive on your smartphone or landline. Robocalls use automated dialers and recorded messages that can sometimes be helpful, such as updates from your children’s schools or reminders for doctor’s appointments, but many are bothersome or aim to defraud you.

Spam calls commonly apply devious tactics such as mimicking bank officers, government employees, or delivery firms; tech support schemes that demand urgent payment or apply scare tactics; limited time-offer investment and cryptocurrency ploys; and phishing attempts that aim to capture your one-time passcodes.

To convince you to pick up the call, the scammers employ caller ID spoofing, which displays the call on your screen as local or branded to earn your trust, or sometimes simply change their number.

If the spam caller manages to deceive you into giving up your personal details or log-in credentials, the effects to you could be far-reaching in terms of identity theft and financial loss. But once you learn to spot these patterns, you will be able to take a moment to verify and avoid engaging. If you want to know how to stop spam calls, you can start by understanding the threat landscape so your next steps are precise and effective.

Built-in spam filters on your smartphone

You can filter spam calls on your mobile phone by using effective tools built into your device. These are practical settings that will work immediately, are easy to use, and are free.

iPhone

Use your iPhone’s integrated call blocking and spam filtering tools to reduce spam calls without needing an extra app.

  1. Go to Settings > Phone and turn on Silence Unknown Callers. Calls from unknown numbers will be directed to voicemail and appear in Recents.
  2. Enable Silence Junk Callers if your service provider supports it.
  3. Under Call Blocking & Identification, allow trusted caller ID apps to filter calls.
  4. To filter a specific number, open the Phone app > Recents, tap the info icon beside the number, then select Block this Caller.

Android settings

Because of the wide range of phone manufacturers and models running on the Android operating system, the spam blocking steps vary depending on the device. However, they should be similar across most devices and still be easy to apply. This is a good opportunity to explore your phone and learn its protective capabilities.

  • Open the Phone app, tap the menu represented by three dots or three lines, and go to Settings > Caller ID & Spam.
  • Turn on Filter spam calls or Block spam and scam calls. On Google Pixel phones, you can set suspected spam calls to be silently declined.
  • To block a specific number, open Recents, touch and hold your finger on the number, then choose Block/report spam.
  • If your phone is a Samsung, you can enable Smart Call in the Phone app’s settings to identify and block suspected spam calls.
  • Report spam calls within the Phone app to improve future detection.

Note that silencing or filtering can apply to all unknown numbers, so it is important to keep your contacts current so that those who change numbers can ring through and be properly shown on your phone screen. Sometimes your phone may not recognize a caller immediately, so create the habit of checking voicemail and the Recents to catch calls from your trusted contacts that were filtered.

Third‑party apps that filter spam calls

When unwelcome calls keep ringing through, a trusted call protection app can reinforce your safeguards with real‑time intelligence and more blocking options. This is a key move for anyone still wanting to stop spam calls after trying built‑in filters.

Key features to check

When buying a third-party app, these are the key capabilities that you should watch out for:

  • Automatic identification: The app should be able to label suspected spam numbers and active scam campaigns before you answer, using threat intelligence and pattern detection. Some apps are even able to highlight why a call is risky, such as “bank impersonation” or “robocall”.
  • Real-time updates of spoofed and short-lived numbers: Scam operations are usually fast-paced, rotating or changing numbers quickly to avoid getting caught. To address this, an app should be able to refresh its blocklists frequently, even daily if needed. Look for services that mention live threat feeds.
  • Community reporting: An app that offers spam reporting with one tap enhances the accuracy of its services and detects emerging threats faster. The best apps verify reports to reduce false flags and prevent abuse.
  • Category-based blocking: Rather than offering a single on/off switch that filters all unknown calls, a good app lets you choose what spam calls you want to stop, such as outright fraud, repeat telemarketers, or political surveys. This flexibility helps you cut the noise without blocking your truly important calls.
  • Voicemail analysis: Some apps can flag suspicious messages by scanning voicemail content or metadata, so you don’t waste time on them. This is especially helpful when scammers bypass blocking by leaving urgent-sounding voicemails.
  • Privacy-first design: The app should function without demanding access to your full contacts list or selling your data to advertisers. Look for clear privacy language, minimal permissions, and options to opt out of data sharing or analytics.

Choose the right app

Aside from evaluating the app’s capabilities, it’s just as important to assess its overall trustworthiness. First, check recent App Store or Google Play ratings and reviews for patterns of bugs in the app’s functions or false positives related to the app’s spam call filtering. Your next step is to read the app’s privacy policy to know how it collects and shares your data with other third parties and data brokers. As for the developer, look into their security track record to ensure they can be relied on to maintain and update the app, and that they are backed by a reputable team.

Set up for optimal protection

Combining native filters with a well‑designed app offers you the most complete solution to blocking spam calls while still receiving calls from your trusted contacts.

