Consumers receive more than 1 billion robocalls every month. These automatic dialers bombard people with telemarketing pitches or fraudulent and scammy offers to dupe them out of money. As technology advances, so do the tactics of these robocalls, making them harder to avoid.

Luckily, call blocking is a simple and effective solution that’s surprisingly easy to set up.

What are my options for call blocking?

There are many ways to block unwanted calls. You can use built-in features on your phone, install third-party apps, or use devices specifically designed for landlines.

Smartphones, like iPhones and Androids, make it easy to block specific numbers in their settings. For more control and customization, a third-party app like RoboKiller is a more comprehensive solution.

Landline users can block up to 5,000 numbers at the press of a button with devices like the CPR V5000.

If you’re a business getting hit with a ton of spam calls, most VoIP systems offer automatic call-blocking features. There’s usually a setting somewhere inside your account. If you can’t find it, reach out to your provider and ask them to turn it on.

How to set up call blocking on an iPhone

The iPhone is known for its simplicity and user-friendly interface — blocking calls is no different. There are a few ways to do it depending on what you want to do.

Keep certain callers out

If you know what numbers you want to block, you can do so by:

1. Opening the Phone app.
2. Going to Favorites, Recents, or Voicemail.
3. Finding the caller you want to block.
4. Tapping the i icon next to the contact or number.
5. Selecting Block This Caller.

They’ll no longer be able to contact you by phone, FaceTime, or text until you unblock them.

To unblock a number, open the Settings app, scroll down to Phone, select Blocked Contacts, and tap Edit. You’ll be able to add or remove callers from the list.

Silence unknown spam calls

You can easily automatically block spam calls, even if you don’t know their number. All you have to do is:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap on Phone.
3. Choose Call Blocking & Identification.
4. If your carrier supports it, you’ll see an option for Silence Junk Callers. Turn the toggle to On to automatically silence calls your carrier identifies as spam or fraud.

Another useful setting is Business Call Identification, which you’ll see on the same screen. When turned on, your phone attempts to verify the number and display the name of the business when they call. This makes it easier to spot legitimate calls.

You can further protect yourself by automatically blocking calls from anyone not in your contact list as well. Tap the back button, open Silence Unknown Callers, and turn the toggle to On.

After enabling these settings, your phone will automatically mute unknown calls and send them straight to voicemail. You’ll still see the call on your recent calls list, which is helpful if the call wasn’t spam.

How to block unwanted calls on a Samsung Android

All you have to do to block known numbers on your Samsung device is:

1. Open the Phone or Contacts app.
2. Go to the Contacts tab.
3. Long press on their name or number and tap Block Number.
4. Alternatively, tap on a number in your Recents tab to open it up. Select the option to block the number.

Anyone you block won’t be able to contact you unless you unblock them, which you can do from the Phone app. Tap the three dots in the top right, tap Settings, then Blocked Numbers.

Here, you’ll be able to remove any numbers you’d like.

Use Samsung’s smart call feature to automatically block spam calls

Samsung offers a Smart Call feature that blocks spam calls while providing details of the call before you pick it up. Here’s how to activate it:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Click on the three dots in the top-right corner.
3. Select Settings.
4. Choose Block Numbers.
5. Turn on the toggle for Spam Protection.

This feature uses a database of known spam numbers to block calls automatically. It’s not perfect, but it does a good job of minimizing the number of unwanted calls.

How to block calls on Google Pixel phones

To block a number on a Pixel phone, you can:

1. Go to your Phone or Contacts app.
2. Long press on the name or number to open the details.
3. Choose Block Number in Contacts or Block/Report Spam in Phone. You’ll see a warning about no longer receiving calls or texts from them.
4. Press Block to confirm.

This easy process stops that number from calling or texting you again. Pixel phones also automatically identify calls from known spam numbers. When you get one, you’ll have the option to answer, screen, or automatically hang up.

Alternative 1: Use a call blocking app

Call blocking apps add an extra layer of protection if the above doesn’t do the trick. They’re especially helpful if you get a lot of calls or the automatic option on your phone hasn’t registered the number as spam.

These apps use various methods to identify and block calls, including:

• Comparing against crowdsourced databases.
• Analyzing call patterns to identify likely spam numbers.
• Allowing users to block or report spam calls manually.
• Blocking texts in addition to calls for full coverage.

Some popular call-blocking apps include RoboKiller and Nomorobo. These apps can be found on the App Store for iPhone and Google Play Store for Android.

SEE: Compare RoboKiller and Nomorobo to see which one’s right for you. 

Alternative 2: Temporary call blocking

If you don’t want to permanently block calls or specific numbers, Do Not Disturb is an easy and temporary way to gain some peace. It lets you silence calls except for those from selected contacts or contact groups. You can also set it to silence notifications from other apps if you’d like.

The process may vary slightly from one device to another, but here’s the gist:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Find Do Not Disturb mode. It may be a standalone setting or under Sound & Vibration, depending on your phone. Toggle the switch to On.
3. Locate the Allow Calls setting to allow calls from specific contacts.

Some phones also let you schedule Do Not Disturb mode so you can automatically activate and deactivate it throughout the day.

For landlines: Install a call blocking device

Blocking calls on landline devices isn’t quite as easy as changing a few settings; however, you’re not entirely out of luck.

Devices like the CPR Call Blocker and Digitone Call Blocker connect to your phone line and use technology to identify and block spam numbers. Most allow you to whitelist approved numbers, ensuring those you trust will always get through.

Setup depends on the brand and model, but it generally looks like this:

1. Use the cables provided to attach it to your phone.
2. Program the device as needed. It’ll come with instructions on how to do this — it will likely require pressing certain buttons in a specific order.
3. Whitelist numbers by adding them manually or importing a contact list.
4. Call yourself from another device to make sure it works as normal.

You can buy these physical devices online or from places like Best Buy and Walmart. They can cost anywhere from $15 to $150, depending on what you need.