Navigation
Type to search pages, tools, and sections…
Quick actions
Guide · Phone safety · Updated July 2026
How to Stop Spam Texts & Robocalls (iPhone & Android)
Americans got over 19 billion spam texts and 50 billion robocalls last year. The good news: every carrier and both major mobile OSes ship free tools that can cut inbound spam by 90%+. Here’s exactly how to set them up in under three minutes, plus the one number — 7726 — that reports scams straight to your carrier’s network filter.
Fastest fix (3 minutes)
- iPhone spam texts: Settings → Messages → Filter Unknown Senders → ON.
- Android spam texts: Google Messages → Settings → Spam protection → ON.
- Robocalls (any phone): dial
#662#on T-Mobile, enable ActiveArmor on AT&T, or Call Filter on Verizon. - Report a scam text: forward it to
7726(SPAM).
Block spam texts at the carrier
Every major US carrier now runs network-level spam-text filtering for free. Enable it once and confirmed-spam texts stop reaching your phone entirely.
T-Mobile — Scam Shield (free)
- Open the Scam Shield app or dial #662# and press call to enable network-level scam blocking (blocks scam voice AND many spam text campaigns).
- For texts specifically: Scam Shield app → Settings → Message Guard → toggle Block spam messages ON.
- Report a spam text: press and hold the message → Forward → send to 7726 (SPAM). T-Mobile blocks the sender across the network.
AT&T — ActiveArmor (free)
- Install ActiveArmor from the App Store / Play Store, sign in with your AT&T account.
- Tap Texts → Block → set Suspected Spam to Block automatically.
- Report a spam text: forward the message to 7726 — AT&T replies with an SMS asking for the sender number, reply with the number.
Verizon — Call Filter + Message+ (free)
- Verizon blocks confirmed-spam texts at the network level automatically.
- For finer control, install Message+ or Verizon Messages → Settings → Spam Protection → toggle ON.
- Report: forward the text to 7726 or use Messages → tap the sender → Report Spam.
Mint, Visible, US Mobile, Google Fi (MVNOs)
- MVNOs use the parent network's spam-text filter automatically but do not include carrier reporting apps.
- Report spam texts to 7726 anyway — the underlying network (T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T) still receives and acts on the report.
- Layer OS-level filtering below (iOS Filter Unknown Senders, Android Messages spam protection) for the strongest defense.
iPhone — Filter Unknown Senders
- Open Settings → Apps → Messages (iOS 18+) or Settings → Messages on iOS 17.
- Scroll to Message Filtering → toggle Filter Unknown Senders ON.
- Unknown-sender texts now land in a separate Unknown Senders tab and won't fire notifications.
- Optional: Settings → Messages → Unknown & Spam → enable any installed SMS filter app (Robokiller, Truecaller, Nomorobo).
- Report a spam text: open the message → tap Report Junk under the bubble → confirm. Apple forwards the sender and content to your carrier and to Apple.
Android — Google Messages spam protection
- Open Google Messages (default on Pixel, Samsung, most Android devices).
- Tap your profile → Messages settings → Spam protection → toggle Enable spam protection ON.
- Google Messages now auto-flags likely spam, moves it to a Spam & blocked folder, and silences notifications.
- Report: long-press a spam text → tap Block/Report spam → confirm. The number is blocked and the report goes to Google and your carrier.
- Samsung Messages users: Messages app → menu → Settings → Block numbers and spam → toggle Caller ID and spam protection ON.
Stop robocalls — iPhone
- Settings → Apps → Phone → Silence Unknown Callers → toggle ON.
- Any number not in Contacts, Recents, or Siri Suggestions goes to voicemail silently — no ring, no banner.
- On iOS 26, Apple's on-device model differentiates first-time legitimate callers from spam patterns, so you can keep this on without missing new legitimate calls.
Deeper carrier and cross-device call-blocking walkthrough: How to block Scam Likely calls (iPhone & Android).
Stop robocalls — Android
- Open Phone by Google → three-dot menu → Settings → Spam and Call Screen.
- Toggle See caller and spam ID ON, then toggle Filter spam calls ON — flagged robocalls skip your ringer and go straight to voicemail.
- On Pixel: tap Call Screen → Unknown call settings → set Spam to Automatically screen, decline, silently decline. Google Assistant answers, asks who's calling, and hangs up on scammers.
- Samsung: Phone app → menu → Settings → Block numbers → toggle Block unknown/private numbers and Caller ID and spam protection ON.
When to reply STOP — and when never to
- For LEGITIMATE marketing texts (real retailer, real political campaign), reply STOP — federal law (TCPA) requires the sender to stop within 30 days.