  • Install the app: End enable caller ID and blocking permissions in your phone’s settings and make sure the app is switched on inside your phone’s built-in call blocking menu. Without this step, the app may run, but won’t actually filter calls.
  • Apply these recommended defaults, then refine them over time:
    • Block known fraud aggressively: Enable strict blocking for high-confidence scam categories like impersonation, phishing, and financial fraud. This reduces the highest-risk calls without affecting most legitimate callers.
    • Direct unknown numbers to voicemail: Rather than blocking them outright, enable voicemail for unlisted numbers, especially if you expect calls from doctors, deliveries, or new clients. This allows legitimate callers to leave a message. You can always block repeat offenders after reviewing voicemail or call logs.
    • Turn on alerts for blocked calls and review them: Notifications help you catch false positives early and confirm the app is working as intended. If alerts are too disruptive, switch to a daily summary or review the log instead.
  • Check the app’s log periodically: This enables you to add trusted numbers to an allow list so they always get through. Reviewing the log also helps you spot patterns, confirm which calls were blocked, and recover the important ones.
  • Keep the app and your phone updated: Updates often include new scam number intelligence, improved detection, and security fixes. Turning on auto-updates ensures you don’t miss protections as scammers change tactics.

Block spam calls on landlines

The precursor to mobile phone scams, spamming on landlines started decades ago and has since evolved. Today, spammers use modern, internet-powered robocalls that are cheap and easy for scammers to make globally. You can protect your home landline with a combination of your service provider’s services and call‑blocking devices.

Network-level blocking

Many providers offer network‑level spam blocking, where a cloud-based feature automatically blocks unwanted robocalls and telemarketers based on a large data set of known spam numbers, and silences these unsolicited calls even before they ring your phone.

Hardware blockers

Hardware call blockers are physical tools that connect between the wall jack and your landline phone to filter a known blacklist of scam numbers. Alternatively, this tool can rely on a whitelist of approved numbers that you determine. Other call blockers use the challenge‑response screening, where the caller is asked to press a specific key on the keypad to pass through. Since automated robocallers cannot do this, their calls are then blocked.

Voicemail screening

Voicemail screening, sometimes called call screening or call announce, stops unknown callers from immediately reaching you by first asking them to state their name and purpose before the call is connected. Your phone then plays that recording or displays it as text on your landline’s screen, allowing you to decide whether or not to answer, send the call to voicemail, or block the number. This step often discourages robocalls and scammers and often forces them to hang up.

Register with the National Do Not Call Registry

Registering with the National Do Not Call Registry means adding your phone number to a U.S. government list that informs legitimate telemarketers that you don’t want to receive sales calls. It can reduce unwanted marketing calls over time, but it won’t stop scammers, robocalls, political calls, charities, or companies you’ve recently interacted with, so it works best when combined with call-blocking tools and spam filters. Alternatively, you can call the registry at 1‑888‑382‑1222.

Apply safe habits on landlines

Landlines continue to be a target for spam and scam calls, as people assume that home-phone calls are more trustworthy. By applying a few simple safety habits, you can reduce spam interruptions and protect yourself from costly phone scams.

  • Apply a healthy dose of skepticism of urgent threats, fantastic prizes, or requests for payment using gift cards or wire transfers.
  • Do not share verification codes or sensitive personal information over the phone.
  • Direct calls from unknown numbers to voicemail and, if needed, return calls using only the official number from a company’s website or your account statement.
  • Report unwanted calls to the Federal Trade Commission to aid in enforcement.

If you’re looking for ways to stop spam calls on your home phone, these tools and habits work together to keep scammers out and trusted callers in.

Frequently asked questions

Can I block all unknown numbers?

Yes, unknown or unlisted numbers can be silenced or filtered. On an iPhone, you can enable Silence Unknown Callers, while Android phones allow you to turn on Filter spam calls or a similar setting. This may send trusted first‑time callers to voicemail, so regularly review missed calls and messages.

Will blocking stop spoofed numbers?

Spoofing is difficult to eliminate entirely. Enabling carrier spam protection, your phone’s spam filters, and a reputable third‑party app can significantly reduce spoofed scam calls.

Should I press a number to opt out?

No, pressing a number on your keypad will not opt you out of the call. In fact, interacting with the call in any way will confirm that your number is active and could lead to more spam. Block and report the call instead.

What if important calls are being blocked?

To receive important calls from trusted numbers, you can lessen your spam filter, add important numbers to your contacts list, and regularly review your voicemail and call logs. You can also set a list of trusted numbers in your blocking app.

Is the Do Not Call Registry enough?

Enlisting your number in the Do Not Call Registry helps keep legitimate telemarketers from calling repeatedly, but does not stop scammers. Notifying the registry, while implementing phone settings, carrier tools, and a call protection app for comprehensive coverage.

Final thoughts

Start protecting your smartphone and landline today by turning on spam filtering, silencing unknown callers, and considering a trusted call protection solution if spam calls keep disrupting your day. Keep your contacts updated, review voicemail regularly, and report suspicious calls to protect others from being victimized by scams.

With the right tools and habits, you can lessen the noise and keep your phone, and yourself, safe.