Spam calls are not slowing down. According to Truecaller’s 2024 U.S. Spam and Scam Report, 56.2 million Americans were hit by spam or scam calls in a single year. If you have started ignoring every unknown number out of habit, you are not alone. But your phone already has tools to handle this for you. Most people just never turn them on.
Here is how to do it right now, on either phone.
On iPhone: Turn On Silence Unknown Callers
This is the fastest fix. It sends any number not saved in your contacts straight to voicemail. Your phone never rings. You check voicemail if anything looks important.
- Open Settings.
- Tap Apps, then tap Phone. On older iOS versions, tap Phone directly from the Settings menu.
- Scroll down to Screen Unknown Callers.
- Tap Silence.
Done. Unknown callers go to voicemail and show up in your Recents list so you can call back if needed.
One thing to know before you turn this on: it catches everything from numbers not in your contacts, including delivery drivers, your doctor’s office calling from a new line, or a recruiter reaching out. If you are job hunting or expecting an important call from an unknown number, turn this off temporarily. It takes two taps to flip back.
If you prefer to screen calls rather than silence them entirely, choose Ask Reason for Calling instead. iOS will prompt the caller to say why they are calling before your phone rings. You see a live transcript and decide whether to answer.
On iPhone: Also Turn On the Carrier Spam Filter
This is a second layer that catches calls your carrier has already flagged as spam or fraud. It works alongside the setting above.
- Go to Settings → Apps → Phone.
- Scroll down to Call Filtering.
- Toggle on Spam.
Flagged calls are silenced and moved to a Spam list in your Recents tab automatically.
On Android: Turn On Caller ID and Spam Filter
Most Android phones running the Google Phone app have this built in. The steps below work on Google Pixel phones and most other Android devices that use Phone by Google. Samsung users have a similar feature called Smart Call inside their default dialer settings.
- Open the Phone app.
- Tap the three-dot menu (top right corner) and tap Settings.
- Tap Caller ID and spam.
- Toggle on See caller and spam ID and Filter spam calls.
With both toggles on, your phone will warn you before you answer a suspected spam call, and automatically filter calls it identifies as likely spam without your phone ringing.
Block a Specific Number (Both Phones)
If the same number keeps calling, block it directly.
On iPhone: Open the Phone app, go to Recents, tap the i icon next to the number, scroll down, and tap Block this Caller.
On Android: Open the Phone app, go to Recents, tap and hold the number, then tap Block or Block and report spam.
One Extra Step That Costs Nothing (US Only)
Register your number at donotcall.gov. Legitimate telemarketers are legally required to stop calling numbers on this list. It will not stop scammers who ignore the law, but it does reduce the volume of legal telemarketing calls. Takes about 60 seconds to register.
For deeper protection across your phone and accounts, the TechCity complete online security checklist covers everything else worth locking down.
