iPhone Call Spam Screening: How to Block Unwanted Calls

iPhone Call Spam Screening: How to Block Robocalls and Junk Texts

If you're overwhelmed by robocalls and spam texts, you're not alone. According to spam analytics firm YouMail, U.S. consumers received an estimated 54.5 billion robocalls in 2024, or about 165 calls per second. Spam texts are just as bad — RoboKiller reports that Americans got 94 billion spam texts last year, a 12% increase from 2023.

Fortunately, Apple’s iPhone spam screening tools and third-party apps can help you regain control over your phone.

Why Spam Calls and Texts Are Surging

• Scammers are getting smarter. Many spam calls now spoof local area codes or even real business numbers to trick you into answering.

• Text spam is easier and cheaper. A single scammer can send thousands of phishing texts (aka "smishing") in seconds.

• Consumer losses are rising. The FCC reports U.S. consumers lost over $10 billion to phone scams in 2023, with the average loss per incident over $800.

Built-in iPhone Features That Block Spam

1. Silence Unknown Callers

This feature, available in iOS 13 and later, automatically silences numbers not in your contacts. Calls go straight to voicemail, helping you avoid unwanted interruptions.

How to enable:

• Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers > Toggle ON

2. SMS Filtering

In Settings > Messages, toggle Filter Unknown Senders to push texts from unknown numbers into a separate tab — reducing phishing risk.

3. Report Junk

When you receive a suspicious message in iMessage, Apple gives you the option to “Report Junk”. This helps train Apple’s system to detect and block spam more effectively.

Third-Party Call and Text Blocking Apps

iPhones allow third-party apps to block calls and filter messages. These apps maintain live databases of known spam numbers and auto-block suspicious activity.

App	Key Features	Monthly Cost	Spam Text Blocking
Hiya	Real-time caller ID, auto-block fraud	Free / $2.99	✅
Truecaller	Caller ID, community spam reports	Free / $4.99	✅
RoboKiller	AI-powered call screening, answer bots	$4.99	✅
Nomorobo	Spam call blocking for VoIP/landline	Free trial / $1.99	❌

🔒 Fact: RoboKiller claims to block over 1 billion robocalls and spam texts per month across its users.

To enable a call blocking app:

• Download the app from the App Store

• Go to Settings > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification

• Enable the app from the list

Carrier Tools for Extra Protection

Most major carriers offer free and paid call filtering services that work seamlessly with iPhones:

Carrier	Service	Free Version	Premium Features
AT&T	ActiveArmor	✅	Threat level alerts, reverse lookup
T-Mobile	Scam Shield	✅	Number masking, voicemail-to-text
Verizon	Call Filter	✅	Spam lookup, auto-block high risk

These services can label calls as "Scam Likely", block robocalls outright, and send alerts for high-risk numbers.

Spam Text Trends in 2024

• Top spam text types: Delivery scams (e.g., “Your package is held”), bank phishing, fake job offers.

• Peak spam hours: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. local time.

• Most spammed area codes: 213 (Los Angeles), 347 (New York), 305 (Miami)

📊 Stat: According to RoboKiller, the average American received 28 spam texts per month in 2024 — nearly one per day.

How to Reduce Spam Long-Term

• Don’t answer unknown numbers.

• Never click links in suspicious texts.

• Register your number at donotcall.gov

• Use 2FA apps (like Authy) instead of SMS for security.

• Report spam to 7726 (SPAM) — this works for most U.S. carriers.

Final Thoughts

With spam calls and texts on the rise, iPhone users need to take full advantage of Apple’s built-in tools, carrier protection, and advanced third-party apps. Whether you’re silencing unknown numbers or using a robocall-blocking AI assistant, the right setup can make a big difference.

Say goodbye to scam calls — and take back your phone.

Why Does T-Mobile Charge Me $4 a Month to Block Scam Calls?

If you’re a T-Mobile customer scratching your head over a $4 monthly charge just to block scam calls, you're not alone. Scam calls are annoying, intrusive, and increasingly common—and it feels wrong to pay extra just to keep them at bay. So what gives?

