Whether you’re using an iPhone or an Android phone, it can be difficult to avoid spam calls. That’s why it’s important to know how to turn off spam risk on your phone.
One way to do this is by turning on the “Silence Unknown Callers” feature on your iPhone. It will send all unknown calls straight to voicemail and will also appear on your phone’s call history.
1. Turn on Silence Unknown Callers
Whether you’re receiving calls from scammers, telemarketers, or just a random number that doesn’t belong to anyone you know, spam callers are a real nuisance. The good news is, there are a few features on your iphone that can help combat these annoying calls.
First, you can turn on the Silence Unknown Callers feature to automatically silence incoming calls from people who don’t have a contact in your phone book. It will do this by pushing all unknown calls straight to voicemail and displaying them in your recent calls list.
However, it doesn’t work on phone numbers that have been previously saved in your contacts or have been shared via text message and email. You can also turn on the Silence Junk Callers setting in Settings to mute calls that are identified by your carrier as spam or fraud.
This is a more universal solution than Silence Unknown Callers, but it does rely on carrier support and may not be suitable for everyone. For some users, though, it could be a great way to get rid of spam and telemarketing calls without the hassle.
The best way to turn on this is to go to Settings and tap Phone. Then scroll down and tap the Call Blocking & Identification section.
Toggle the Silence Unknown Callers toggle switch to ON (green). This will automatically silence all incoming calls from unknown numbers, sending them directly to voicemail and displaying them in your ‘Recents’ tab in the phone app.
2. Turn on Verified Calls
Spam calls can be very annoying, not only for people who are being called, but also for phone networks. Spam callers don’t pay for the number of calls they place, which can eat up a lot of a carrier’s resources and irritate customers.
In order to combat this problem, some carriers have started letting their customers know when they’re getting suspicious calls from a particular number. These calls are often labeled as “Spam Risk” or “Telemarketer.”
Verified calls rely on a new technology that’s been adopted by many mobile carriers across the United States. It uses the FCC’s STIR (Secure Telephony Identity Revisited) and SHAKEN (Secure Handling of Asserted information using toKENs) protocols, which allow a network to verify the caller’s origin.
To use this system, the caller must provide their phone number, which is verified through a verification chain that involves other telecommunications firms. This process can be frustrating for customers who aren’t aware of their numbers being used to snare them, but it’s a good step toward protecting against scam and fraud calls.
However, the system isn’t perfect and some spoofed calls may still go through. This is because a spoofed call might match the area code and prefix of your phone number.
Google is testing a similar service that lets businesses list a reason for calling, which will then be displayed on your Phone app screen. To enable this feature, all you need to do is open the Phone app and click on the Verified Calls option from within the Settings section.
3. Turn on Caller ID & Spam
If you get a lot of unwanted calls on your iPhone, you can try turning off spam risk to prevent these callers from calling you. However, this feature requires you to rely on your carrier for support and may not be the best option for all iPhone users.
Spam calls are often generated by telemarketers, fake charities and people posing as bank representatives. They could even come from unknown numbers that don’t have a caller ID.
These calls usually come in the form of a recorded voice that pitches you to buy a product or a charity, or ask for personal information. Whether they’re legitimate or not, they’re often extremely annoying and frustrating.
To block a spam call on your iPhone, open Settings and scroll down to Phone. You’ll see a toggle that reads Silence Unknown Callers, slide it to the right to enable the feature.
Once you’ve done this, your iPhone will automatically send any incoming calls from numbers that aren’t in your contacts list straight to voicemail, silencing the notification. They will also appear on your call history, though.
4. Turn on Call Blocking & Identification
The latest iOS 13 update adds a new feature that helps iPhone users block spam calls. It’s called Silence Unknown Callers, and it uses Siri intelligence to identify unknown phone numbers and block them from calling you.
To use it, open up Settings and then tap on Phone. You’ll see a new toggle next to “Silence Unknown Callers” that lets you turn it on.
Apple’s new feature can be particularly useful for people who get a lot of spam calls from specific numbers. This feature can block all of the spam numbers from ringing your phone, and it also allows you to flag suspicious calls.
If you’re not comfortable using Apple’s new feature, there are several other ways to prevent spam calls on your iPhone. One option is to use a third-party call blocking app.
Another option is to put your phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry. This can help keep you from getting unwanted calls, but it’s not foolproof.
Many major cell phone carriers have anti-call spoofing programs that can automatically block spam callers. This is a good option for paid customers, but it’s not available to pay-as-you-go users.
You can also opt to manually block the numbers that you receive from unknown callers. This can be a hassle, and it may not work for all people.
5. Turn on Call Forwarding
Many iPhone users don’t realize that their phones have a simple, yet effective way of diverting incoming calls to another number. It’s called call forwarding and can be enabled by most carriers.
It’s a handy tool to have, as it can help prevent you from missing important calls and telemarketers. It works by rerouting all your calls to the number you specify, whether it’s a different phone or even a landline.
Once you turn on call forwarding, it will automatically redirect all incoming calls to the number you’ve specified. The process can take a few minutes, but it’s a great way to keep from missing important calls and spammers.
To activate call forwarding, simply open the Phone app and tap the keypad icon at the bottom of the screen. Then, type *72 followed by the phone number you want to forward calls to.
This is the easiest method to use, but it isn’t a foolproof one. It’s important to be sure that you are in range of the cell signal when you set up call forwarding, or it won’t work.