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Brad Ward
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Need to block a phone number on your Android device but aren’t sure how? Good There are plenty of ways to block a phone number on Android, though it can be different for different types of devices. For instance, blocking a number on the Galaxy S6 Edge+ can be different than doing it on the Moto X Pure Edition. Either way, if you need a way to block a number, you have options whether it be through your phone’s own settings or in a more roundabout way with third-party apps. Blocking a number can be important for a lot of reasons, so we’ve made sure to provide steps and options that work for everybody.
Blocking a number in Settings
Depending on what smartphone you have, you can block specific numbers via the Settings menu. Most phones don’t support internal blocking, however, if you own any recent Samsung smartphone (like the Galaxy Note 5 or S6 Edge+), you can head into Settings > Call > Call Rejection > Auto Reject List > Create to block specific numbers.
Alternatively, you can go into Settings > My Device > Blocking Mode > Disable Incoming Calls to block all incoming calls. Or there’s the easier method of simply turning Airplane Mode on.
Apps for Blocking
Many smartphones, oddly, do not support call blocking by way of the Settings menu. That said, there’s still hope for those of you needing to block a specific number by using a third-party application. It’d be nice if all manufacturers included support by way of an official method, but that’s not the case.
Relying on third-party apps isn’t necessarily a bad thing either. The one great thing about it is that it’ll work with just about any device with Android 2.2 Froyo and up.
Mr. Number
Mr. Number is the perfect free option for all things call blocking. You can block both calls and texts from a single number, an area code, and even block all incoming calls entirely. It also has automatic caller lookup, looking through your phone’s history helping you decide who to block. Unfortunately, for those of you running Android 4.4 on your device, text blocking does not seem to work.
Calls Blacklist
Calls Blacklist works similar to Mr. Number. It allows you to manage a blacklist of numbers that you do not want to receive calls or texts from. You can add numbers from your contacts, recent calls, and you can add numbers to the list manually. On the other side of the spectrum, there’s a whitelist you can add numbers to, which are numbers that will never be blocked.
Do Not Call
If you’re trying to block numbers simply for the reason of getting spam calls and live in the United States, an easy way to solve that without any tinkering of your smartphone is by heading over to www.donotcall.gov. I’ve used it many times, and while you do have to add your number again every few years, it’s a surefire way to get rid of salesmen and telemarketers.
But it isn’t very helpful with scams, which leaves you with one final solution.
Carrier Options
Most major carriers will (for a fee) help block unwanted numbers from contacting you. Verizon and Sprint offer the service for free but put limitations on it in that you can only block up to five numbers. Additionally, you’ll have to re-add the numbers to that list every ninety days, a potentially serious annoyance.
Alternatively, AT&T will let you block up to thirty numbers for $5 per month, and it doesn’t seem like you ever have to re-add those numbers to the list. On the other hand, if you need to block thirty numbers, it might be time to just get a new number.
T-Mobile doesn’t seem to offer any service for blocking numbers, sadly. However, it might be worth getting on the phone with customer service and seeing if they handle it similar to Verizon or AT&T.
Wrap Up
Obviously the best way to block a number is through your phone’s internal settings if that option is available to you. The other steps get the job done but can potentially be time-consuming and frustrating to get setup.
If you’ve got any other methods for blocking numbers, be sure to let us know in the comments!
Come comment on this article: How to block a number on your Android device
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