How to Block Spam Calls and Spam Texts on iPhone and Android (2022)
WIRED lays out built-in iPhone and Android tools to block spam calls and texts, plus ways to report nuisance numbers and reduce unknown callers.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
The piece is a practical guide to cutting down robocalls and spam texts using phone settings rather than third-party apps. It covers direct number blocking, filtering unknown senders, spam reporting, and carrier/platform tools that can help when scammers keep rotating numbers.
The article is like showing a phone how to ignore annoying strangers at the door. A person can block numbers, hide unknown callers, and mark bad texts as junk so the phone stops buzzing so much.
Analysis
What the guide argues
WIRED’s core point is that spam is easier to manage when people use the blocking and filtering features already built into their phones. The article starts with basic hygiene: do not answer unknown numbers when possible, do not tap links or attachments in suspicious texts, and do not reply to spam messages because that can confirm the number is active.
iPhone and Android controls
On iPhone, the article explains that users can block a specific caller from the Phone, FaceTime, or Messages apps, and later review or remove those blocks in Settings. It also recommends two system-level filters: Silence Unknown Callers for phone calls and Filter Unknown Senders for texts. The tradeoff is that these tools reduce interruptions, but they can also silence legitimate calls from numbers not saved in contacts.
On Android, the steps vary by manufacturer, but the guide says stock Android devices can block a number from the Phone app’s Recent tab, while Samsung uses a slightly different path. For repeated spam from changing numbers, the article recommends enabling unknown-caller blocking, caller ID and spam protection, and spam filtering in the Messages app.
Extra reporting tools
The article also points readers to broader reporting channels. It says unwanted calls and messages can be reported to the FTC, and that the Do Not Call Registry may help with sales calls from reputable companies, even if scammers ignore it. It notes that the more people report nuisance numbers to manufacturers, carriers, and third parties, the easier it becomes to label or preemptively block them.
Google Pixel extras
For Pixel owners, WIRED highlights Call Screen, which can have Google Assistant answer and transcribe calls. That is presented as another layer of defense when spam calls keep changing numbers and basic blocking is not enough.
Key points
- iPhone users can block individual numbers from Phone, FaceTime, or Messages and later review blocked contacts in Settings.
- iPhone can silence unknown callers and filter unknown text senders, which reduces spam but can also hide legitimate calls.
- Android blocking works differently by device, but stock Android and Samsung both offer number blocking and spam controls.
- Google Pixel users can use Call Screen so Google Assistant answers and transcribes suspicious calls.
- The article recommends reporting spam to the FTC and using reporting features in phones and carrier tools.
If more people use these built-in controls, spam calls and texts become easier to ignore and less disruptive. Reporting bad numbers can also help phones, carriers, and services recognize nuisance patterns sooner.
The article makes clear that scammers can keep switching numbers, so simple blocking will never catch everything. Helpful filters can also hide real calls from unknown numbers, which is a problem for people who expect contact from outside their address book.
