How to Stop Spam Calls on Android With Free Built-In Tools

To stop spam calls on Android, turn on the spam filter that is already in your Phone app, then switch on your carrier's free blocker. On a Pixel, that means Phone app → Settings → Spam and Call Screen; on a Samsung Galaxy, Phone app → Settings → Caller ID and spam protection → Block spam and scam calls. T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T all include a free network-level blocker, and the Do Not Call Registry takes care of legitimate telemarketers.

Also in this topic: Android Guides hub.

In a hurry? Jump to: which tool · Pixel · Samsung · other Android phones · carrier blockers · blocking unknown numbers · Do Not Call Registry · fixes · FAQ

How we put this together: Every settings path, requirement, and price below comes from the official help pages linked in each section: Google's Phone app help, Samsung US support, T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, Google Fi, and the FTC. We rechecked them on October 17, 2026. We did not test every phone and carrier combination ourselves, so menu names on your phone may be worded slightly differently.

Which Spam Call Blocker Should You Turn On?

Use two layers: the filter in your phone's dialer and the free blocker on your carrier's network. They catch different calls, and none of them costs anything at the free tier. This table shows where each one lives.

Tool	Works on	Where to turn it on	Free?
Call Screen (automatic)	Pixel phones in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, and Australia	Phone app → Settings → Spam and Call Screen	Yes
Scam Detection (during calls)	Pixel 6 and newer in the US	Phone app → Settings → Scam Detection	Yes, but off by default
Filter spam calls	Android phones using Phone by Google without automatic Call Screen	Phone app → Settings → Caller ID and spam	Yes
Smart Call	Samsung Galaxy phones (carrier and model dependent)	Phone app → Settings → Caller ID and spam protection	Yes
ScamShield / Scam Block	T-Mobile lines	Dial #662# or use the T-Life app	Yes
Call Filter	Verizon lines, Android 10 or newer for the app	Verizon Protect app or My Verizon	Yes ($3.99/month for Plus)
ActiveArmor	AT&T wireless plans	AT&T ActiveArmor app	Yes ($7/month for advanced)
Block known spam	Google Fi	Google Fi app → Account → Privacy & security	Yes

How to Stop Spam Calls on a Google Pixel

On a Pixel, automatic Call Screen is the main spam blocker. Google's Call Assist answers calls from numbers it is unsure about, asks who is calling and why, and hangs up on spam before your phone rings. Google's Call Screen help page lists automatic screening for Pixel phones in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, and Australia.

Turn on automatic Call Screen

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Tap the three-dot More menu, then Settings.
3. Tap Spam and Call Screen (some versions just say Call Screen), then tap Call Screen.
4. Pick a protection level. On a Pixel 7 or newer, you choose between Maximum, Medium, and Basic protection. On a Pixel 6 or older, tap Unknown call settings and choose which caller types to screen: spam, possibly faked numbers, or first-time callers.

As The Verge describes the levels, Maximum screens every unknown number and declines spam, Medium screens suspicious numbers and declines spam, and Basic only declines known spam. When a call is being screened, you get a silent "Screening unknown number" notification and can tap it to read a live transcript.

Medium is the level most people should start with. Maximum also screens your pharmacy, your kid's school, and the delivery driver you were expecting, which gets old fast. If you go with Maximum, save those numbers as contacts, because Call Screen skips anyone in your contacts list.

Turn on Scam Detection for calls you do answer

Scam Detection listens for scam patterns during a call and alerts you with a sound, vibration, and notification if the conversation looks like fraud. It is off by default, and most spam call guides never mention it. Per Google's Scam Detection page, it works on the Pixel 6 and newer in the US, and on the Pixel 9 and newer in a dozen other countries.

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Tap More → Settings → Scam Detection.
3. Turn on Scam Detection.

All processing happens on the phone. Google says no audio or transcript is stored or sent to its servers, and the Pixel 9 and newer run it on Gemini Nano. One thing to know: the feature plays an audible beep at the start of the call and every few minutes after, so the person on the other end will hear it.

Fake call detection for spoofed contacts

Phone by Google can also warn you when a caller hides their identity or pretends to be one of your contacts. Google's caller ID and spam help page says this needs Android 12 or newer, the Phone by Google, Contacts, and Google Messages apps, and RCS turned on in Google Messages. If RCS is stuck on an error, fix that first with our guide to Google Messages error 3100.

How to Block Spam Calls on a Samsung Galaxy

On a Galaxy phone, Samsung's Smart Call feature labels and blocks spam inside the Samsung Phone app. These steps come from Samsung's US support page. Samsung notes that Smart Call may not be available on every carrier or model.

