How to Block Spam Texts on Android Phone

How to Block Spam Texts on Android Phone – Phishing texts, also known as smishing, is the use of text messages to defraud someone. Often, these texts are intended to steal personal information or even to defraud the recipient of money by requesting information about credit cards or bank accounts.

Some will persuade you to click on a malicious link, which will install malware on your phone. The malware then goes about its business of stealing personal information.

How to Block Spam Texts on Android Phone?

1. What to do if you get a spam text

The best policy is always to remain silent. Never, ever respond to spam text messages, not even with “stop.” “Many times, spam texts are sent out in bulk by programs,” explains Burton Kelso, chief tech expert at Integral, a computer and laptop repair service.

“When you respond to a text message, you’re telling the spammer that your phone number is legitimate, which encourages the spammer to keep sending.”

Your verified phone number could then be sold to other text spamming companies, which is why “silence is always golden,” according to him. The best course of action is to block the text sender and report the spam. Then, on your phone, delete the text.

2. How to Block Spam Texts on Android Phone?

Follow these steps to block spam messages on an Android device:

Read the text.
Select the three-dot menu in the upper right corner of the screen.
Select “Details.”
Select “Block Contact.”

Note: Some Android phones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S20, have a simpler process in which you simply tap on the three-dot menu and select “Block.”

3. How to filter text messages on my Android

Follow these steps to block spam messages on an Android device:

Launch the Messaging app and tap the three-dot icon in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
Select “Settings,” then “Spam Protection.”
Scroll down until you see the phrase “Enable Spam Protection.”
Turn it on by swiping to the right on the button.

If you can’t find the “Spam Protection” option, your phone lacks spam filtering capabilities. In this case, you’ll need to download one of the apps mentioned above.

4. How do I report spam texts?

If you have AT&T, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, or Sprint, you can easily report spam messages to your cellular provider. Copy and paste the text into a new message, then send it to SPAM (7726).

The service will then respond with a request for the phone number from which the text was sent. You’re done when you respond with the number. “This will not immediately stop the spam text, but it will assist the community of smartphone users in identifying spam text numbers,” Kelso said.

You can also notify the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission about the phishing text. If you receive any of these spam texts, delete them right away.