Let’s break down what that $4 charge is all about, what you’re actually paying for, and why the government isn’t stepping in to fix this mess.

What Is T-Mobile’s Scam Shield?

Do Wireless Consumer Trust The FCC or FTC?

 

Why Does Gmail Think So Many Emails Are Spam?

 

If Gmail consistently marks legitimate emails as spam, there are a few possible reasons for this behavior. Gmail employs various algorithms and filters to automatically detect and filter out spam emails. However, these filters may occasionally generate false positives, mistakenly categorizing legitimate emails as spam. Here are some factors that can contribute to Gmail's spam detection:

Content Analysis: Gmail's spam filters analyze the content of emails to identify potential spam indicators. This includes looking for specific keywords, phrases, or patterns commonly found in spam messages. If your emails contain certain elements that trigger these filters, they may be marked as spam.

Sender Reputation: Gmail considers the reputation of the sender's email address or domain when determining whether an email is spam or not. If the sender's email address or domain has been associated with spam in the past or has a poor reputation, it can result in legitimate emails being flagged as spam.

User Feedback: Gmail takes user feedback into account when assessing email deliverability. If a significant number of users mark emails from a particular sender as spam or move them to the spam folder, Gmail's filters may learn to categorize similar emails as spam.

Authentication and Encryption: Emails that lack proper authentication, such as SPF (Sender Policy Framework) or DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), may be more likely to be treated as spam. Similarly, emails that are not encrypted using TLS (Transport Layer Security) may receive higher scrutiny from spam filters.

If you find that Gmail consistently marks legitimate emails as spam, here are a few steps you can take:

Check the Spam Folder: Make sure to regularly review your Gmail spam folder and mark legitimate emails as "Not Spam." This helps Gmail learn that those emails are not unwanted.

Whitelist Senders: Add the email addresses or domains of legitimate senders to your Gmail Contacts or create filters to ensure their emails are not marked as spam.

Request Whitelisting: If you are a sender and notice that your emails are consistently marked as spam by Gmail, you can ask your recipients to add your email address to their contacts or whitelist your domain to improve email deliverability.

Review Email Content: Avoid using language, formatting, or content that resembles typical spam messages. Ensure that your emails are well-written, relevant, and personalized to reduce the chances of them being marked as spam.

Remember that Gmail's spam filters continually learn and adapt based on user feedback and new spam patterns. By actively managing your inbox, providing feedback, and following best practices, you can help improve Gmail's accuracy in distinguishing between spam and legitimate emails.what these companies are doing today is based on the influence of money and not the public good. 

Does the FCC regulate or do anything about SPAM phone calls?  Not really we get tons of spam phone calls daily.   There are ways to prevent spam phone calls but do they even work?  Are spam phone calls driving you insane? 

If you are small and are trying to send emails to people you don't know you are screwed and your email is likely to go into a spam folder.  Don't waste your time! 

Does T-Mobile's Scam Shield Spam Blocker Work & Why Not Free?

There's a new weapon in the ongoing war against annoying robocalls and text spams.  WHY ISN'T THIS APP FREE?

In the ongoing war against annoying robocalls and text spams, T-Mobile has just created a new weapon. The company unveiled Scam Shield, a free service for all T-Mobile customers (including Sprint) that’s designed to prevent unwanted texts and calls from reaching your phone.

The idea is pretty simple: when you subscribe to Scam Shield, T-Mobile automatically blocks numbers that have been reported as scams. If you receive an unsolicited call from one of these numbers, it will drop off silently without leaving a trace on your phone. If you want to know if this is happening in real time, there's also an app for Android or iOS devices that will show how many texts and calls are being blocked each day.

Why isn't this app provided free?

Spam and robocalls are enabled by the carriers and the FCC and no one seems to care.  If wireless carriers truely cared about preventing you from getting spammed they would provide this free.  However, I think these carriers make too much money enabling companies to spam their customers.

For example, my wife was on Verizon Wireless for many years and recently switched over to T-Mobile.  Now she is innundated with spam calls and texts?  Why?  Does T-Mobile make money off of selling lists of phone numbers to spamming companies?  We might never find out and this maybe why T-Mobile keeps their pricing plans less than AT&T and Verizon. 

