If you’re sick and tired of getting unwanted calls and texts from spammers, scammers, or telemarketers or suffering from insistent injury lawyers or drunk-dialing ex, and looking for ways to get rid of those solicited rings and pings, you have just found the right guide.
Unwanted calls can not only be annoying to deal with but they can also be dangerous.
According to Community Phone, in 2022, 26% of the U.S. population, or 68.4 million people lost their money to scam calls.
So the best way to avoid such mishappenings is by blocking these spam calls.
And in this guide will share different ways to battle annoying calls and texts so they won’t bother you again. Let’s started!
How To Block Unwanted Calls Or Texts?
These are the ways in which you can get rid of pesky calls:
1. Add your Number to the National Do Not Call Registry
The National Do Not Call Registry is a database maintained by Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to stop unwanted sales calls.
The platform is free, and anyone can register their landline or phone number.
However, it only blocks sales calls from reputable companies, and you’ll still be getting the odd calls from scammers, survey calls, charitable calls, informational calls, and political calls.
2. Download a Call Blocking App
Call blocking is one of the best shields against unwanted calls and texts is call blocking.
Call blocking apps are the extension of the caller ID, which displays the caller’s number on the phone and blocks unsolicited calls from robocalls and telemarketers.
Carriers and call blocking apps have access to massive amounts of calling data from FTC, users, and other sources to predict which calls are “Spam” or “Likely Spam” to help people decide whether they want to answer.
However, keep in mind that blocking apps can also block calls coming from legitimate entities.
3. Why not use Your Phone’s Built-In Call Blocker?
Many Cell phones have a built-in blocking feature that allows people to block unwanted calls and texts from a specific number.
It is one of the best and most convenient ways to filter unwanted calls or texts, but there’s a limit on the numbers you can block.
4. Use Your Cell Phone Carrier
In recent times, carriers and phone manufacturers have upped their game against unwanted calls and texts.
All four major carriers in the United States, including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon, have their call blocking apps and services that can stop your phone from ringing by showing your number is busy or disconnected.
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Reddit Users Share Their Useful Tips
[Request] How to stop getting so many spam calls/texts?
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How To Block Texts or Calls With Your Carrier?
Here are different mobile carriers and the way in which you can block texts or calls with your Carrier:
- T-Mobile: T-Mobile offers a free Scam Shield app that offers scam detection, caller ID, and blocking. It also offers a proxy number that you can use when you do not want to use your real number.
- AT&T: This Carrier offers the ActiveArmor app. With the free basic version, you can use it for fraud call blocking, unknown call blocking, nuisance call alerts, etc. With the $4 per month per line paid version, you can also do reverse number lookup, add caller id, and get additional nuisance call controls.
- Google Fi: This Carrier offers caller Id and many call-blocking features for free in the Google Fi app.
- Verizon: Verizon offers an app called Call Filter, spam detection, neighborhood spoofing filter, white list options, and more for free.
How to Block Unwanted Calls and Texts on Landline?
If you have a traditional landline, installing a call-blocking device is the best defense against unwanted calls and texts.
They usually come in a small box that gets attached to your phone and let you add numbers you want to block or limit which calls get through.
How to Block Unwanted Calls and Texts on Android Phone?
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to block unwanted calls and texts on Android phone:
- On a Samsung phone, head over to the phone app.
- Tap on the “Recents.”
- Now find the number you wish to block.
- Now tap on tap on “Details” and “Block.”
If you have a stock phone like Google Pixel, then follow these steps to block the call or text:
- Open the phone app and click on the “Recents” tab.
- Now, long-press the contact you wish to block.
- Click “block/report spam,” and click “Block.”
How to Block Unwanted Calls and Texts on iPhone?
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how you can block unwanted calls or texts on Iphone:
- Go to your phone app, tap on “Recents,”
- Now click on “Information” icon next to the number you want to block.
- Scroll down and tap “Block this Caller.”
That’s it, it is that easy to block a caller on your iphone.
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How To Block Robocalls?
If you hear a recorded call upon answering your call, then that is a Robocall. Robocalls are usually for something that is illegal to sell.
And if someone is calling you by breaking the law, then that’s spam, and you should, as it has nothing to do with it.
Call-blocking apps can help you block unwanted robocalls. However, some robocalls might still break thorugh.
If you get one such call, then hang up and do not press any numbers, as it will lead to more robocalls.
Also, not all robocalls are illegal; some are made for political reasons or to share some information with you.
Reporting Unwanted Calls
If you simply want to report a call, then you can do the same by going to DoNotCall.gov.
And if you want to report a phone scam that made you lose money, then you should go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov and report the same.
The concerned person will ask you for the phone number, date and time of the call, etc. They use all this information to identify a pattern and to track scammers.
Wrapping Up
Unwanted calls can be really frustrating to deal with. But thanks to call-blocking apps that, it is possible to get rid of them to a very good extent.
In this article on how to block unwanted calls and texts, we shared different ways with you in which you can block calls and texts. We hope you found this useful.
FAQ’s
Should I report to the Police if someone is threatening me on anonymous calls?
If it concerns your safety and if you think not reporting to the police could cause you harm, then yes, you should report to the police.
How can I find the indetity of the caller?
You can do a reverse phone lookup to reveal the identity of the anonymous caller.
What is the role of National do not call registry?
The National do not call registry is meant to stop sales calls from companies. The registry consists of a list that tells the telemarketers not to call.
The FTC is not allowed to block calls, and the telemarketers don’t care about who they are calling.
Although the registry can’t stop the calls, it can make the calls less frequent.
Shefali Jain is a Content Writer & Editor at USWorkforce.org
After completing her graduation in hospitality, Shefali decided to follow her passion and started writing. Shefali has been writing for two years now and contributes to our website as a skilled editor and content writer with strong research skills. Writing product and service reviews, biographies, and book reviews are some of her key areas, among many others in which she specializes. In her time at the organization, she has written and edited content on a range of topics, including employment law, human resources, and business management.
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