Skip to content
How-to

How to Block Spam Numbers on iPhone and Android in the UK

Daniel Hughes 2 min read

If you’ve found this article, you’ve probably had one too many cold-calls today. Here’s the no-fluff version of how to stop them, by phone and by handset.

On iPhone

Block a single number after a call. Open the Phone app, tap Recents, tap the small (i) next to the number, scroll down and choose Block this Caller. The number is added to your block list immediately.

Silence all unknown callers. This is the more aggressive option: it sends every caller who isn’t in your contacts straight to voicemail.

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Scroll down to Apps (or Phone on older iOS).
  3. Open Phone.
  4. Toggle on Silence Unknown Callers.

The downside: legitimate calls from numbers you don’t know (the dentist, a courier driver) will also be silenced. iOS will still flash the call in your recents, so you can return any that mattered.

On Android

The steps vary slightly across manufacturers (Pixel, Samsung, OnePlus, etc.) but the pattern is consistent.

Block a single number. Open the Phone app, find the call in your call history, long-press the entry, then tap Block / report spam.

Filter spam automatically. On Pixel and most Samsung devices:

  1. Open the Phone app.
  2. Tap the three-dot menu and choose Settings.
  3. Tap Caller ID & spam.
  4. Enable both See caller and spam ID and Filter spam calls.

This uses Google’s spam database to send suspected spam directly to voicemail without your phone ringing. It’s quite aggressive — review your missed calls every few days.

For UK landlines

Landline blocking depends on your provider. Most of the big providers now ship handsets with built-in nuisance-call screening:

  • BT Call Protect — free for all BT broadband customers. Sign up at bt.com/callprotect. Blocks calls flagged by BT and can also block all international and withheld calls.
  • TalkTalk CallSafe — free for TalkTalk customers. Calls from numbers you don’t know are intercepted and the caller is asked to announce themselves.
  • Sky Talk Shield — same idea as CallSafe, free for Sky Talk customers.

If you use a standalone phone (TrueCall and similar) you have device-side blocking too. Add nuisance numbers to the device block list as they come in.

Register with the Telephone Preference Service

The TPS is a free, legally-binding “do not call” register for UK numbers. UK companies must not make unsolicited marketing calls to TPS-registered numbers. It does not block scam calls, since scammers don’t follow the rules, but it dramatically reduces legitimate marketing volume.

Register at tpsonline.org.uk — it’s free and takes 28 days to take effect.

Forward scam texts to 7726

When you receive a scam text — fake delivery, fake bank, fake HMRC — long-press the message and forward it to 7726 (the letters “SPAM” on a keypad). It’s a free shortcode operated jointly by UK mobile networks and the National Cyber Security Centre. They use the reports to take down phishing sites and identify scam campaigns.

Add the number to GhostCallers

Last, but not least — please add the calling number to GhostCallers, even if you’ve just blocked it. A two-sentence report is enough. You aren’t doing it for yourself: you’re warning the next person who searches that same number tomorrow.