How to Block a Phone Number on iPhone and Android

Getting calls from someone you don't want to hear from? Learn how to block any phone number on iPhone and Android in under a minute.

In this guide (5 steps):

1.Block a number on iPhone (from recent calls)
2.Block a number on iPhone (from a text)
3.Block a number on Android (from recent calls)
4.Block a number on Android (from a text)
5.Silence all unknown callers at once

Block a number on iPhone (from recent calls)

~18s

Open the Phone app and tap "Recents." Find the number you want to block and tap the blue info circle (ⓘ) to the right of it. Scroll to the bottom and tap "Block this Caller." Confirm by tapping "Block Contact." Done — calls from that number go straight to voicemail.

Block a number on iPhone (from a text)

~15s

Open the Messages app and open the conversation with the person you want to block. Tap their name or number at the top of the screen. Tap "Info," then scroll down and tap "Block this Caller." Confirm by tapping "Block Contact."

Block a number on Android (from recent calls)

~24s

Open the Phone app and tap "Recents" or "Call history." Tap the number you want to block. Tap the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top right corner and choose "Block number" or "Block/report spam." Confirm. The process is the same across most Android phones, though menu labels vary slightly.

Quick Tip

Quick Tip: On Samsung Galaxy phones, open the Phone app > Recents, long-press the number, and choose "Block number."

Block a number on Android (from a text)

~15s

Open the Messages app and open the conversation. Tap the three-dot menu (⋮) and choose "Block number" or "Block & report spam." Confirm. Texts from that number will no longer appear in your message list.

Silence all unknown callers at once

~27s

If you're getting many unwanted calls from different numbers: On iPhone, go to Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers and turn it on. Calls from numbers not in your contacts go straight to voicemail. On Android, open the Phone app > Settings (three dots) > Blocked numbers > turn on "Block calls from unidentified callers."

Quick Tip

Quick Tip: The "Silence Unknown Callers" feature is especially useful for seniors who frequently receive scam calls from new numbers. Legitimate callers will leave a voicemail.

You Did It!

You've completed: How to Block a Phone Number on iPhone and Android

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Blocking a phone number is one of the most useful things you can do on a smartphone — and it only takes about 30 seconds once you know where to look. When you block a number, calls from that number go straight to voicemail (they don't ring your phone), text messages are silently filtered, and the blocked caller gets no notification that they've been blocked.

Blocking is useful for stopping unwanted sales calls, silencing an ex, dealing with wrong numbers that keep calling, or shutting down harassment. It doesn't cost anything and it's completely reversible — you can unblock a number anytime in the same settings menu.

This guide covers blocking on both iPhone and Android, plus a bonus tip for silencing calls from all unknown numbers at once.

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