What is Scam Shield?

Scam Shield is a free service from T-Mobile that helps protect you from phone scams. It lets you automatically block calls, texts and spam messages from suspected scammers or fraudsters, as well as robocallers and telemarketers. You can also set up call alerts to be notified if a potential scammer is calling your number.

It's easy to set up Scam Shield with the T-Mobile app or by signing in to your account on web browser. The service works with all cell phones, even those not provided by T-Mobile. This makes it an excellent option for people who don't want to switch carriers because they're happy with their current provider but are also looking for extra protection against unwanted callers.

The basics of Scam Shield

Scam Shield is a free app for your T-Mobile phone, available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. If you're an Android, iOS or feature phone user, you can download the app to take advantage of its call and text blocking features. For iPhone users, Scam Shield also works with iMessage.

One of Scam Shield's main features is Scam ID, which comes enabled by default when you download the app. With this feature turned on, you'll see a "Scam Likely" alert pop up when suspicious calls come through on your T-Mobile line. You can then choose to answer and speak with the caller or send them directly to voice mail without lifting a finger (or even looking at your screen). Scammers won't be able to leave prerecorded messages in your voice mail either if they get routed there; instead they'll hear a recording that warns them you may report this number as spam.

Should you get it?

If you're a T-Mobile customer, I recommend that you install the app. You can always turn certain features off if they don't work for your lifestyle and needs.  However, I wouldn't pay a dime for this product. 

As for everyone else? It's complicated. If you're on AT&T or Verizon, you may have a similar feature built into your network and/or phone, but it won't be as powerful as Scam Shield. For example, my friend Kevin has an AT&T Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G phone with the AT&T Call Protect app installed. The app doesn't show where calls are coming from (other than the city), and it only labels numbers as scams after they've called him personally (the suspect numbers aren't blocked). With this protection in place, Kevin's still getting plenty of scam calls—but he'll get even more when he installs Scam Shield to compare them side by side. His phone will be ringing off the hook!

Verizon's Call Filter Plus or AT&T's Call Protect Plus which includes Caller ID and spam warnings right on your home screen whether the call comes in via VoIP or landline!

How much does Scam Shield cost and should you pay for it?

Scam Shield is available to all T-Mobile customers at no cost, and MetroPCS customers can also use all of the standard features. However, if you want access to the premium version, you'll need to be a postpaid T-Mobile customer. Postpaid customers are those who pay for their phones and plans at the end of each month instead of paying for them in advance.

The paid version costs $4 per month for your entire account, which gives both you and anyone else on your T-Mobile plan access to all of its features (though only one person can use identity theft protection at a time). It includes Scam ID and Scam Block, along with additional features like identity theft protection and fraud alerts that work even if you're not a T-Mobile customer; identity restoration assistance; dark web monitoring; up to $1 million in insurance covering stolen funds from accounts such as bank or investment accounts; up to $25,000 in coverage for online fraud that happens because someone misused your personal information or hacked into your email account; and credit reports and scores from three credit reporting agencies: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.

What should you know about T-Mobile's Scam Shield?

You can try Scam Shield for free for 30 days. After that, it costs $4 a month.

This is what you should know about T-Mobile's Scam Shield service:

• You can block all spam calls and texts, or just the ones that are likely to be scams.

• You can add phone numbers to a blacklist and won't get any calls from them.

• There's a log of blocked calls and texts so you can see which ones were filtered out.

Can't you block spam calls yourself?

It's true that you can block spam calls yourself. The problem is, blocking each number individually takes a lot of time and effort. If you miss one, or if the scammer spoofs another number, you're back in the same boat.

One solution is to use an app. There are free ones like Hiya and Truecaller, but there are also paid options like RoboKiller ($3/month) and Nomorobo ($1.99/month). These apps work with your carrier to automatically identify suspected spam calls before they reach your phone; you can then set up automatic blocking at a system-wide level if you'd like. It's a hassle to set up and run these apps in addition to your regular phone experience, but they do provide some comfort in knowing that your phone has been protected from spammers without any active participation on your part (beyond the initial setup).

