The short answer
Blocking is the right tool for one person or one business you never want to hear from. It does little against spam, which arrives from a new number almost every time. The last section covers what works for that.
How to block a number on iPhone
On iOS 26:
- Open the Phone app.
- Find the call under Calls (or Recents, if your Phone app uses the Classic view).
- Tap the number. In the Classic view, tap the info button next to it.
- Scroll down and tap Block Caller.
For someone saved in your contacts, open their contact card and tap Block Contact. To block a number that hasn’t called you yet, save it as a contact first, then block the contact.
A block on iPhone covers Phone, Messages and FaceTime, and the person is not told. For blocking spam rather than a person, see how to stop spam calls on iPhone.
How to block a number on Android
Android phones come with one of two Phone apps. Samsung Galaxy phones use Samsung’s own; Pixels and many other phones use Phone by Google. If your Phone app’s settings show Block numbers, it is Samsung’s.
Phone by Google (Pixel and many others)
- Open the Phone app and tap More, then Call history.
- Tap a call from the number you want to block.
- Tap Block / report spam.
Samsung Galaxy
- Open the Phone app and tap the Recents tab.
- Tap the number, then tap the menu below it.
- Tap Block.
To block a number that hasn’t called yet, open the Phone app, tap More options (three dots), then Settings, Block numbers, type the number and tap the plus sign.
The spam settings for both apps are in how to block spam calls on Android.
How to block calls on a landline
Most home phone services have codes you dial on the phone itself. Where your phone company offers them:
| Feature | Code | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Call Block | *60 on, *80 off | Blocks the numbers you add to a short list. On many lines, #01# adds the last caller. |
| Anonymous Call Rejection | *77 on, *87 off | Turns away callers who hide their number. |
The Call Block list is short, often 10 or 12 numbers, and not every phone company offers it; some charge for it. If the codes do nothing, call your phone company and ask what your line includes. A cordless phone or a box with call blocking built in can hold a longer list, and some ask unknown callers to identify themselves first. More on home phones in scam calls on a landline.
Blocking a number through your phone company
Your phone company can block a number before it reaches your phone at all, which also covers a phone that is switched off or lost. The FCC suggests asking your phone company what blocking it offers.
- Verizon: in My Verizon, under Account, My plan, Blocks, Block calls & messages blocks up to 5 numbers per line for free, for up to 90 days at a time. The account owner or manager sets it up. Verizon Family blocks up to 20 numbers for good.
- Other carriers: check your carrier’s app or call customer service. The free spam tools (T-Mobile Scam Shield, AT&T ActiveArmor, Verizon Call Filter) are covered in how to stop spam calls.
How to block unknown callers
“Unknown” means two different things on a phone: a caller who hid their number, or any number that is not in your contacts. The settings differ in which one they block.
| Phone | Setting | What it stops |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone | Settings, Apps, Phone, Screen Unknown Callers | Silence sends every number not in your contacts to voicemail. Ask Reason for Calling has the iPhone ask them who they are first. |
| Phone by Google | Settings, Blocked numbers, Unknown | Only private and unidentified numbers. Numbers not in your contacts still ring. |
| Samsung Galaxy | Settings, Block numbers, Block calls from unknown numbers | Numbers not in your contacts or identified by Smart Call. |
| Landline | *77 | Callers who hide their number. |
The stricter settings also stop the pharmacy, a new doctor’s office and the delivery driver. Save the numbers you expect before you turn them on. On an iPhone, how to stop unknown calls covers Silence and screening in detail. Hidden numbers have their own guide: No Caller ID calls.
How to unblock a number
- iPhone: open Settings, tap Privacy & Security, then Blocked Contacts. Tap Edit, tap the delete button next to the number, then Unblock.
- Phone by Google: tap More, Settings, Blocked numbers, then Clear next to the number and Unblock.
- Samsung Galaxy: Phone app, More options, Settings, Block numbers, then tap the red minus next to the number.
- Landline:
*80turns Call Block off. Removing a single number works differently from one phone company to the next, so check its instructions.
Calls the number made while it was blocked don’t come back. On Android they don’t show in your call history at all.
Does blocking stop texts and voicemail?
| Calls | Texts | Voicemail | |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone | Blocked | Not delivered (FaceTime too) | Can still leave one; no notification |
| Phone by Google | Declined automatically | Blocked | Not with visual voicemail on |
| Samsung Galaxy | Blocked | Blocked | Ask your carrier to block it |
A block on your phone stops calls reaching you. It doesn’t stop the person from calling, and you can still call or text them yourself. If someone is threatening or harassing you, keep a record of the calls and messages and report them to your phone company and the police rather than only blocking them.
When blocking isn't enough
Blocking matches one exact number. Robocallers and scam call centers dial from thousands of numbers and fake the caller ID, often with a local-looking number, so a block list grows forever and the next call still gets through. For those calls:
- Turn on your carrier’s free blocking: T-Mobile Scam Block, AT&T ActiveArmor or Verizon Call Filter.
- Turn on your phone’s spam filter and decide how strict to be with unknown callers (above).
- Report the calls, so the lists get better. How to stop spam calls covers where.
A different approach is to have unknown calls answered before the phone rings at all. PhoneShield does that: your number forwards to it, known scam numbers are refused, and anyone else is asked who they are and why they are calling. Favorites and contacts ring straight through, so there is no list of numbers to keep blocking. It is $29.99 a month for one line. See how a call is handled.
Questions people ask
How do I block a number on my iPhone?
Open the Phone app, find the call in Calls (or in Recents, in the Classic view), tap the number, scroll down and tap Block Caller. To block someone saved in your contacts, open their contact card and tap Block Contact.
How do I block a number on Android?
In Phone by Google, tap More, then Call history, tap a call from the number, and tap Block / report spam. On a Samsung Galaxy, open the Phone app, tap Recents, tap the number, tap the menu below it and tap Block, or add the number in the Phone app's Settings under Block numbers.
What happens when you block a number?
Calls from that number no longer ring. On an iPhone, its texts and FaceTime calls are not delivered either, and the person gets no notice that you blocked them. On Android, Google says a blocked number can no longer call or text you; the phone declines its calls automatically.
Can a blocked number still leave a voicemail?
On an iPhone, yes: a blocked caller can still leave a voicemail, but you get no notification for it. In Phone by Google with visual voicemail turned on, blocked callers cannot leave voicemails. On a Samsung Galaxy, Samsung says to ask your carrier if you want voicemail from a number blocked too.
How do I block calls from unknown numbers?
On an iPhone, go to Settings, Apps, Phone, Screen Unknown Callers and choose Silence or Ask Reason for Calling. In Phone by Google, the Unknown switch under Blocked numbers stops only private and unidentified numbers. On a Samsung Galaxy, Block calls from unknown numbers under Block numbers stops every number that is not in your contacts or identified by Smart Call.
How do I block a number on a landline?
Many phone companies offer Call Block: dial *60 to turn it on and add numbers, and on many lines #01# adds the last caller. The list is short, often 10 or 12 numbers. Dial *77 to turn away callers who hide their number. A call-blocker phone or box can hold a longer list.
Why do spam calls keep coming after I block the number?
Because the next call comes from a different number. Scam call centers change numbers constantly and fake caller IDs, often with a number that looks local. Blocking works best for one person or business you never want to hear from; for spam, use your carrier's free blocking and your phone's spam filter.