- For SCAM texts (fake package delivery, fake bank alert, "your account is locked"), do NOT reply STOP — it confirms your number is live and increases scam volume. Report to 7726 and delete.
- How to tell: if you never gave the sender your number and the message contains a link, treat it as a scam. Do not click, do not reply.
Common spam text traps to recognize
- Fake USPS/FedEx/UPS delivery texts with a link — never click. Track packages only via the app you installed yourself.
- "Your bank account is locked" texts with a login link — always call your bank on the number printed on your card.
- Wrong-number texts that turn friendly ("oh, sorry! By the way, do you invest in crypto?") — this is pig-butchering. Delete and block.
- Political-donation texts you never opted into — the DNC/RNC and PACs are the biggest legal spammers; reply STOP or add the number to Block.
- Replying at all — even STOP — to a scam text tells the boiler room your number is monitored. Report to 7726 and delete without reply.
FAQ
How do I stop spam texts on iPhone?
Open Settings → Apps → Messages → Filter Unknown Senders and toggle it ON. Unknown-sender texts move to a separate tab and stop firing notifications. To report a spam text, tap the message → Report Junk under the bubble. Forward the same message to 7726 (SPAM) so your carrier blocks the sender network-wide.
How do I stop spam texts on Android?
Open Google Messages → profile → Messages settings → Spam protection → toggle ON. Likely-spam texts move to a Spam & blocked folder automatically. Long-press any spam message → Block/Report spam. On Samsung, use Messages → Settings → Block numbers and spam → Caller ID and spam protection.
Does forwarding spam to 7726 actually work?
Yes. 7726 spells SPAM on a phone keypad and is the industry-wide reporting number that T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, and every US carrier honor. Forwarding a spam text there feeds the sender into carrier network filters and the CTIA spam database. It's free and doesn't count against your text quota.
How do I stop robocalls?
Enable carrier scam blocking (T-Mobile #662#, AT&T ActiveArmor, Verizon Call Filter). On iPhone, Settings → Phone → Silence Unknown Callers. On Android, Phone by Google → Settings → Spam and Call Screen → Filter spam calls. Stack all three — carrier + OS filter — for near-total elimination.
Should I reply STOP to spam texts?
Only to legitimate marketing you can identify (a real retailer whose site you shopped, a political campaign you opted into). STOP is legally required to work for these under TCPA. For scam texts — fake bank alerts, fake package delivery, wrong-number pig-butchering openers — never reply STOP. It confirms your number is live and multiplies incoming scams. Report to 7726, block, and delete instead.
Why do I still get spam texts after adding my number to the Do Not Call Registry?
The Do Not Call Registry only covers phone calls, not text messages. Spam texting is regulated separately under TCPA and CAN-SPAM, but scam operators overseas ignore both. The 7726 reporting flow plus carrier and OS-level filters are the only defenses that actually reduce inbound volume.
How do I block spam texts from short codes (5-digit numbers)?
Short codes (like 12345) cannot be blocked with normal number-blocking. On iPhone, tap the sender → info (i) → Block this Caller. On Android/Google Messages, long-press the conversation → Block. If the short code is legitimate marketing, reply STOP; if it's a scam impersonating a bank or delivery service, report to 7726 and delete.
What's the difference between spam calls and robocalls?
A robocall is any pre-recorded or auto-dialed call — some are legal (school closures, prescription reminders). Spam calls are unwanted robocalls or live scam attempts. Carrier filters and STIR/SHAKEN attestation target illegal robocalls specifically. iOS Silence Unknown Callers and Android spam filtering catch both categories.
Related guides
How to Stop Spam Texts and Robocalls
- Enable carrier scam text + call blocking
T-Mobile: dial #662# and set Scam Shield → Message Guard. AT&T: ActiveArmor → block suspected spam texts and calls. Verizon: Call Filter and Message+ spam protection.
- iPhone: Filter Unknown Senders + Silence Unknown Callers
Settings → Messages → Filter Unknown Senders ON. Settings → Phone → Silence Unknown Callers ON.
- Android: Google Messages spam protection + Phone spam filter
Google Messages → Settings → Spam protection ON. Phone by Google → Settings → Spam and Call Screen → Filter spam calls ON.
- Report spam texts to 7726 (SPAM)
Forward the spam text to 7726. Every US carrier honors this shortcode and blocks the sender network-wide.
Next recommended guide
Block "Scam Likely" calls at the carrier level
You've reported the worst offenders — now stop them from ringing at all. Turn on free carrier blocking on Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile in under 5 minutes.
Read the carrier blocking guide