If you don't want to deal with blocking numbers individually or downloading an app, Scam Shield is the way to go.

If you're the type of person who hates constantly fiddling with your phone to block unwanted texts and calls, T-Mobile Scam Shield will save you time and frustration. If you have an iPhone, you can use the feature to block spam texts from appearing in your messaging app. With iPhones running iOS 13 or later, you can download a third-party app that automatically sends spam calls straight to voicemail. That's something that Android users don't get with Google's built-in call screening features.

For those who want more control over their phones, there are cheaper options available. You could just download an app like YouMail Voicemail & Spam Blocker (free; $3 per month for premium version) or Hiya (free), which offer a lot of the same features as T-Mobile's service as well as additional ones, like reverse phone number lookup and ID verification tools. Alternatively, instead of paying for a service to do it for you, you could block numbers on your own manually if they show up frequently enough.

Related Articles:

Americans Are Drowning in Spam & Robocalls & FCC Does Nothing

Americans Are Drowning in Spam & Robocalls & FCC Does Nothing

You're not imagining it: The flood of spam calls, texts, emails and social media posts into your life is getting a lot bigger.

Why it matters: Junk messages aren't just annoying — they also open the door to more fraud, cybercrime and identity theft than ever before.

Driving the news: The average American received roughly 42 spam texts just in the month of March, according to new data from RoboKiller, an app that blocks spam calls and texts.

• Spammers like using text messages because of their high open rates — and are now even mimicking targets' own phone numbers to get them to click malicious links, the New York Times reported.

What they're saying: "Just like with robocalls, it's extremely easy to deploy [spam texts] in enormous volume and hide your identity," Will Maxson, assistant director of the FTC's division of marketing practices, told Axios.

• "There's a large number of actors all over the world trying to squeeze spam into the network from almost an infinite number of entry points all the time."

It's not just texts. Every form of spam is on the rise.

• There were more spam calls last month than in any of the previous six months, per YouMail's Robocall Index.
• Spam emails rose by 30% from 2020 to 2021, according to a January report from the Washington Post.
• There was an unprecedented increase in social media scams last year, according to data from the Federal Trade Commission. Many scams were related to bogus cryptocurrency investments.

Between the lines: Experts attribute the sharp increase in spam to the pandemic. People's increased reliance on digital communications turned them into ready targets.

• The Federal Communications Commission saw a nearly 146% increase in the number of complaints about unwanted text messages in 2020.

And it's working: Americans reported losing $131 million to fraud schemes initiated by text in 2021, a jump over 50% from the year before, according to data from the FTC.

Our thought bubble: Email spam has been around forever, but email providers have largely filtered it out for us. Cell providers, though, are still behind.

What's next: The FCC tried to reduce robocalls in part by working with cell phone carriers to implement call authentication requirements. But now the agency is playing catch-up on policing spam texts.

• FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced a proposal in October to craft rules that would require wireless providers to block illegal text messaging, but her plan has not yet been voted on by the agency.

Yes, but: As regulators and service providers try to crack down, spammers keep getting more creative. Their latest tactic is mass FaceTime calls, often at late hours of the night.

Related Article:

Does T-Mobile's Scam Shield Spam Blocker Work & Why Not Free?

FCC Finally Cracking Down On “Spoofing Phone Calls"

The FCC reports that more than $3 billion a year could be saved by cracking down on robocalls, adding that fraudulent robocalls have cost Americans about $10 billion annually.  

"American consumers are sick and tired of unwanted robocalls, this consumer among them. Caller ID authentication will be a significant step toward ending the scourge of spoofed robocalls. It's time for carriers to implement robust caller ID authentication." – FCC Chairman Ajit Pai

The FCC ordered telephone companies earlier this year to introduce new technologies for caller ID authentication by June 2021. The FCC is now clarifying, stating that carriers should not charge surprise fees for caller ID features to customers. 

Modern technology, known as STIR / SHAKEN, enables phone companies to check that caller ID information actually matches the phone number of the caller. The principle is to curtail the use of "spoofing," where phone calls are concealed and made to appear like a credible or trustworthy source is coming from.

