How to stop spam text messages on Samsung

Samsung may have made your Android phone, but it hasn’t made it immune to spam messages. In fact, no one can make your device completely immune to spam. But that doesn’t mean you have to accept it as an inevitable part of life. 

There are steps you can take to block spam text messages on your Samsung phone and even prevent spammers from getting your phone number to begin with. While the odd stray spam text message may still slip through, the steps we cover below will significantly reduce this nuisance. 

Mariam Volobueva

Updated: April 16, 2024

How do I stop spam texts on Samsung?

On Samsung, you can stop spam texts in several ways:

1. Remove your mobile number from data broker databases.
2. Block and report phone numbers that send you spam texts through your messaging app.
3. Filter out spam through your device settings. 
4. Block and report numbers that send you spam through your cell service provider. 
5. Download a spam-filtering app from the Google Play Store.
6. Sign up to the national Do Not Call registry.
7. Don’t respond to any spam messages. 

1) Remove your personal information from data broker databases

Regardless of whether you’re a Samsung owner or not, this is probably one of the most effective methods to decrease spam on your phone. Your phone number, along with the rest of your personal data, is likely available for sale on dozens of data broker sites. These range from people search sites that straight up sell your personal information to anyone who’s interested to financial or marketing data brokers that sell your data to businesses. 

Either way, data brokers are directly responsible for a large portion of the spam you receive. That’s how they make money. Thankfully, you have the right to make them remove your personal information from their databases and stop selling it. 

You can achieve this in one of two ways:

1. Do it yourself by opting out of every data broker individually. We created an extensive list of data broker opt-out guides with step-by-step instructions. You’ll want to remove your info from as many websites as possible. You’ll also have to repeat the opt-out process every three to six months (data brokers tend to scrape your info again a few months after you successfully remove it).
2. Alternatively, you can subscribe to Incogni and let us send automated data removal requests on your behalf so your personal details, such as your name, phone numbers, addresses, and more, stay off the market.

2) Block specific senders and report their messages as spam through your messaging app

If you’re receiving spam texts from the same number over and over again, block the sender via the phone app or messages app and report them as spam to Google.

Block and report spam through the Samsung messages app

1. Open the Samsung messages app.
2. Locate and tap on the message from the sender you want to block.
3. Tap the number at the top of the screen. 
4. Tap “block number.”
5. Check the “delete conversation” box if you want to remove the conversation from your messages list.
6. Tap “block.”

Block and report spam through the Google messages app

If you receive spam messages on your Samsung phone, you can block the sender and report them to Google to help them recognize new spam types.

To block and report an unknown number:

1. Open the Google messages app.
2. Locate the message you want to report as spam.
3. Tap and hold the message until the three-dot menu icon appears in the top-right corner.
4. Tap that three-dot icon. 
5. Choose ”block.”.
6. Make sure you have the “report spam” box ticked and tap “OK.”

To block and report a sender from your contacts:

1. Open the Google messages app.
2. Locate the message you want to report as spam.
3. Tap and hold the message until a crossed-out circle appears in the top-right corner (next to the three dots).
4. Make sure you have the “report spam” box ticked and tap “OK.” 

Note: Carrier charges may apply when it comes to reporting the message to Google.

Block the number via the contacts app

If you have the repeat offender saved to your contacts, you can also block them through your phone app. 

1. Open your phone app.
2. Go to “contacts.”
3. Locate the contact that you want to block.
4. Tap on the contact and then the “details” icon (i). 
5. Tap the three dots in the bottom-right corner.
6. Select “block contact” from the dropdown list.
7. Confirm that you want to block the contact by tapping “block.”

Related: How to block No caller ID calls on iPhone

3) Filter out spam through your Samsung device

You can block unknown numbers through the phone app on your Samsung phone. 

To do this:

1. Open your phone app. 
2. Tap “more” and then “settings.”
3. Tap “blocked numbers” and toggle on “unknown.”

You can also filter out spam if you’re using the Google Messages app: 

1. Open the Google Messages app. 
2. Tap the three dots in the top-right corner.
3. Tap “settings” then “spam protection.”
4. Turn on spam protection under the “spam protection” settings.

4) Block and report spam through your cell service provider

You can also report the spammer to your carrier. That way, you’ll help protect other users. Here’s how:

1. Contact your carrier’s customer support team.
2. Inform them that you’re receiving spam messages on your Samsung phone.
3. Provide them with the phone number from which you’re receiving the messages.
4. Follow their instructions to report the spam messages.

There are a lot of carriers out there, so the specific steps may be different for yours. 

5) Download a third-party spam-filtering app

The beauty of smartphones is that there are third-party apps that can help you block unwanted messages. Here’s how you can use one of these apps:

1. Download and install a third-party app spam-blocking app from the Google Play Store. Make sure to check the app’s data processing practices and that it’s from a trusted developer. 
2. Launch the app.
3. Follow the instructions to set up the app on your Samsung phone.

The app will automatically detect and block spam messages on your phone, and they also have additional anti-spam functionalities. 

6) Put your number on the national Do Not Call registry

It’s also a good idea to put your phone number on the national Do Not Call registry. This is a list of phone numbers kept by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that they share with registered businesses and organizations. 

These companies aren’t allowed to contact phone numbers on the list. If your name is on the Do Not Call registry and you still receive marketing calls or messages 31 days or more after registering, you can report them to the FTC here. 

To sign up for the Do Not Call Registry, visit donotcall.gov/register.

7) Never respond to spam messages

Once you’ve followed all the above steps, you should notice a drastic decrease in spam text messages. However, a stray message or two may occasionally slip through. It’s important that you never respond to these. Doing so just lets the spammer know your number is active.

If these spam messages are benign, meaning they come from legitimate organizations, responding may simply lead to increased communication. If the messages are from scammers, responding may lead to more attacks and an increased risk of falling victim to cybercrime. 

FAQ