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Blocking Spam Calls & Texts

Written by Seth Smith

Spam calls and texts are a network-wide nuisance, but every phone has built-in tools to cut down on them. Find your device below.

Apple (iPhone)

Silencing Unknown Callers

  1. Go to Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers (or Call Screening on newer iOS versions).

  2. Turn it on — calls from numbers not in your contacts, recent calls, or Siri Suggestions get silenced and sent to voicemail instead of ringing.

Filtering Junk Texts

  1. Go to Settings > Messages > Unknown & Spam and turn on Filter Unknown Senders.

  2. In the Messages app, you can also open a suspicious message and tap Report Junk below it to send it to Apple for review and block the sender.

Blocking a Specific Number

  1. In Phone, Messages, or FaceTime, find the number, tap the ⓘ next to it, then scroll down and tap Block this Caller.

Samsung

Turning On Spam Protection

  1. Open the Phone app, tap the three-dot menu > Settings > Caller ID and spam protection.

  2. Turn on Caller ID and spam protection to see warnings on likely spam calls before you answer.

Filtering Junk Texts

  1. In the Messages app, tap the three-dot menu > Settings > Block numbers and messages, and turn on spam/junk filtering options there.

  2. You can also open a suspicious message thread and report or block it directly from the conversation.

Blocking a Specific Number

  1. Long-press the number in your call log or a message thread.

  2. Tap Block (or Block number).

Google

Turning On Spam Protection

  1. Open the Phone app, tap the three-dot menu > Settings > Spam and Call Screen.

  2. Turn on See caller and spam ID and Filter spam calls.

  3. Try Call Screen for unknown numbers — Google Assistant answers and asks the caller their reason for calling before it rings through to you.

Filtering Junk Texts

  1. In the Messages app, open a suspicious conversation, tap the three-dot menu, and choose Block & report spam.

Blocking a Specific Number

  1. Long-press the number in your call log or a message thread.

  2. Tap Block number.

Motorola

Most Motorola phones use the Google Phone app, so spam protection works the same as on a Pixel.

Turning On Spam Protection

  1. Open the Phone app, tap the three-dot menu > Settings > Spam and Call Screen.

  2. Turn on See caller and spam ID and Filter spam calls.

  3. Try Call Screen for unknown numbers — it answers and asks the caller their reason for calling before it rings through to you.

Filtering Junk Texts

  1. In the Messages app, open a suspicious conversation, tap the three-dot menu, and choose Block & report spam.

Blocking a Specific Number

  1. Long-press the number in your call log or a message thread.

  2. Tap Block number.

LG

LG's own dialer app no longer receives updates since LG exited the mobile business in 2021, so its spam protection is limited. For the best results, install the Google Phone app from the Play Store and set it as your default dialer.

Turning On Spam Protection (Google Phone App)

  1. Open the Phone app, tap the three-dot menu > Settings > Spam and Call Screen.

  2. Turn on See caller and spam ID and Filter spam calls.

Filtering Junk Texts

  1. In your default messaging app, open a suspicious conversation and look for a Block or Report spam option in the menu.

Blocking a Specific Number

  1. Long-press the number in your call log or a message thread, and choose Block.

Still Stuck?

Message Previ Support right in the app, or call 801-437-0620.

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