Spam calls are one of those annoyances that can quickly turn from a minor inconvenience into a daily problem.A single unwanted call is easy enough to ignore, but when robocalls, sales pitches, and potential scams start interrupting you throughout the day, constantly checking your phone becomes exhausting.Installing a third-party app might seem like the obvious solution, but you may not need one at all.
If you own a Samsung Galaxy phone, several built-in tools can help keep unwanted callers at bay without another subscription, app, or complicated setup.Some can identify suspicious numbers before you answer, while others give you more control over which calls reach your phone.Depending on how aggressive you want to be, you can let your Galaxy handle the problem automatically or take a much stricter approach.
Caller ID and built-in spam protection Make use of a massive database of blacklisted numbers Close The strongest tool in your arsenal against spam callers on a Samsung Galaxy device is the brand's built-in spam call detector.Samsung has partnered with Hiya, a cybersecurity firm with a massive global database of flagged spam numbers, scam numbers, and robocalls.This feature checks the calling number against the database before your phone rings, warning you or blocking the call outright.
You can turn on 'Caller ID and spam protection' in your call settings.Open your Phone app, then tap the three dots next to the magnifying glass.Tap the 'Settings' tab from the drop-down.
You should then find a toggle for the spam protection setting.If you tap it, you'll also be able to block spam and scam calls.You can block all suspected spam and scam calls, or only those flagged as high-risk.
Have Galaxy AI screen your calls for you Robot versus robot Close Unfortunately, malicious calls can still slip through spam detection.You might also not want to take the risk that an important call will be flagged as spam and blocked, which is reasonable.Another way to block unwanted calls is to use Samsung's call screening feature.
You do have to have a newer Galaxy device for this, though.When active, an AI assistant will answer the phone for you first, asking who is calling and what the purpose of their call is.You'll get a live transcription of the call and be given the option of answering or declining the call.
You can also have your AI assistant give certain responses, either by typing or choosing quick response options.You can turn this on by, again, going into your call settings.You'll see an option for 'call screening'.
Turning this feature on lets your AI assistant screen only potential spam calls, or screen any unknown numbers.You can choose from a select list of languages and voices for your assistant.Block all incoming calls from unknown numbers The nuclear option Close If the above are too selective, or too many spam callers are still making it through, you might want something a little more aggressive.
The most foolproof way to make sure you don't get any more spam calls is to enable the feature that blocks all incoming calls from unknown numbers.This way, as long as a number isn't saved in your contact list, the call won't come through, and you're not likely to have any spam callers saved.Turning on this setting is pretty simple.
Go back into your call settings.You'll see a tab titled 'Block numbers', which you will want to tap into.This will bring up a list of all the numbers that you've blocked, and allow you to input phone numbers or contacts that you want to block.
At the top, there is a toggle for blocking calls from unknown numbers.Turning this on will make sure you're not bothered by people you don't know.If you're like me, this option might feel a little too aggressive.
I get quite a lot of phone calls from unknown numbers for business or admin purposes, and I can't block them all.However, it is a great setting for older people who only really use their phones to talk to people in their contact list.Since they're most vulnerable to scam callers, blocking all unknown numbers on an elderly person's phone isn't a bad idea.
Samsung users don't need to pay for apps to stop spam callers Nothing is more annoying than a spam call or sales call derailing my workflow.Even worse are robocalls, because I know they're purely wasting my time.Adding your number to the National Do Not Call Registry can help a bit, but it doesn't stop all spam calls from getting through.
Setting up my Galaxy phone with some of the above features has significantly reduced the number of unsolicited malicious calls I receive, and I didn't have to spend a single cent.
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