How to Block & Stop Spam Calls (& Robocalls) on Android
Spam calls—whether from persistent telemarketers, deceptive scammers, or annoying robocalls—are a major disruption in your daily life. They not only interrupt your tasks but also hint that your personal information is being exploited by shady networks. Answering these calls can lead to serious risks like identity theft.
There are a couple of things you can do to help stop spam calls on your Android device right now, as you read along. Both have serious shortcomings, though. Luckily, there’s a longer-term strategy that both works better and has no downsides.
Let’s dive in.
Updated: February 07, 2025
In short:
- Register your phone numbers with the FTC’s National Do Not Call Registry.
- Block spam calls using the Google Phone app
- Manually block spam calls from repeat offenders.
- Block unwanted calls from all unknown callers on Android
- Use spam filter apps from the Play Store
- Remove your data from data brokers sites.
- Use alternative or disposable Numbers for online sign-ups
Keep reading for a detailed guide on how to do this.
Before you do anything else
Register your phone numbers with the FTC’s National Do Not Call Registry if you haven’t done so already. This will stop unwanted calls from legitimate businesses, but how many of the telemarketing calls and other spam calls you get are from legitimate businesses? There’s only one way to find out.
Block spam calls using the Google Phone app
Some non-iOS and non-Samsung smartphones already come with this app, but if you don’t have it and wish to — visit the Google Play Store. It’s a dialer app with a tad more features and better customizability than others.
Here’s how you can block unwanted calls with the Phone by Google.
Use caller ID and spam protection — a Google Phone feature that lets you know more about the caller before you answer and filters spam calls. It should be turned on by default.
Here’s how to do it:
- Opening the phone app
- Tap the three dots at the top right corner
- Tap Settings
- Under the Assistive section, tap Caller ID & spam.
- Turn on Filter spam calls
- Optional: Toggle the See caller & spam ID option to see more detailed info when getting calls.
Note: some say the spam filter is too sensitive and is blocking calls that aren’t scams, so test it out and see what works for you.
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Manually block spam calls from repeat offenders.
Blocking spam calls from repeat offenders—those that call again and again from the same number—is worth it if most of the spam calls you get are from the same old numbers. Here’s how:
- Open the Phone app and go into the “call history” or “recents” tab. Find the number from which you received a spam call.
- Tap the call from the number you want to block.
- Tap “Block/report spam”.
The obvious downside to this method is that it does nothing to stop spam calls from new numbers. Still, it costs you nothing and every little bit helps. There is a nuclear option but, as the name implies, it comes at a cost.
Block unwanted calls from all unknown callers on Android
Definitely an extreme option, but Android users have the option of blocking unwanted spam calls from all numbers that don’t appear in their contacts list. Anyone (or anything, when it comes to robocalls) trying to reach you will go straight to voicemail without your phone ringing. Here’s all you need to do:
- Open the Phone app and tap on the three dots in the top right corner.
- Select “settings” from the drop-down menu and tap on “blocked numbers.”
- Toggle the switch next to “unknown.”
How huge the drawback is here will depend on how many legitimate calls you typically get from unsaved numbers, and how urgent those calls tend to be. There will always be some important calls coming in from unknown numbers, so you’ll have to check your voicemail regularly to make sure you don’t miss important calls.
Related: What are potential spam calls?
Use spam filter apps from the Play Store
If your phone lacks a built-in spam filter and you’re not keen on using your carrier’s blocking service, installing a third-party call blocker can be a good alternative.
Here are some of the top apps for blocking spam calls on Android:
- Call Blocker – Caller ID
- Calls Blacklist – Call Blocker
- Should I Answer?
- Call Control – Call Blocker
- Truecaller: Caller ID & Block
Take your personal info off data broker sites
No matter where the bulk of your spam calls originate, there’s a good chance you ended up on these spam callers’ lists with the help of a data broker. So if you could get data brokers to stop sharing your personal information, you’d be able to drastically reduce the number of spam calls you get, without the hassle of call screening.
Here’s the crazy part: to stop data brokers, these shadowy companies that trade your privacy for their profits, all you have to do is ask. State laws like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) force data brokers to honor opt-out requests when they receive them.
There are hundreds of data brokers that operate in the US alone, and each of them has its own opt-out procedure. Correctly follow each procedure and you’ll successfully block spam calls from reaching your phone. Spam callers won’t be the only ones that suddenly can’t reach you.
All manner of text-message and email scams depend on data broker databases to find new victims. It’s also data brokers that put your arrest, criminal, and court records on blast, country-wide. Stalkers and creeps love people search sites for all the background information they can provide on current and potential victims.
Use alternative or disposable Numbers for online sign-ups
Many spam calls come from companies that collect and sell phone numbers during online sign-ups.
To protect your privacy, consider using alternative or disposable numbers instead of your real one. Number generator apps and temporary phone numbers can keep your personal number private, reducing the risk of it being added to spam lists. This simple step helps prevent unwanted calls and keeps your phone line secure.
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More guides on stopping spam calls:
- How to stop spam calls on landline
- How to block a number on a 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 spam calls on iPhone
- How to stop robocalls
- Stop spam calls from health insurance companies
- Why are you getting so many spam calls?
- How to stop Medicare calls?
Not exactly what you’re looking for? We’ve organized all our articles about stopping spam here.
FAQ—How to stop spam calls on Android
Why am I suddenly getting so many spam calls?
If you’re suddenly getting a lot of spam calls, it might mean your phone number has been shared on data broker or people search sites, or leaked to scammers. To learn more about why you receive calls from random numbers, read this article.
How do I permanently get rid of spam calls?
There’s no reliable way to block spam calls on Android phones (or any phone) without running the risk of missing important calls from unknown callers. The best option is to starve spammers of your phone number in the first place.
This isn’t a permanent solution either, though. You’ll need to keep searching for your personal information among data brokers and submitting and resubmitting opt-out requests to keep your data suppressed. This is why an automated personal information service is such a good approach: it might not be a “one and done” solution, but it’ll work for as long as you want it to.
Does dialing 662 block spam calls?
Dialing #662# on your Android phone will block calls flagged as “Scam Likely”, but it won’t block spam calls in general. Like many other spam-blocking methods, this one doesn’t have any downsides, but it isn’t a complete solution, either.
Here’s how to enable call blocking for “Scam Likely” phone numbers on Android:
1) Open your phone app and switch to the dial pad
2) Dial #662#
3) Tap the receiver icon like you would when calling a regular number
Is it better to ignore or decline spam calls?
It’s better to ignore rather than decline spam calls. If you don’t recognize the caller ID, just let it ring out. Your Android phone will let you assign a button to silence incoming calls rather than reject them. Rejecting a call might let the caller know that your number is active.
Related: How to find the number behind “no caller ID”
