How to Stop Spam Calls and Robocalls on Android and iPhone

85.88% of the world’s population owns a smartphone – from performing basic mathematical functions to setting morning alarms on pocket-sized computers, phones are essential. However, who imagined getting their routines disrupted with robocalls? While the thought of how to stop spam calls and robocalls floods your search engine searches, we’ve got your back!

Spam and robocalls unceasingly interfere with our lives, test our patience, and even ruin important occasions. Has this already got you thinking of how to prevent unwanted calls and robocalls?

This article is not another how-to on preventing spam calls but a brief overview and a step-by-step guide to permanently block all spam calls on Android and iOS devices.

Too Much on Your Plate? Here Are the Key Takeaways

• Robocalls and spam disrupt daily routines.
• In 2022, 50.3 billion U.S. robocalls occurred.
• Various spam call types lead to financial losses.
• Robocalls are illegal without consent, and you can avoid them by blocking spam calls and robocalls.
• Steps to stop spam calls on Android and iPhone.
• Top 3 apps for blocking spam calls and robocalls: RoboKiller, YouMail, and Truecaller.
• Use iProVPN to avoid contact information leaking online and mitigate the risk of spam calls, robocalls, and identity theft.

What We Will Be Covering

• What Are Robocalls and Spam Calls?
• What Are Different Types of Spam Calls or Robocalls
• Are Robocalls Illegal?
• How to Stop Robocalls and Spam Calls?
• The Top 3 Apps to Stop Spam Calls and Robocalls

What Are Robocalls and Spam Calls?

In 2022 alone, a staggering 50.3 billion robocalls inundated U.S. consumers. These robocalls, often stemming from the term “robotic call,” are phone calls initiated by computerized autodialers. Once answered, these autodialers either play a prerecorded message or connect to a human operator.

Some robocalls go a step further, utilizing personalized audio messages to create the illusion of a genuine conversation, even addressing recipients by name. While undoubtedly bothersome, these spam calls transcend mere annoyance, posing significant inconveniences and, in some instances, a genuine security risk.

What Are Different Types of Spam Calls or Robocalls

The average loss from scam phone calls was $567.41 in 2021, a significant rise from the average loss of $182 in the previous year. These staggeringly high stats derive from multiple types of spam calls. A few of these are:

1. Spoofing Calls

Spoofing calls, frequently used to coerce recipients into answering, entail the misleading alteration of caller I.D. information. This makes it seem like the call is coming from a reliable source.

2. Loan Scams

Loan scams present fictitious loan prospects that demand upfront payments or personal information. This later leaves victims with losses in money but no loan.

3. Customer Care Scams

These scams trick people into disclosing private information or making illegal payments by pretending to be customer care employees.

4. IRS Scams

IRS scams use the threat of facing legal repercussions to demand urgent cash or personal information while posing as tax officials.

5. Travel Scams

Travel scams lure victims in with alluring offers or getaways. This is only to trick them by providing inferior or nonexistent travel arrangements.

6. Charity Scams

False charity calls take advantage of kindness by requesting donations for fictitious or nonexistent causes and stealing money from legitimate charities.

Are Robocalls Illegal?

Robocalls, or automated sales calls, are illegal unless a business has your express written agreement to contact you in this way. The business cannot make using robocalls a requirement for their product or service to obtain your consent.

Instead, it must be open and honest about its intention to do so. You still have the option to withdraw your consent after giving it.

Robocalls made with the intent to deceive or commit fraud are prohibited anywhere. The U.S. passed the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act (TRACED) in January 2020, giving the Federal Trade Commission new power to thwart robocalls.

By potentially boosting the maximum fee for each fraudulent call from $1,500 to $10,000, this law significantly boosts the penalties for robocall scams.

How to Stop Robocalls and Spam Calls?

Most receive spam calls on their smartphones, both – Android and iPhone. Here are methods to permanently block all spam calls on iPhone and Android:

How to Stop Spam Calls on Android

Blocking a Specific Number

• Open the “Phone” app on your Android device.
• Navigate to the “Recent Calls” or “Call History” section.
• Locate the number you want to block from your call history.
• Tap on the specific number to select it.
• Look for the option “Block” and “Report as Spam.”
• Tap on the “Block” or “Report as Spam” option.
• Confirm your request to block the number.

Blocking All Unknown Callers

• Open the “Phone” app on your Android device.
• Access the “Settings” menu within the Phone app.
• Look for the option related to “Blocking Numbers” or “Call Blocking.”
• Activate the feature for blocking all unknown callers.
• You can also manually add specific phone numbers for blocking spam calls and robocalls.

How to Stop Spam Calls on iPhone

Blocking a Specific Number

• Open the “Phone” app on your iPhone.
• Navigate to the “Recents” tab to view your call history.
• Find the number you want to block and tap the Info (i) icon.
• Scroll down and choose “Block this Caller.”
• Confirm by tapping “Block Contact.”

Blocking Spam Calls on iPhone 13 or Higher

• Open the “Settings” app on your iPhone.
• Scroll down and select “Phone.”
• Look for the “Silence Unknown Callers” option and turn on the switch.

The Top 3 Apps to Stop Spam Calls and Robocalls

Here are the top 3 apps to permanently block all spam calls:

1. RoboKiller
2. YouMail
3. Trucaller

1. RoboKiller

In addition to blocking spam calls, RoboKiller also plays prerecorded nonsense to annoy and waste spammers’ time. It includes a database of well-known spammers and lets you add specific numbers to the list of numbers to permanently block all spam calls.

Pricing

Lite: $3.99 per month or $29.99 annually.

Standard: $4.99 per month or $39.99 annually.

Premium: $5.99 per month or $49.99 annually after a one-week free trial

Features

• Unknown callers are identified using caller I.D.
• SMS screening cleans inbox.
• Call blocking stops bothersome spam and scam calls.

2. YouMail

YouMail distinguishes out as a cutting-edge robocall filter with various customizable options. It efficiently distinguishes between robocalls and human calls using sophisticated audio fingerprinting. It makes blocking spam calls and robocalls only a five-finger exercise.

Additionally, it employs this capability automatically for missed calls and enables easy identification of unknown callers through reverse searching. You can set up a secondary number for call forwarding or voicemail.

Pricing

• Plus: $5.99 per month.
• Solo: $10.99 per month.
• Growth: $24.99 per month.
• Small business: $44.99 per month.

Features

• Options for advanced robocall blocking and setting.
• Identifying a caller via reverse phone lookups.
• A virtual receptionist for effective handling of company calls.

3. Trucaller

Truecaller aims to permanently block all spam calls. The program separates incoming calls to assess their validity, especially those from unknown numbers. Calls from known spammers and numbers you actively add to a blacklist can be automatically blocked.

Pricing

• Premium edition: Ad-free and additional features.
• Price: $1.99 per month or $17.99 per year.
• Advanced options come at an extra cost.

Features

• Spam calls, and Truecaller effectively filter messages.
• Identifies incoming calls, even those from shady numbers.
• The premium version includes improved security features and eliminates advertisements while blocking spam calls and robocalls.

Wrapping Up

Businesses lose roughly $70 billion annually as a result of spam. Delving into the concept of it – spam can be in the form of calls, messages, emails, etc. And, it’s best to use an app or take precautions by blocking spam calls and robocalls through a VPN.

We recommend using iProVPN for complete online anonymity to prevent receiving spam calls. Never leave space for cyber breaches and get your contact information leaked by connecting to the VPN’s high-speed servers.