How to Block Spam Calls and Spam Texts on iPhone and Android (2026)

Spam calls and texts aren't going anywhere. If anything, they've gotten more sophisticated as scammers use AI to make their pitches sound more convincing.

Both iPhone and Android have built-in tools to help you filter out the noise. These aren't perfect solutions, but they can significantly reduce the number of unwanted interruptions you deal with daily.

On iPhone, you can enable Settings to silence unknown callers entirely, sending any number not in your contacts straight to voicemail. You can also report spam messages directly from the Messages app, which helps Apple improve its filtering.

Android offers similar protections through Google's Call Screen feature, which uses AI to answer calls for you and show a real-time transcript. You can decide whether to pick up based on what the caller says. The built-in spam protection also flags likely scam calls before you answer.

Why this matters: As AI tools become more accessible, scammers are using them too. Voice cloning and AI-generated scripts make it harder to spot fake calls. Your best defense is using every filtering tool available and staying skeptical of unexpected requests for money or personal information.

The key is layering protections. Use your phone's native tools, be ruthless about blocking numbers, and never engage with suspicious messages. The moment you respond, you've confirmed your number is active.