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How to stop spam calls

Editorially reviewed · Last updated July 15, 2026

You can't block every spam call, but you can cut the volume sharply — and the steps that work are free and take a few minutes. Turn on your phone's built-in call filtering, register on the Do Not Call list, and stop engaging with the ones that get through. Here's the order to do it in.

Do these free steps first

These are the highest-impact moves, and none of them cost anything.

  • Turn on your phone's built-in call filtering (steps below). This is the single biggest reducer for most people.
  • Register your number on the National Do Not Call Registry. It's free and permanent. It won't stop scammers — who ignore it — but it cuts the legitimate telemarketing, so the illegal calls stand out.
  • Let unknown numbers go to voicemail. Real people and real businesses leave a message; most scam robocalls don't.
  • Don't press any keys and don't say anything. Pressing "1 to be removed" or just answering "yes" confirms your number is live and gets you more calls.

Turn on your phone's built-in blocking

Both major phones have free spam filtering built in — you just have to switch it on.

On iPhone: open Settings → Apps → Phone and turn on Silence Unknown Callers. Calls from numbers not in your contacts go straight to voicemail. You can also install a call-blocking app and enable it under Call Blocking & Identification.

On Android: open the Phone app → ⋮ menu → Settings → Spam and Call Screen (wording varies by phone) and turn on See caller & spam ID and Filter spam calls. Suspected spam is then screened or silenced automatically.

The FTC's guides to blocking unwanted calls and stopping unwanted calls walk through call-blocking apps and carrier tools too — many carriers offer a free blocking service you can add to your line.

Report the calls that get through

Reporting won't stop your phone from ringing today, but it feeds the regulators and carriers going after the operations behind the calls.

  • Report unwanted calls at DoNotCall.gov.
  • If you lost money or shared information, report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
  • Block the specific number afterward — just know scammers spoof and rotate numbers, so blocking one rarely stops the campaign. The built-in filtering above does more than chasing numbers one by one.

Why the calls keep coming

The volume is driven by your number sitting on lists that get bought and sold, and by scammers spoofing local numbers to get you to pick up. That's why blocking individual numbers feels endless — you're treating symptoms. The durable fix is a combination: filtering on the device, getting your details off the data-broker lists that fuel the lists, and never confirming your number is live. If you're getting scam calls specifically — fake fraud departments, "your car warranty," a suspended Social Security number — the guides in our Scams A–Z cover exactly what each one is and what to do.

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Stop the next one at the source

The calls keep coming because data brokers sell your number. Cutting that off is the only thing that reduces the volume — blocking one number won't, they just rotate. Start with the free steps.

Optional — if you'd rather it was handled for you

To actually cut the volume, a data-removal service files opt-out requests across the brokers selling your number and keeps you off their lists. You can do this by hand for free — the service is worth it because the removals don't stay put.

See data removal →

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Frequently asked

What's the single fastest way to stop spam calls?
Turn on your phone's built-in call filtering — Silence Unknown Callers on iPhone, or Filter spam calls on Android. It routes calls from numbers you don't know to voicemail or screens them automatically, which cuts the volume more than blocking numbers one at a time. Then register on the free National Do Not Call Registry at donotcall.gov.
Does the Do Not Call Registry actually stop scam calls?
Not the scam ones. The registry stops legitimate telemarketers who follow the law, so registering cuts the legal sales calls — but scammers ignore it entirely. It's still worth doing (it's free and permanent), because with the legal calls gone, the illegal ones are easier to spot and screen.
Should I press a number to be removed from a robocall list?
No. Pressing a key — even the "press 2 to be removed" option — tells the scammer your number is active and answered by a real person, which gets you more calls, not fewer. The same goes for answering questions or saying "yes." The safe move is to hang up without interacting.
Why do spam calls show a local number?
Scammers use caller-ID spoofing to display any number they want, often one with your area code and prefix, because you're more likely to answer a local-looking number. A familiar-looking number is not a sign the call is real — never trust caller ID alone.

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