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3 easy ways to report spam text
How many spam texts do you receive each month? Too many to count? Every second you spend checking your phone when a spam text pings is a second you won’t get back. Spam texts aren’t just annoying, though, they can be properly dangerous. There’s a very thin line between spam texts and scam texts—which is why reporting them is worth the thirty seconds it takes.
Updated on: 30 September, 2026
How to report spam text?
The simplest way to report spam text messages is to forward them to the toll-free number 7726 (SPAM). You can do this by manually forwarding the suspicious message to this number or by using the built-in reporting option in your messaging app, which both Android and iOS now offer. You can also report the text to the FTC and FCC.
Let’s look at each method in detail:
Forward spam messages to 7726 (SPAM)
The simplest way to report spam is to forward it to the number 7726. This number spells SPAM on a phone’s dial pad, making it easier to remember. It was the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA) that reserved this number for reporting spam texts and made it toll-free.
Most major carriers in the US, like Verizon and T-Mobile, are members of the GSMA, as are 700+ phone carriers around the world. The sender’s number will automatically be appended to the forwarded text message. Each carrier can then use the message contents to improve spam detection on its network.
To report a text to 7726, simply forward the unwanted text message to the number 7726.
You can do this by copying the message’s contents into a new message and typing “7726” into the “to” or “contact” field, or by forwarding the message directly from your messaging app.
Here’s how to do it on Android and Apple:
Android
Android phones come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, with multiple versions of Android in play at any given time. So the process for forwarding a spam text to 7726 will vary depending on your device and the version of Android that runs on it, but here are the broad strokes that should work most of the time:
- Long-press the spam message and select “forward” from the contextual menu.
- Type “7726” into the contact field and tap “send.”
Apple
Apple’s devices are infamously locked-down and homogenous, so the following instructions should work on all current iPhone models:
- Open the spam message by tapping on it.
- Long-press the message and select “more” from the contextual menu.
- Tap the curved blue arrow (forward symbol) at the bottom right of the screen.
- Type 7726 in the to field and tap the return key to send.
Depending on your device and phone carrier, you might get a follow-up message asking for the original sender’s number. Follow any instructions you receive from 7726 or your carrier to complete the spam-reporting process.
Report spam through your messaging app
You can also report spam directly from your messaging app, on both Android and iPhone. The option works a little differently on each, though.
Android
- Open the Messages app.
- Long-press the message you want to report.
- Tap “block,” “report spam,” and then “OK” to simultaneously block and report the spam message.
Apple
iPhones report spam too—what the option is called, and where the report ends up, depends on the kind of message.
For an iMessage from someone who isn’t in your contacts, a “report junk” link appears underneath the message. On iOS 26 the wording is “delete and report spam”. Either way, the message and the sender’s details go to Apple.
For ordinary SMS and MMS, the same option passes the report to your carrier instead, where your carrier supports it. If you don’t see the option at all, that’s exactly when forwarding to 7726 earns its keep.
One catch worth knowing: reporting doesn’t block the sender. That’s a separate step, and Apple won’t do it for you.
Reporting one message at a time only gets you so far, though. If you’d rather have the filters set up properly, we’ve covered that separately for both platforms.
Related: how to filter unknown senders on iPhone
Related: how to activate SMS spam protection on Android
Report spam text messages to the FTC and FCC
There are also two US government agencies that take spam texts very seriously. Here’s how you can report junk messages to them directly and add your number to the FTC’s Do Not Call Registry.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has a special website setup on which you can report fraud, scams, and bad business practices: ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- Go to the website above.
- Click on “report now.”
- Select “phone, internet, TV service” and then “cellular or landline phone service.” Click “continue.” Follow the on-screen instructions to submit a report.
The FTC also has its national Do Not Call Registry. Here you can not only report unwanted calls but also add your number to the registry to stop legitimate telemarketing and market research companies from spamming you with calls.
- Go to www.DoNotCall.gov.
- Click on “report unwanted calls” or “register your phone,” depending on what you want to do, and follow the on-screen instructions from there.
Both reporting unwanted texts and calls and registering your phone number with the Do Not Call Registry are completely free of charge.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Another government agency that’s worth reaching out to is the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This agency puts a strong emphasis on regulating mobile communications and has a consumer inquiries and complaint center through which you can report spam. Here’s how:
- Go to the FCC’s Consumer Inquiries and Complaint Center page for phone complaints.
- Fill in the form, choosing “unwanted call/messages” under “phone issues.”
- Once you’re done, read and check the declaration and click “submit.”
Why reporting alone won’t stop the texts
Forwarding messages to 7726 does help. It gives carrier filters the patterns they need to catch the next batch, and it costs you almost nothing. It’s still a reaction to a message that already got through, though.
The texts keep arriving because your number sits on marketing and lead lists that are bought, sold, and recompiled continuously. Reporting a single message does nothing to take you off those lists.
That’s the part Incogni handles. It sends removal requests to the 420+ data brokers whose records feed large-scale text campaigns, then keeps sending them, so there is less arriving for you to report in the first place.
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FAQ
Does reporting spam to 7726 do anything?
Yes, reporting spam to 7726 does quite a lot. It allows carriers and government agencies to improve their spam detection methods. It won’t immediately or directly stop spam from reaching your phone, though—and reporting a message doesn’t block the sender either, so block them separately if you’d rather not hear from them again.
Are spam texts illegal?
Usually, yes. Under the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act, marketing texts sent to a mobile number need your prior express written consent, and sending them without it carries penalties of $500 to $1,500 per message. That applies across the US, not only in states with their own privacy laws on the books. Scam texts are illegal on separate grounds again, as fraud rather than as telemarketing.
Is 7726 free?
Yes, 7726 is free and won’t count toward your plan usage. This is true for all the major providers in the US and at least 700 other carriers internationally. Double check this if you have any doubts, especially if you use a small or obscure phone carrier—short codes are country-specific, so 7726 may not reach anyone at all while you’re roaming abroad.
