How to block a number on a landline

Most of us get more unwanted calls (spam, scam, and robocalls) on our cell phones than we do on our landlines. In fact, fewer and fewer people are bothering to maintain a landline these days. But, for some, their landline is their lifeline, and having that line taken up by unwanted calls can be more than just annoying.

Stalkers and other people trying to harass you can also be particularly destructive when calling your landline, as you might have family members (including children) around who could end up answering vulgar or otherwise inappropriate calls. In many ways, unwanted calls on a landline can be worse than on a mobile phone.

That’s why we’ve prepared this guide to help you block numbers on a landline. We also have a guide on how to block calls on mobile phones and guides specifically for Android and iOS phones.

Adam Cholinski

In short, to block a number on a landline:

• Use the vertical service code (VSC) “*60” (“1160” on rotary and pulse-dialing phones) and follow the prompts to block specific numbers.
• Use “#01#” to block the most recent caller.
• Use “# [area code & phone number] #” to block a specific number.
• Use the call-blocking services offered by your landline provider.
• Use a call-blocking device.

How to block calls on landline phones right from the dialpad

You might get lucky and already have full access to all the call-blocking options below. At worst, you’ll need to activate them with your landline provider and possibly pay a little extra.

Using the *60 VSC (vertical service code)

To block a number using this star code:

• Pick up the receiver and dial “*60” (“1160” on rotary and pulse-dialing phones).
• Follow the audio prompts to block a specific number.

The number or numbers you block this way will stay blocked indefinitely. Here’s how you can unblock a number you’ve blocked using this method:

• Pick up the receiver and dial “*80” (“1180” on rotary and pulse-dialing phones).
• Follow the audio prompts to unblock a specific number.

Using #01# (to block the most recent caller)

This method only works if you use it immediately after receiving an unwanted call. In other words, this will block the last number from which you received a call. So, “immediately after” could mean hours later, as long as you haven’t made or received any calls in the meantime. Here’s how:

• After hanging up on the unwanted call you want to block, pick up the receiver and dial “#01#.”

Using # [number, with area code] # (to block a known number)

This is another way you can block a known number, in addition to the *60 code described above:

• Pick up the receiver and dial “#” followed by the number you want to block, including the area code, and then dial “#” again.

How to block a number using call-blocking services

There are many call-blocking services available that’ll let you block individual numbers on a landline. Often, the most cost-effective ones are those that are offered by your landline provider. Another benefit of sticking with your landline provider is that it already has access to your call logs, so you’re not sharing them with additional third parties.

Reach out to your landline provider or visit its website to see what options are available and to get an idea of the associated costs. If you can’t find anything that meets your needs there, cast a wider net by searching online for call-blocking services that work on a landline.

Whether you go with your provider or a third party, read through the privacy policy and terms of service agreement before committing to anything: call-blocking services have access to personal and potentially sensitive information.

How to block a number using a call-blocking device

Your landline provider might also have call-blocking devices on offer. These devices offer a wide range of functionality, from blocking individual numbers to filtering out robocalls and screening calls based on huge blacklists of known-bad numbers.

As with call-blocking services, be sure to pore over any privacy policy and terms of service documents before pulling the trigger. Devices like these can be extremely versatile and effective, but they carry significant privacy risks—make sure you go with a trustworthy one.

Stop unwanted calls without blocking any numbers

There are two things you can do to stem the flow of unwanted calls to your landline before blocking calls even comes into play.

Registering your number with the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) National Do Not Call Registry is free and will stop legitimate telemarketers (and other law-abiding spammers) from calling you in the first place. Registering your number should only take a few minutes and you should start to see results within a few weeks.

That leaves “just” those unwanted callers who don’t pay attention to the National Do Not Call Registry or aren’t bound by it. The most effective way to stop these callers dead in their tracks is to stop them from getting their hands on your landline number in the first place.

These callers are likely getting your number (and probably more personal information than you realize) from companies that specialize in collecting, processing, and selling personal data. Called data brokers, these companies include the people search sites that come up in search results when you search for your name, address, or phone number.

You can track down and opt out of these data brokers manually, we’ve even prepared detailed guides to help you, but this will take many, many hours. More than that, you’ll have to repeat each opt-out procedure a few times a year to keep your data out of their clutches—data brokers tend to re-add profiles over time.

Or, you can sign up for a data removal service like Incogni and let us take care of all this for you. Incogni will contact dozens of data brokers on your behalf and follow up with each of them regularly to make sure your personal data stays private.

Stop spam once and for all

More guides on how to stop spam:

• How to stop spam calls on landline
• How to stop spam risk (spam/scam likely) calls
• How to stop spam calls on iPhone
• What are “potential spam” calls? And how to stop them?
• How to block “No Caller ID” on an iPhone
• Got a call from yourself? How to stop it
• “No caller ID” vs “Unknown caller” and how to stop anonymous calls
• What is Dynata? Why are they calling, & how to stop the calls
• How to stop spam calls on iPhone
• How to stop robocalls
• Why are you getting so many spam calls and emails?
• Stop health insurance spam calls
• How to stop Medicare calls?

How to block a phone number on a landline: FAQ