Get Rid Of Spam Texts
How to Block Robotexts and Spam Messages
You don't have to put up with robotexts and junk messages. Here's how to block spammy texts.
You hear the sound of an incoming text message and excitedly check your phone. But it's just a junk message sent to you by a spammer trying to con you into tapping a link, opening an attachment, calling a number, or doing something else likely to cause you trouble.
Robotexts and spam messages are a fact of life, just like robocalls and junk email. They may not be as invasive as a spam call, since you can largely ignore them, but that doesn't make them harmless. Some phone plans may charge you for incoming text messages and smishing (SMS phishing) attacks can be even more dangerous if you're not careful.
However, you don’t have to put up with them. Just as you can fight against robocalls, you can block and stop robotexts with the right tricks and tools.
Do Not Respond
First and foremost, do not interact with the message. If you click a link or attachment in a spam message, it could trigger malware that infects your phone. You also don't want to respond. Many legitimate robotexts include an option to text STOP to tell the company to remove you from their distribution list, but that doesn't work with scammers.
In fact, by responding to a spam message, you're only confirming to the scammer that your number is valid. From there, your phone number may be disseminated to other scammers, increasing your odds of getting more junk messages. So unless you know the text came from a legitimate company that honors such requests, you're better off not responding at all.
Block Phone Numbers
You can block a number that's been sending you junk messages. The drawback with this approach is that spammers typically spoof or switch phone numbers. So even if you block the number, you can still receive messages from the same spammer using a different number.
On an iPhone, open the text message you received. Tap the phone number at the top of the screen and then tap the Info button. At the next screen, select Block this Caller and then tap Block Contact to confirm.
On an Android phone, open the text and tap the three-dot icon in the upper right. The steps then vary based on your phone and OS version. Either select the Block number option, or select Details and then tap Block & report spam.
Report Phone Numbers
You can report a robotext to your mobile carrier by forwarding it to a specific number. To do this on an iPhone, press down on the offending message. Tap More and then tap the right arrow to forward it as a new text. To do this on an Android phone, press down on the message. Tap the three-dot icon at the top and select Forward. Text the new message to 7726, which spells out SPAM. The number works for AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile, all of which will use the information to try and block future spam messages.
Filter Out Spammers
On an Android phone, you can disable all potential spam messages from Google's Messages app(Opens in a new window). Tap the three-dot icon in the upper right of the app and select Settings > Spam protection and turn on the Enable spam protection switch. Your phone will now alert you if an incoming message is suspected of being spam.
On an iPhone, you can filter messages from unknown senders into their own folder within the Messages app. Go to Settings > Messages. Turn on the switch for Filter Unknown Senders.
The top US mobile carriers offer their own filtering and blocking tools for subscribers. For the most part, they're geared more toward spam phone calls, but they can also block numbers that attempt to deliver spam text messages.
Verizon’s Call Filter(Opens in a new window) blocks robocalls and spam messages. The basic version is free, while the Plus version costs $2.99 for a single line or $7.99 a month for three or more lines. T-Mobile offers Scam Shield(Opens in a new window), a collection of free services to detect, block, and mislead spam and scam callers.
