How to stop robocalls and use the Do Not Call Registry

The National Do Not Call Registry, explained

The National Do Not Call Registry is a free list run by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Telemarketers are required to check it and not call registered numbers. You can register a home or mobile number at donotcall.gov or by calling 1-888-382-1222 from the phone you want to register.

• Cost: free. Nobody legitimate charges to add you.
• How long it lasts: registration does not expire.
• When it takes effect: your number appears on the list the next day, but telemarketers have up to 31 days to stop calling.
• Checking: you can verify your registration on the same website.

What it doesn't cover

The registry applies to sales calls. Under the rules, these callers can still contact you even if you're registered:

• Political campaigns and organizations
• Charities (though a charity's paid telemarketer must honor your request to stop)
• Survey and polling calls
• Debt collectors and informational calls, such as a flight or appointment notice
• Companies you have an existing business relationship with, for a limited period after your last purchase or inquiry, unless you ask them to stop

If a company you've done business with keeps calling, tell them clearly to put you on their internal do-not-call list. They're required to honor it.

The key point: scammers ignore it

Most robocalls today are illegal, and the people placing them don't care about the registry. That doesn't make it useless. Once you're registered, any sales robocall is a red flag, and reports from registered numbers help regulators trace and shut down operations.

Turn on your phone's built-in protection

iPhone

• Silence Unknown Callers: in Settings, open Apps > Phone (on older iOS versions, Settings > Phone) and turn on Silence Unknown Callers. Calls from numbers not in your contacts, recent outgoing calls, or Siri suggestions go straight to voicemail and appear in your recents list.
• Call Screening: recent iOS versions can answer unknown callers for you and ask them for their name and reason for calling before your phone rings. Look for Screen Unknown Callers in the same Phone settings.
• Block a number: in Recents, tap the info button next to the number and choose Block Caller.

One tradeoff: silencing unknown callers can hide a call from a doctor's office or delivery driver. Check voicemail regularly or use call screening instead.

Android

• Google Phone app (Pixel and many other phones): open the app, tap the three-dot menu, go to Settings > Caller ID & spam, and turn on Filter spam calls.
• Call Screen on Pixel phones can automatically screen likely spam and unknown numbers.
• Samsung phones: in the Phone app, open Settings and look for Caller ID and spam protection.
• Block a number: long-press the number in your call history and choose Block or Block/report spam.

Use your carrier's free blocking tools

All three major U.S. carriers offer free spam-call protection, with optional paid upgrades. Carriers can see network-level signals that your phone can't, so these are worth enabling.

Carrier	Free tool	Where to find it
AT&T	ActiveArmor	AT&T ActiveArmor app or your account settings
T-Mobile	Scam Shield	T-Mobile Scam Shield app or the T-Life app
Verizon	Call Filter	Verizon Call Filter app or My Verizon

Smaller carriers and prepaid brands often include similar features; check your carrier's website for "spam call blocking". Feature names and free tiers change, so confirm the current details with your provider.

What STIR/SHAKEN means for you

STIR/SHAKEN is a caller-ID authentication framework the FCC required U.S. carriers to adopt. It lets carriers verify that a call really comes from the number shown, which makes it harder for scammers to "spoof" local numbers. You may see labels like Verified, Spam Likely, or Scam Likely as a result. It's not perfect, especially for calls that enter from overseas networks, so treat labels as hints, not guarantees.

Safe habits that cut robocalls

• Don't answer unknown numbers. Legitimate callers leave voicemail.
• If you do answer a robocall, hang up. Don't press 1 to "speak to an operator" or any key to be "removed".
• Be wary of familiar-looking numbers. "Neighbor spoofing" uses your area code and prefix to look local.
• Never give information to an inbound caller. If someone claims to be your bank, the IRS, Social Security, or a utility, hang up and call the number on your statement or the agency's official website.
• Limit where you share your number. Leave phone fields blank on forms when they're optional, and consider a free secondary number (such as Google Voice) for sign-ups.

How to report illegal calls

Reporting takes a minute and helps enforcement:

• Unwanted sales calls and robocalls: report at donotcall.gov. Include the date, time, and the number shown on caller ID.
• Scams and fraud: report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, especially if you lost money or shared information.
• Caller ID spoofing and FCC complaints: file at the FCC Consumer Complaint Center (consumercomplaints.fcc.gov).
• Your carrier and phone: mark the call as spam in your phone app so the filter improves.

If you lost money, also contact your bank or card issuer immediately, and see the steps in our phishing guide for securing your accounts.