How to stop robocalls on Android

First, which Phone app do you have?

Pixel phones and some other Android phones use Phone by Google. Samsung Galaxy phones use Samsung's own Phone app.

Menus differ by phone, Android version and carrier. If a step doesn't match, look for a similar word in your Phone app's settings.

Phone by Google: turn on spam protection

Google says this is on by default, but it's worth checking.

If you see Filter spam calls, turn it on. Google says filtered calls don't alert you, but they still appear in your call history.

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Tap More (three dots), then Settings.
3. Tap Caller ID and spam.
4. Turn on See caller ID & spam.

Pixel phones: let Call Screen answer

Call Screen answers the call and asks who's calling and why. In the US and a few other countries, Pixel phones can do this automatically. If the call is spam, the phone hangs up. If not, it rings and shows what the caller said.

Google says it runs on the phone itself and saves a transcript of each screened call. Save people as contacts so they skip screening.

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Tap More, then Settings.
3. Tap Spam and Call Screen, or Call Screen.
4. Choose what to screen. On Pixel 7 and newer, you can screen spam, possibly faked numbers and first-time callers.

Samsung Galaxy: block spam and scam calls

Samsung calls this Smart Call. If you choose Only block high-risk scam calls, less serious spam still comes through. Samsung says Smart Call may not be on every carrier or model.

1. Open the Phone app, tap the three dots, then Settings.
2. Tap Caller ID and spam protection and turn it on. Agree to the terms.
3. Turn on Block spam and scam calls.
4. Choose Block all spam and scam calls, or Only block high-risk scam calls.

Block a number, or hidden callers

In Phone by Google, open Call history, tap the call, then tap Block / report spam. Blocked numbers are declined automatically. On Samsung, tap Block/Report number at the bottom of the call screen, during or after the call, then tap Block number.

Google's Phone app can also block calls with no caller ID. Go to Settings, Blocked numbers, and turn on Unknown. Google says numbers not in your contacts still come through.

Blocking helps less with scammers, because the FTC warns that they can fake the number on your caller ID.

When a robocall gets through

Hang up without pressing any buttons. A local number or familiar name doesn't prove a call is real. Report robocalls to the FTC at DoNotCall.gov.

Setting this up on a parent's Android phone

1. Save the people and offices they hear from, like the doctor, the pharmacy and family, as contacts.
2. Turn on caller ID and spam protection in the Phone app's settings.
3. On a Pixel, set up Call Screen, unless their calls will be forwarded to a service like Nexus (see below). On a Galaxy, turn on Block spam and scam calls.
4. Agree on a family code word for any call that asks for money in an emergency.
5. Show them how to hang up without pressing any keys.

For more, see protecting an older parent from scam calls and how the call screening options compare.

How Nexus handles it

Nexus is a paid call screening service that works on Android and iPhone. On Android, you install the Nexus app from the Nexus website, not Google Play. You keep your own number and carrier. Call forwarding sends calls to a separate Nexus number that's included. Google advises not using a Pixel's automatic Call Screen with call forwarding, since screened calls won't be forwarded.

People in your contacts always ring and are never blocked. Numbers on the spam list are refused, and most callers you don't know are asked who they are before your phone rings. The assistant tells callers the call is being screened and may be transcribed, and asks who's calling and why. Anthropic's Claude reads what they say to decide. Real callers are put through or leave a voicemail turned into text you can read. Calls with no caller ID are refused.

A number caught as spam on more than one member's line, plus numbers from public FTC complaints, is blocked for everyone. Only the number is shared, never what was said. The person running the service can't read your voicemail or hear what callers said. More about how it works is on the About page.

Nexus is invite-only. The price is on the wait list page, and you can cancel yourself any time.

Common questions

Sources

• Google: Use caller ID and spam protection
• Google: Block or unblock a phone number
• Google: Screen your calls before you answer them
• Samsung: Block spam calls with Smart Call on your Galaxy phone
• FTC: Robocalls