How to block unwanted and unknown calls on your phone (Android and iPhone)

If marketing calls, persistent calls from numbers you don't know or callers who hide their number keep interrupting your day, you can block or silence them with the built-in settings on your phone. You don't need to install an extra app.

This guide covers the Phone settings on iPhone and Google's Phone app on Android; menu names are taken from Apple's and Google's support pages and may differ slightly between versions. For advertising SMS and brand permissions in Türkiye, see our İYS guide as well.

1. First save important numbers to Contacts Unknown caller settings work on numbers that are not saved in your Contacts. Apple recommends adding your family, friends, your child's school and your doctor's office to Contacts so you always see these calls. Google also uses the contacts saved on your phone when filtering calls. Before changing any settings, save the numbers you do not want to miss.
2. iPhone: block a single number or contact In the <strong>Phone</strong> app, tap <strong>Recents</strong>, then tap the number you want to block, or the <strong>Info</strong> (i) button next to it in Classic view. Scroll down and tap <strong>Block Caller</strong> (<strong>Block this Caller</strong> on iOS 17 and earlier). On iOS 26 you can also go to <strong>Settings > Privacy & Security > Blocked Contacts > Add Blocked Contact</strong>, choose the contact and tap <strong>Block Contact</strong>.
3. iPhone (iOS 26 and later): silence unknown callers Go to <strong>Settings > Apps > Phone</strong> and scroll to <strong>Screen Unknown Callers</strong>. There are three options: <strong>Never</strong> lets your phone ring as usual; <strong>Ask Reason for Calling</strong> asks the caller why they are calling before your phone rings; <strong>Silence</strong> silences calls from unsaved numbers and sends them to voicemail. If you do not want to be disturbed at all, choose <strong>Silence</strong>; these calls still appear in Recents.
4. iPhone (iOS 18 and earlier): turn on Silence Unknown Callers On iOS 18 go to <strong>Settings > Apps > Phone</strong>, on iOS 17 and earlier go to <strong>Settings > Phone</strong>, and turn on <strong>Silence Unknown Callers</strong>. According to Apple, with this on you only get notifications for calls from people in your Contacts, recent outgoing calls and Siri Suggestions; other calls are silenced and go to voicemail.
5. iPhone: filter spam and fraud calls On iOS 26 and later, go to <strong>Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Filtering</strong>. Turn on <strong>Unknown Callers</strong> to move missed calls and voicemails from those numbers to a separate list, and turn on <strong>Spam</strong> to send calls your carrier identifies as potential spam or fraud to voicemail. On iOS 18 and earlier, turn on <strong>Silence Junk Callers</strong> under <strong>Call Blocking & Identification</strong>; according to Apple this is only available with certain carriers. To see these lists, tap the <strong>Filter</strong> button in the <strong>Recents</strong> tab (the <strong>Calls</strong> tab in Unified view) of the Phone app, then tap <strong>Unknown Callers</strong> or <strong>Spam</strong>.
6. Android: block a single number Open Google's <strong>Phone</strong> app. Tap <strong>More</strong> (three dots) > <strong>Call history</strong> and choose a call from the number you want to block. Tap <strong>Block / report spam</strong> (depending on the app version it may appear as <strong>Block or Report spam</strong>). According to Google, when a blocked number calls you, your phone declines the call automatically.
7. Android: block private and unknown numbers In the Phone app, go to <strong>More > Settings > Blocked numbers</strong> and turn on <strong>Unknown</strong>. Note: according to Google, this only blocks calls from private or unidentified numbers; callers whose number shows but who are not saved in your Contacts can still call you. For them, use the spam filter in the next step or block numbers one by one.
8. Android: filter spam calls In the Phone app, tap <strong>More options > Settings > Caller ID and spam</strong>. <strong>See caller ID & spam</strong> should be on (it is on by default); then turn on <strong>Filter spam calls</strong>. With this on, you do not get missed call or voicemail notifications for spam calls, but filtered calls stay in your call history. According to Google, this feature may require your phone to send information about calls with numbers outside your contact list to Google.
9. Undo a wrong block or a wrong spam label On iPhone with iOS 26, tap <strong>Settings > Privacy & Security > Blocked Contacts > Edit</strong>, tap the delete button next to the contact and then <strong>Unblock</strong>; on earlier versions the same list is under <strong>Settings > (Apps >) Phone > Blocked Contacts</strong>. On Android, in <strong>More > Settings > Blocked numbers</strong>, tap <strong>Clear</strong> next to the number, then <strong>Unblock</strong>. If someone you know was labelled as spam, tap that call in your recent calls and choose <strong>Not spam</strong>.

⚠ This guide is general information. Yudum cannot be held responsible for the outcome of following it; for official procedures always rely on the institution's own statement. Steps and fees change over time.

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