4 Easy Ways to Block Unknown Numbers on Android Phones

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A simple guide to blocking unknown calls on stock Android or Samsung Galaxy

Co-authored by Mitch Harris and Travis Boylls

Last Updated: November 15, 2023 Fact Checked

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Using Stock Android

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Using Samsung Galaxy

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Block Single Numbers (Stock Android)

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Block Single Numbers (Samsung Galaxy)

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Video

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Tips

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Warnings

Are you receiving a lot of calls from numbers you don't recognize? Spam calls can be incredibly frustrating, especially when you are trying to spend time with your family. Luckily, it is easy to block calls from unknown numbers using the Phone app on both stock Android phones and Samsung Galaxy devices. This wikiHow article teaches you how to block calls from unknown callers on your Android smartphone.

Things You Should Know

Open the Phone app and go to ⋮ > Settings > Blocked numbers. Tap the toggle switch next to "Unknown" or "Block calls from unknown numbers."
To block a specific number in the stock Android phone app, tap the number in your recent calls, and then tap "Block/Report Spam."
To block a specific number on Samsung, go to ⋮ > Settings > Blocked calls, enter the number, and then tap "+."

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Block Unknown Numbers on Stock Android

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1
Open the Phone app. It has an icon that resembles a blue Phone receiver.
- If you don't have the Phone by Google app on your smartphone, you can download it for free from the Google Play Store, even on Samsung Galaxy devices.
It's the icon with three dots in the upper-right corner of the Phone app. This displays a drop-down menu.

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It's in the menu that appears when you tap the icon with three dots in the upper-right corner. This opens the Settings menu.
It's in the settings menu. It's next to an icon that resembles a circle with a line through it.
5
Tap the toggle switch
next to "Unknown." When this is enabled, the Phone app will block all calls listed as "Unknown." You will still be able to receive calls from people who are not in your Contacts list.^{[1]
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- If you want to block calls from a specific number you don't recognize, you can block individual numbers using the Phone app, or by contacting your cellular provider.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Block Unknown Numbers on Samsung Galaxy

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You'll find this phone-shaped app icon on the Home Screen, or you can swipe up or down to open the App Drawer and look for it there.^{[2]
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Research source}
It's the icon with three dots in the top-right corner of the screen. Tapping it opens a drop-down menu.
It's at the bottom of the drop-down menu. Doing so opens the Call Settings page.
It's at the top of the Call Settings menu. This displays your blocked number's settings.
5
Tap the toggle switch
next to "Block calls from unknown numbers." When this is enabled, the Phone app will block all calls listed as "Unknown." You will still be able to receive calls from people who are not in your Contacts list.
- If you want to block calls from a specific number you don't recognize, you can block individual numbers using the Phone app, or by contacting your cellular provider.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Block a Single Number on Android

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It has an icon that resembles a blue phone receiver. It can be found on your Home screen or Apps menu.
It's the middle tab at the bottom of the page. This displays all your recent calls.^{[3]
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Research source}
This will display a menu.
This name of the option may vary, but you should see something along the lines of Block here. A confirmation message will appear.
5
Tap Block. It's in the lower-right corner of the confirmation pop-up. This blocks the number from contacting you.
- If you want to report the number as spam, ensure the "Report call as spam" checkbox is checked.
- To unblock a number, tap the icon with three dots in the upper-right corner and tap Settings. Tap Blocked numbers. Tap the "X" icon next to the number you want to unblock.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Block a Single Number on Samsung Galaxy

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You'll find this phone-shaped app icon on the Home Screen, or you can swipe up or down to open the App Drawer and look for it there.^{[4]
X
Research source}
It's the icon with three dots in the top-right corner of the screen. Tapping it opens a drop-down menu.
It's at the bottom of the drop-down menu. Doing so opens the Call Settings page.
It's at the top of the Call Settings menu. This displays your blocked call settings and your blocked numbers.
Enter the number you want to block on the line that says "Add phone number." It's below the toggle switch to block unknown numbers.
6
Tap +. The green plus (+) icon will appear next to the line where you enter a number when a valid phone number is entered. This will add the number to your list of blocked numbers. You can see your list of blocked numbers at the bottom of the Blocked Call Settings menu.
- To remove a blocked number from your list, tap the minus (-) sign next to the blocked number in your list of blocked numbers.