1. Open the Phone app, tap More options (three dots), then Settings.
2. Tap Caller ID and spam protection and turn on the switch at the top.
3. Review the terms and privacy policy, then tap Agree.
4. Turn on Block spam and scam calls, then pick Block all spam and scam calls or Only block high-risk scam calls.
5. When a spam call does ring through, tap Block/Report number at the bottom of the screen during or after the call.

Choose Block all spam and scam calls for most phones. Samsung says the high-risk option lets less severe spam keep ringing, and everyday telemarketing spam is exactly what most people want gone. According to The Verge, blocked spam calls go to voicemail, so you can still check whether something important got caught. It also reports that Smart Call's spam data comes from Hiya, which is why you have to accept separate terms.

Samsung's support page also describes AI scam detection, which analyzes calls in real time and alerts you with a tone or vibration when a call looks like a scam. It isn't on every Galaxy model or software version, so look for it in the Phone app's settings after you update.

How to Filter Spam Calls on Motorola, OnePlus, and Other Android Phones

If your phone uses Google's Phone app but doesn't have automatic Call Screen, turn on Filter spam calls. It sends suspected spam straight to call history without a ring, missed call alert, or voicemail notification.

1. Open the Phone app and tap More options → Settings → Caller ID and spam.
2. Make sure See caller ID & spam is on (Google turns it on by default).
3. Turn on Filter spam calls.

Some guides tell Pixel owners to flip this same switch, but Google says phones with automatic Call Screen do not show it. On those phones, spam blocking lives in the Call Screen levels instead. Google's Phone by Google listing says the app works on most Android 9 and newer devices, though some features need it preinstalled. If your phone uses its maker's own dialer, look for a spam or caller ID setting in that app, and lean on your carrier's blocker below.

How to Turn On Your Carrier's Free Spam Call Blocker

All three major US carriers block or label spam on their networks for free, before the call reaches your phone. Because they use different data, the carrier filter and your phone's filter can each catch calls the other misses. Here's what each one includes, checked against the carriers' own pages on October 17, 2026.

Carrier	Free tier	Paid tier	How to turn it on
T-Mobile	ScamShield: Scam Likely labels, Scam Block, Potential Spam ID, spam to voicemail, Callback Protection	ScamShield Premium adds category blocking, reverse lookup, and voicemail-to-text	Dial #662#, or toggle Scam Block in T-Life
Verizon	Call Filter: spam detection, spam filter, spam log, allow list, reporting, Neighborhood Filter for up to 5 area codes/prefixes	Call Filter Plus, $3.99/month ($10.99 for 3+ lines): caller ID, spam lookup, personal block list, category blocking	Verizon Protect app or Services & perks in My Verizon
AT&T	ActiveArmor: automatic fraud and spam call blocking, device security, data breach alerts	ActiveArmor advanced, $7/month per line: caller ID, identity monitoring, VPN, and more	AT&T ActiveArmor app
Google Fi	Block known spam	None	Google Fi app → Account → Privacy & security → Manage contact settings

T-Mobile

T-Mobile's network already labels risky calls as Scam Likely, but it only blocks them after you turn on Scam Block. The fastest way is to dial #662# from your T-Mobile phone, according to T-Mobile's ScamShield page. T-Mobile warns that Scam Block can catch calls you want, and you can turn it off any time. If data or picture messages act up after a SIM swap, our T-Mobile APN settings guide covers that separately.

Verizon

Verizon moved Call Filter management into the Verizon Protect app, so older guides that tell you to open a "Call Filter app" are out of date. Per Verizon's Call Filter FAQ, the free version sends high-risk spam to voicemail by default and needs Android 10 or newer to use the app. The free Neighborhood Filter blocks calls that match up to 5 area codes or prefixes, which helps against "neighbor spoofing" from numbers that look like yours. It blocks every call from those prefixes, real ones included, so use it carefully.

AT&T

AT&T's free ActiveArmor tier keeps automatic fraud and spam call blocking. The paid advanced tier went from $3.99 to $7 a month per line on February 18, 2026, per AT&T's support notice. A lot of articles still quote the old price. The extra money mostly buys identity protection, not better spam blocking, so the free tier is enough if calls are your only problem. If you are setting up an unlocked phone on AT&T, see our AT&T APN settings for Android too.

Google Fi

On Google Fi, open the Fi app, go to Account → Privacy & security → Manage contact settings, and turn on Block known spam. Google's Fi help page says this setting syncs with the spam filter in the Phone app, so changing one changes the other.

Should You Block All Unknown Numbers on Android?

