How to Get Rid of Unwanted Calls on Your Cell Phone

Co-authored by Mitch Harris

Last Updated: January 20, 2023 References

If you're trying your best to keep your cell phone number private, unwanted calls from spammers or wrong numbers may still come through. They can be really annoying, especially if you are concerned about being put on a call list you did not sign up for. But depending on the type of phone you own, there are methods to blocking or preventing these calls from reaching your number.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Blocking Calls on Android Phones and Apple iPhones

1
Download call blocking apps in the Play Store. Android users have a number of tools they can access to get rid of unwanted calls in the form of apps, including:
- Call Filter, a very popular call blocking app that is also free.
- DroidBlock, another Android app that can get rid of unwanted calls and is also free.
- Keep in mind success with call-blocking apps tend to vary and they are not always 100% effective.
2
Have spam calls sent directly to voicemail. Some Android phones have this option, which can then allow you check your voicemail and identify any spammers or unwanted calls that you want to block.^{[1]
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Research source} To block the spammer’s number directly:
- Add the spam caller’s phone number to your address book.
- Press the Menu key and select Options.
- Enable the “Incoming calls/Send calls directly to voicemail” option.
- Add any additional spam numbers to the phonebook contact entry and they will all be sent straight to voicemail. After several ignored calls, hopefully the spammers will get the message and stop calling.
- If you want to block calls based on number and skip the step of adding the spam number to your phone as a contact, you can install a third-party app such as Mr. Number. Mr. Number is a free Android app you can download from the Play Store.^{[2]
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3
Jailbreak your Apple iPhone to enable the call block tool. Jailbreaking or hacking your iPhone^{[3]
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- Once you jailbreak your phone, you can download and install iBlacklist. With iBlacklist, you can select the numbers you want to block or add blocked numbers to the blacklist manually.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Blocking Calls on All Phones

1
Use Google Voice. Blocking calls with Google Voice is pretty easy as the program gives you the option of sending spam calls directly to voicemail, treating all their calls as spam, or blocking them entirely. To block calls on Google Voice:
- Log in to your Google Voice account.
- Find the call you want to block, or the voicemail that resulted from the spam call.
- Select the checkbox next to the call or voicemail.
- Click the “more” link under the call.
- Select “Block Caller”.
- If you don't have a Google Voice account and you live in the US, you can sign up via this link: https://www.google.com/voice/b/0?pli=1#history.
- You do not need to change your number to set up a Google Voice account that blocks calls as you can set it up so it just works as your voicemail.^{[4]
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2
Purchase TrapCall. TrapCall is an inexpensive service that blacklists any harassing callers, unmasks blocked calls so you always know who is calling you and is compatible with all cell phones.^{[5]
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- TrapCall also records and bans unsolicited text messages and calls.
- For about $5 a month, you can get a basic service from TrapCall that ensures spam or unwanted numbers cannot reach your number.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Contacting Your Carrier and the FCC

1
Let your cell phone provider know you are receiving spam or unwanted calls. Your cell phone provider should be committed to keeping your cell phone safe from unwanted calls.^{[7]
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- Your provider may be able to offer you a means of blocking the calls, for a fee. Depending on your provider, this block feature may fall under the header of Parental Controls.
- AT&T has a feature called Smart Controls and charges $5/month for the service.
- Verizon has a free call block service that can block five callers at a time. They also offer a $5/month option called Usage Controls with more features.
- T-Mobile does not have an official call block feature but you can call 611 and ask customer service to block a particular number.
- Sprint offers its users a manage blocked calls option from their My Sprint account settings.
2
Escalate the issue to the Federal Communications Commission Advisory Board. If the spam calls turn aggressive or harassing, consider contacting the FCC about the number. Under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the FCC has established rules that address unsolicited telephone marketing calls. These rules include:^{[8]
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Federal Communications Commission
Independent U.S. government agency responsible for regulating radio, television, and satellite, and phone communications
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- Anyone making a telephone solicitation call to your home must provide his or her name, the name of the person or entity on whose behalf the call is being made, and a telephone number or address at which that person or entity can be contacted.
- Telephone solicitation calls to your home are prohibited before 8 am or after 9 pm.
- Telemarketers must comply immediately with any do-not-call request you make during a solicitation call.
- In 2003, the FCC worked with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to establish the national "Do-Not-Call" service.
3
Register for the "Do-Not-Call" service. This free service is provided by the Federal Trade Commission. You can register landlines, cell phones and handsets.
- You can register for this service on the phone or online. You'll need a valid email address for confirmation when registering online.
- Read How to add your name on the national Do Not Call Registry for more details.
- If you have already registered, and a company is violating the "Do Not Call" rules by texting you or calling, you can file a complaint.
- You will have to prove that the company had no relationship with you before, and that you are either getting pre-recorded calls, paid text messages or calls after 9 PM. All cases filed will be taken seriously by the FTC, and the company calling phones without authorization will be held accountable for their actions.^{[9]
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- Ensure you make a note of the call time of the spammer and the phone number of the spammer to get your complaint registered.

Community Q&A

Question

I keep getting calls from U.S. Grant Department offering me $700.00 free. Whenever I ask to be removed from their call list they immediately hang up. I've blocked the number that calls but they use a new number. What do I do?

Community Answer

Just put your phone on silent. Anyone you know, save their name, if it's unknown, it's probably them.

Warnings

If you're getting robocalls, see How to report illegal telemarketing and robocalls in the U.S. for more details.

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