How to reduce spam calls on Android
Android call controls vary by phone and dialler. Start with the app you actually use and check the trade-offs.
Identify your Phone app
Android devices do not all use the same dialler. A Pixel, a Samsung phone and a device using another calling app may show different menus. The steps below concern Phone by Google; use your manufacturer’s help when its app is installed instead.
Before changing settings, review the recent call and preserve any details you need for a report. Avoid calling back merely to find out who it was.
Review Google’s caller ID options
In Phone by Google, open the menu, choose Settings and look for Caller ID and spam. Google provides a setting for caller ID and spam information and, on supported devices, a Filter spam calls option.
Read the choices shown on your device. Google explains that these features may send information about numbers outside your contacts to Google. That is a privacy trade-off worth understanding before enabling a feature.
Know where filtered calls go
Google notes that filtered calls can remain in call history and voicemail can still be checked, even when missed-call or voicemail notifications are suppressed. Review those places if you are waiting for an unfamiliar but important caller.
No filter is perfect. A warning can be mistaken, and a call without a warning is not automatically genuine. Some options depend on device, region, software version or carrier. Do not assume a setting described for another phone is available on yours.
Use individual blocks carefully
Open the unwanted entry in your app’s call history and inspect the available blocking or reporting controls. Confirm the actual number before applying them. If the displayed number was spoofed, the person assigned that number may have had nothing to do with the call.
Keep a way back
Know how to find your block list and reverse a mistaken block. Save important contacts, check voicemail when appropriate and continue to verify unexpected financial requests independently. The website’s future Android app is not a downloadable product yet; its eventual screening features will depend on Android permissions and platform support.
Sources & further reading
For a situation involving money already sent, contact your bank promptly using contact details you trust.
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