In order to be able to incorporate the STIR / SHAKEN technology, the FCC needs phone companies to update their networks if necessary. At the June 2021 deadline, the FCC will include some "tiny extensions" for small businesses that are unable to upgrade on time. 

STIR / SHAKEN 's widespread introduction would decrease the efficacy of illegal spoofing, make it easier for law enforcement to detect bad actors, and help telephone companies recognize and even block calls with illegal spoofed caller ID information until their customers enter those calls. Most importantly, when they answer the telephone, it will give consumers more peace of mind, ”FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement.

What Does STIR/SHAKEN Mean?

STIR/SHAKEN is a framework of interconnected standards. STIR/SHAKEN are acronyms for the Secure Telephone Identity Revisited (STIR) and Signature-based Handling of Asserted Information Using Tokens (SHAKEN) standards. This means that calls traveling through interconnected phone networks would have their caller ID "signed" as legitimate by originating carriers and validated by other carriers before reaching consumers. STIR/SHAKEN digitally validates the handoff of phone calls passing through the complex web of networks, allowing the phone company of the consumer to receive the call to verify that a call is in fact from the number displayed on Caller ID.

How to prevent spam phone calls on iPhone?

Read more articles related to Spoofing. 

Read more about FCC call spoofing.

How to Prevent Spam Phone Calls

Turn on Do Not Disturb

Turn on "Do Not Disturb" and then "Allow Call From" everyone, favorites on no one.  Hopefully, this will prevent unwanted phone calls.  Hope this helps.

We tried blocking calls for a while but this didn't seem to help.  

Are Spam Phone Calls Driving You Insane?

Scam Likely Phone Calls

Have you noticed a significant increase in "Scam Likely" phone calls in the last year?  What is causing this to happen?  Is there anyway to stop it?  I have tried blocking phone numbers but apparently these companies keep getting new phone numbers. 

I think we are getting to the point where fines and regulations need to crack down on these companies.  They are a menace to society and waste valuable time and energy for people.

As a result of these phone calls I don't answer the phone anymore unless I recognize the number in my contacts.  This is unfortunate because I actually might be missing phone calls that I would have wanted to take.

Can't the carrier prevent spam calls similar to how email companies prevent spam? 

Someone in congress or Trump needs to fix this business disgrace!! 

10 Reasons Why Text Messaging is a Scam

Have you ever sent a text to someone and its not received or delayed by a few hours?  Do you wonder why text messaging is so expensive when email is free?  Its one of the biggest scams in US history and the FTC and FCC can do nothing about it because there are very few alternatives.  

At current data plan rates mobile phone consumers are paying $1,300 per megabyte for this service.  Consumers are paying $5-$20 per month or hundreds of dollars per year in some cases with lots of overage charges.  We estimate that consumers are paying Verizon & AT&T $10 billion each per year for text messaging services.  AT&T and Verizon each generate $100+ billion per year and revenue and text messaging is a big chunk of it.   The money goes right to the bottom line and is sent directly to AT&T and Verizon shareholders as dividends.   Text messaging is the most profitable line of business for carriers with nearly 99% margins it seems.  

Carriers can charge you upwards of $20 for 1,500 text messages or even $5 for 200 messages.  Not only is this a ripoff but you get charged .35 to .50 cents per message that you go over your plan without any carryover.  Do you ever wonder why email is free and text messaging is not?  Free text messaging is a growing trend and will likely get even bigger as the carrier giants AT&T and Verizon continue to ripoff their customers. However, there are solutions out there to the problem including Google Voice free text message.  Free text mess

1) Delayed text messages without explanation
2) No confirmation if message was received
3) No confirmation if text message was read
4) No receipts or guarantee of delivery
5)  $5 - $20 for 200 to 2000 messages
6)  You are paying $1,300 per megabyte for text that is easy to move through the network
7)  No ways to prevent spam from reaching you
8) Spam still costs YOU money against your plan

9)  .25 cents to .50 cents for going over your text messaging plan

10)  No carryover for text messages not used