How to Stop Spam Calls on iPhone and Android for Good

That expression. You know it. You've made it. The call you didn't ask for, from the number you don't recognize, saying something just urgent enough to make your heart rate tick up. We're going to make sure that stops.

My phone rang last Tuesday at 9:15 in the morning.

Unknown number. Toronto area code. I picked up and heard that unmistakable half-second pause before a recorded voice launched into something about my vehicle warranty expiring.

Are you kidding me?

If you're nodding right now, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Spam calls have become one of the most relentless daily annoyances in modern life. And if you're in the 55-and-over crowd, which, let's be honest, is the demographic these scammers specifically target, you're probably getting more of them than most.

The good news? Your phone already has the tools to deal with this. Built in. Free. Waiting for you to turn them on.

Let's go through them.

The iPhone Options - Three Levels, Pick What Fits You

Apple has been quietly building better and better spam call tools into iOS over the last few years. Most people have no idea they exist. Here's what's available and what each one actually does.

Option 1 - Silence Unknown Callers

The most powerful setting. Also the most dramatic.

Go to: Settings → Apps → Phone → Silence Unknown Callers → Turn On

When this is on, any number not saved in your contacts goes directly to voicemail. Your phone doesn't even ring. You see a missed call notification and can check voicemail at your convenience.

Spam callers, gone. Completely silent.

Now. Here's the honest part nobody tells you.

This setting doesn't know the difference between a scammer and your doctor's office calling from a number you don't have saved. Or the pharmacy. Or your dentist's receptionist calling from a different line. Or the government department returning a call.

Before you turn this on, spend ten minutes going through your contacts and making sure all the important numbers in your life are saved. Doctor's office, pharmacy, bank, family members, close friends. Anyone whose call you actually want to receive.

Once your contacts are solid, this setting is genuinely excellent. But don't skip that step.

Option 2 - Ask Reason for Calling (Screen Unknown Callers)

The smarter, softer option.

Go to: Settings → Apps → Phone → Screen Unknown Callers → Turn On

This one is clever. When an unknown number calls you, your iPhone answers it automatically and asks the caller to state their name and reason for calling. You see a live transcript on your screen while this is happening.

If it's a real person with a real reason, your phone rings and you can pick up.

If it's a robocall or a scammer, they hang up the moment they're asked to identify themselves. Because they never do.

I was talking to a woman in our community recently, Margaret, 72, lives alone in Nova Scotia, and has been getting four or five spam calls a day for months. She turned this feature on two weeks ago.

"They just stop," she told me. "As soon as it asks them to speak, there's nothing. They hang up."

That's exactly how it works. Robocalls are automated. They're not programmed to have a conversation. Ask them a question and they disappear.

This is the option I recommend for most people, because it keeps the door open for legitimate unknown callers while eliminating the automated garbage.

Option 3 - Carrier Spam Filtering

The background layer you should always have on.

Go to: Settings → Apps → Phone → Call Filtering

This connects your phone to your carrier's spam database; Rogers, Bell, Telus, in Canada, or whichever carrier you're on, and automatically silences or labels numbers that have been reported as spam or fraud.

You'll see calls labelled "Spam Risk" or "Fraud Risk" rather than an unknown number, and your phone may silence them automatically depending on your settings.

This one runs quietly in the background. Turn it on and forget about it. It costs nothing and catches a lot.

For Android Users - You're Not Left Out

If you're on Android, Google has built similar protection directly into the Phone app. Here's how to get there.

Turn on Spam Protection:

Open your Phone app → tap the three dots (top right) → Settings → Caller ID & Spam → turn on Filter spam calls

This uses Google's database of reported spam numbers to screen your calls automatically. Numbers flagged as spam will be labelled, and calls Google is confident are spam may be silenced entirely.

Manually block a number:

If a specific number keeps calling you, open your Recent Calls, tap the number, and select Block / Report Spam. Takes ten seconds. That number will never reach you again.

Samsung phones have a slightly different path: Phone app → Settings → Block Numbers → Block Calls From Unregistered Numbers, but the principle is the same.

The Part That Really Matters

Here's what I want you to understand about all of this.

The people making these calls are not making mistakes. They are not confused about who they're calling. They are deliberately targeting adults who they believe are more likely to answer, more likely to be home, and more likely to be caught off guard.

That makes this a safety issue, not just an annoyance issue.

Every spam call you don't answer is one less opportunity for something worse to happen; a moment of confusion, a high-pressure script, a request for personal information from someone pretending to be your bank or the CRA.

These three settings are not just conveniences. They're a layer of protection.

And you deserve to have them on.

A Quick Reference - Which Setting to Use

Setting	Best For	Trade-Off
Silence Unknown Callers	Anyone who wants complete silence from unknown numbers	Doctors, pharmacies also go to voicemail if not saved
Screen Unknown Callers	Anyone who wants to filter but stay reachable	Requires a few seconds of screening per unknown call
Carrier Spam Filter	Everyone - turn this on regardless	None - always worth having on in background
Android Spam Protection	All Android users	Dependent on Google's database, not 100%

➡️ Already getting suspicious calls? [Read: CRA and IRS Phone Scams Are Targeting Seniors Right Now] - know what to listen for.

➡️ Want to know what to do if you've already engaged with a scammer? [Read: How to Report a Scam in Canada - The Complete Guide].

➡️ Want to lock down your whole phone, not just calls? [Read: Best Smartphone Settings for Older Adults - iPhone and Android].

➡️ Ready to build your full digital safety foundation? [Access our free course at tech4grownups.com, built for adults 55 and over, completely free].

How bad has it gotten for you? Are you getting one or two spam calls a week, or is it five a day like some of the people I talk to? And if you've already tried any of these settings — did they help? Drop it in the comments. If you've found something else that works, I genuinely want to know, because your experience is exactly what helps everyone else in this community.