Blocking unknown numbers works differently on Pixel and Samsung phones, and the Pixel version won't do what most people expect. On a Pixel, Phone app → Settings → Blocked numbers → Unknown only blocks private or unidentified callers. Google's block a number help page says you will still get calls from numbers that aren't in your contacts.

Samsung's version is much stricter. Under Phone app → Settings → Block numbers, the Block calls from unknown numbers switch blocks incoming calls from numbers that aren't saved in your contacts or identified by Smart Call, as Samsung's support page describes it.

We'd skip that blanket block for most people. It also stops callbacks from doctors, schools, and job recruiters. On a Pixel, Call Screen's Maximum level gets you most of the same quiet without missing real calls. On a Galaxy, "Block all spam and scam calls" plus your carrier's filter is the more balanced setup.

How to block one specific number

To block a single caller on a Pixel, open the Phone app, find the call in your history, and tap Block / report spam. On a Samsung, tap the number in Recents, open the menu below it, and tap Block. Blocking catches repeat callers, but most robocallers switch numbers constantly, so the spam filters above do far more.

Does the Do Not Call Registry Stop Spam Calls?

The National Do Not Call Registry stops sales calls from real companies that follow the law, but it doesn't block anything, so scammers keep calling. Still, it's free and quick to join. Per the FTC's Do Not Call FAQ:

• Register at DoNotCall.gov or call 1-888-382-1222 from the phone you want to add. Cell numbers count the same as landlines.
• Online sign-ups send a confirmation email, and you have 72 hours to click the link.
• Your number shows up the next day, but it can take up to 31 days for sales calls to stop.
• Registration never expires.
• Political, charity, debt collection, survey, and purely informational calls are still allowed, as long as they don't include a sales pitch.

A robocall selling you something is illegal unless you gave that company written permission to call, whether or not you're on the Registry. If you get one, the FTC says to hang up without pressing any buttons and report it at DoNotCall.gov. The FTC shares reported numbers with carriers and call-blocking companies every business day, so reports feed the same filters you just turned on.

Spam Calls Still Getting Through? Fixes That Help

Most "it stopped working" problems come from one of the conditions Google, Samsung, or your carrier list in the fine print. Check these first.

• Call Screen isn't screening. Google says automatic screening may not run when you use headphones or are connected to Bluetooth, depending on the model, and it never runs while roaming. Third-party call recorders and screen recorders also interfere, so turn those off.
• You use call forwarding. Google says not to use automatic Call Screen with call forwarding, because screened calls won't be forwarded.
• The Phone app is out of date. Both Call Screen and Scam Detection need the latest Phone by Google. Update it from Google Play.
• Smart Call shows an error. Samsung's fix is to install any system update, then go to Settings → Apps → Phone → Storage → Clear data and set your block options again.
• A real caller got blocked. On a Pixel, open the call in Recents and tap Not spam, or save the number as a contact. Verizon users can add numbers to the allow list in Verizon Protect.
• Spam texts are the bigger problem. The Phone app's call filters don't cover messages. Google is adding an opt-in enhanced protection mode for Google Messages, and its October 14 announcement says Pixel and select phones will block apps from silently turning on call forwarding starting in early December.

Google says its Scam Detection in Phone by Google and Google Messages already flags more than 5 million suspected scam calls and texts a month. Even so, every one of these tools warns that it won't catch everything. Treat any caller who pushes you to pay, share a code, or act right away as a scammer, whatever the caller ID says.

FAQ

Can I stop spam calls on Android without installing an app?

Yes. Pixel Call Screen, Google's Filter spam calls switch, and Samsung Smart Call are all built into the phone's dialer, and T-Mobile's Scam Block turns on by dialing #662#. Verizon's free Call Filter can also be managed from My Verizon instead of an app.

Does the Do Not Call Registry work for cell phones?

Yes. The FTC treats cell numbers the same as home numbers once they're registered. It stops legitimate telemarketers, not scammers, so pair it with a spam filter.

Will Call Screen block calls from my doctor or a delivery driver?

Not if they say who they are. Call Screen asks unknown callers why they're calling and rings your phone if the call isn't spam. Numbers saved in your contacts skip screening entirely.

Is it worth paying for Call Filter Plus, ScamShield Premium, or ActiveArmor advanced?

Only if you want extras like caller ID for unknown numbers or category blocking for telemarketers, political calls, and surveys. The free tiers already include each carrier's core spam blocking.

What should I do if I already answered a spam call?

Hang up without pressing any buttons or talking to a "live person," which the FTC says can lead to more calls. Then block the number and report it at DoNotCall.gov, or at ReportFraud.ftc.gov if you lost money.