Block a number that will not leave you alone
Stop one number calling you ever again, and know exactly what blocking does and does not do.
Blocking a number is a decision you make on your own phone. The other person is never told, never sees a message, and never finds out.
It is worth being clear about what it does. Blocking stops that one number. It does not stop the next one, and companies that call uninvited change their numbers constantly, which is why blocking alone can feel like emptying a boat with a teaspoon.
Key points
- Block any number from Recents in four presses
- Know that blocking is silent — nobody is ever told
- Turn on Silence Unknown Callers so only saved people ring
- Find the blocked list and take somebody off it again
What to remember
- Blocking always starts from a call in Recents, or from the contact card.
- Blocking is a private decision on your own phone. Nobody is ever notified.
- Silence Unknown Callers is the single most effective setting against nuisance calls.
Try this
Look at Settings → Phone → Blocked Contacts on your own phone. Most people have never opened it, and a few find somebody in there they blocked by accident. While you are there, it costs nothing to put your number on the National Do Not Call Registry at donotcall.gov, or by calling 1-888-382-1222 from the phone you want on the list.
Practice: Block a number that will not leave you alone. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.