Americans received 52.5 billion robocalls in 2025, according to the YouMail Robocall Index. Unwanted telemarketing and scam calls made up 57% of that total, up from 49% the year before. That works out to roughly 200 robocalls per adult for the year.
The financial damage is real, too. The average amount of money lost to scams that started with a phone call reached $3,690 in the first half of 2025, according to FTC data cited in the U.S. PIRG Education Fund's 2025 robocall report. Fake loan offers, bogus car warranty calls, and government impersonation scams were among the most common tactics.
If you are wondering how to stop robocalls from reaching my phone, the honest answer is that no single step will block 100% of them. But combining a few simple tools can cut the volume down to almost nothing. Whether you want to know how to stop spam calls entirely or just how to block scam calls on your device, here is exactly what to do, step by step.
Why You Keep Getting Robocalls
Most people assume robocallers are just dialing random numbers. Sometimes that is true. But in many cases, your phone number is sitting on data broker websites, tied to your name and address, and scammers scrape those sites for targets.
Where Robocallers Get Your Number
Your phone number can end up on robocall lists from several common sources:
- People-search sites and data broker databases that publish your number publicly
- Online forms, sweepstakes, and app signups that sell your data to third parties
- Past data breaches that exposed your contact information
- Social media profiles where your number is visible
The more places your real number appears online, the more spam calls you are likely to get. In March 2026, the FCC cut off a company called Belthrough LLC from U.S. phone networks after tracing it to illegal robocalls impersonating internet service providers (Source: FCC Enforcement Order, March 12, 2026). That is how these operations work: a single company can push millions of scam calls before regulators catch up.
How to Block Scam Calls on Your iPhone or Android
Both iPhone and Android have free built-in settings that can silence or screen unknown callers automatically. You do not need to download anything to get started. Here is how to block spam calls on iPhone and Android using only your phone's native settings.
iPhone Settings
On iPhones running iOS 18 or newer, go to Settings, tap Apps, then tap Phone. Scroll to Screen Unknown Callers. You will see three options:
- Never lets all calls ring normally.
- Ask Reason for Calling screens callers first, asking them to state their name and reason before your phone rings. Spam callers tend to hang up at this point.
- Silence sends all unknown calls straight to voicemail without ringing.
For most people, "Ask Reason for Calling" is the best balance. Legitimate callers will typically respond. Automated robocallers generally will not. To further reduce iPhone spam calls, you can also turn on spam filtering under Settings, Apps, Phone, Call Filtering, and toggle on Spam. Your carrier flags suspected spam calls and moves them to a separate list.
Android Settings
On Pixel phones or any Android phone with the Google Phone app, open the Phone app, tap Settings, then tap Caller ID & spam. Toggle on "See caller and spam ID" and "Filter spam calls." Google will automatically screen and filter suspected spam calls before they reach you.
Samsung Galaxy phones have a similar feature called Smart Call, powered by Hiya, which you can enable in the Phone app settings.
Register With the Do Not Call List
The National Do Not Call Registry at donotcall.gov is a free service run by the FTC. Registration is permanent, and the registry now has over 258 million active registrations, according to the FTC's 2026 Do Not Call Report. Legitimate telemarketers are required to stop calling within 31 days of your registration.
What the Do Not Call List Does and Does Not Do
The registry works well for stopping calls from companies that follow the law. Scammers, political organizations, charities, and survey companies are either exempt or simply ignore the list. Think of the Do Not Call Registry as your first layer of defense, not your last.
Turn On Your Carrier's Free Spam Filter
All major U.S. carriers now offer free robocall blocker tools. Activate yours if you have not already:
- Verizon: Call Filter app (free tier available)
- T-Mobile: Scam Shield app (free)
- AT&T: ActiveArmor app (free basic protection)
Carrier tools can flag or block suspected spam calls before they ring your phone, though results may vary. In August 2025, the FCC removed over 1,200 non-compliant voice service providers from its Robocall Mitigation Database, effectively cutting them off from U.S. phone networks for failing to stop illegal calls (Source: FCC Enforcement Order, August 25, 2025). Combined with your phone's built-in settings, carrier-level protections add another layer of defense.
How to Identify and Block Unknown Numbers Automatically
If calls are still getting through after the steps above, a third-party call-blocking app can add another layer. Popular options include Truecaller, Hiya, and RoboKiller. Some have free tiers, while others require a paid subscription for full features.
What to Look for in a Call-Blocking App
A good spam call blocker app should offer:
- Automatic caller ID for unknown numbers
- A regularly updated database of known spam numbers
- The ability to block entire categories of calls (telemarketing, scams, surveys)
- Minimal impact on your battery and phone performance
Keep in mind that no app catches everything. New spam numbers are created constantly.
Remove Your Number From Data Broker Sites
Blocking and filtering address robocalls after they reach you. To reduce the volume at the source, you need to remove your phone number from people-search sites and data brokers that publish it publicly.
Why Data Removal Matters
Sites like WhitePages, Spokeo, and BeenVerified list your phone number alongside your name and address. Scammers scrape these sites to build call lists. Removing your number from these databases cuts off a major supply line for robocallers.
You can opt out manually from each site, but the process is time-consuming, and many sites re-list your data within months. Automated data removal services handle this on an ongoing basis.
Use a Secondary Number for Online Signups
Every time you enter your real phone number on a website, app, or checkout form, you increase the chance of getting spam calls. Using a separate phone number for online signups, shopping, and non-essential accounts keeps your real number out of marketing databases.
Quick Rules for Protecting Your Number
- Never enter your real phone number on forms unless absolutely required.
- Use a secondary or virtual number for online shopping, apps, and new accounts.
- If a website asks for your number before showing you a price or quote, that number may end up being shared with or sold to third parties.
Stop Robocalls for Good
Stopping robocalls takes a layered approach. No single step eliminates every unwanted call. But turning on your phone's built-in screening, activating carrier filters, registering with the Do Not Call list, removing your number from data brokers, and using a secondary number for signups can reduce the volume dramatically.
Cloaked brings all of these layers together. Call Guard screens and blocks scam calls automatically. Cloaked also lets you create unlimited phone number aliases so your real number stays private, and removes your data from 130+ broker sites to cut off robocallers at the source.
Run a free safety scan to see how exposed your number is, or get in touch to learn more.
FAQs
How do I stop spam calls on my iPhone?
Go to Settings, tap Apps, tap Phone, then tap Screen Unknown Callers. Select "Ask Reason for Calling" or "Silence" to filter calls from numbers not in your contacts.
How do I block scam calls on Android?
Open the Google Phone app, go to Settings, tap Caller ID & spam, and toggle on "Filter spam calls." On Samsung devices, enable Smart Call in the Phone app settings.
Does the Do Not Call Registry actually work?
The registry requires legitimate telemarketers to remove your number from their call lists. Scammers typically ignore it, so you still need phone-level filtering and carrier tools for fuller protection.
Why am I getting so many robocalls suddenly?
Your phone number may have appeared in a recent data breach or been sold by a data broker. Removing your number from people-search sites and using a secondary number for signups can help reduce the volume.
Can I block all robocalls permanently?
No method blocks 100% of robocalls permanently. But combining built-in phone settings, carrier filters, a call-blocking app, and data removal can reduce unwanted calls to a very small number.
Are robocall blocker apps safe to use?
Most well-known apps like Truecaller and Hiya are generally considered safe. Before downloading any app, check reviews, read the privacy policy, and make sure you are comfortable with the data the app requests access to.
