How to block text messages in Android

By Justin Jones Last updated Oct 7, 2022

Do you often get texts from telemarketers or bots that you don’t want? Or know about How to block text messages in Android We’ll show you how to set up your Android phone so that people can’t send you spam texts. You’ll also learn how to turn on Android’s anti-spam feature, so you’ll never get spam messages again.

Keep in mind that the steps you need to take to block specific numbers may be a little different depending on your device and operating system. If these methods don’t work for your device, you can find detailed steps and instructions on the site of the device’s maker for How to block text messages in Android.

Table of Contents

Block Unwanted Texts from the Messages App

If the default SMS app on your device is Google Messages, you can block spam block text messages in Android from unknown numbers and saved contacts by doing the steps below.

Open the Messages app and choose the conversation with the person you want to block.
Tap the three dots in the upper right corner of the screen to open the menu, then tap Details.
Tap Stop spam and report it.
Check the box that says “Report as spam” if you want to say that the person is sending spam.

That will send the person’s phone number and any recent spam messages to Google and your cell phone company. Note that your carrier may charge you if you report a number as spam or send spam reports to Google. If you don’t want to send a spam report to Google or your mobile carrier, uncheck “Report as spam.” Click OK to move on.

You won’t get any more block text messages in Android or alerts from the blocked number. They can still send you SMS or MMS messages, but they won’t get to your inbox.

The messages are moved to the “Spam and blocked” folder by Android. It is a hidden part of the Messages app that stores messages from people you have blocked.

Add Number to Block List

You can also stop getting texts from someone by adding their number to the list of blocked numbers on your phone. Use this method to stop getting spam from people you’ve never talked to before.

Open the Messages app, tap the menu button, and then tap Spam and blocked.
Tap the menu button and choose Blocked contacts from the list.
Tap Add A Number.
Enter the number in the dialogue box and then tap Block.

How to block text messages in Android

Open the Messages app, tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner, and then tap Spam and blocked. You can see a list of the conversations and spam messages you’ve blocked from people. To unblock a number or contact, choose the conversation with the contact and click the Unblock pop-up in the conversation window.

You can also tap the three dots in the upper-right corner of the screen, choose Details, and then tap Unblock. You should see a message that says the number is no longer blocked and has been marked as not spam.

Block Texts from the Phone App

If you block a number in the Android Phone or Dialer, block text messages in Android from that number will also be blocked.

Open the Phone app and tap the icon next to the number or contact you want to block that you haven’t saved yet.
Tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner of the screen and choose Block numbers.
Choose if you want to report the number as spam (to Google and your cell phone provider) and tap Block.

On the page with your call history, you can also block the number. Tap the number in the list of recent calls and choose History. Tap the menu icon, then choose Block. When asked to confirm, tap Block again.

Block Texts on Messages for Web

You can also block texts on Android if you pair the Messages app with your computer and use the web/desktop client for Messages. The steps for block text messages in Android on the web are the same as on mobile. Here’s how to block texts from your computer on an Android device.

Open Messages for the web in the browser that the Messages app is paired with. Find the conversation with the number or person you want to block and open it.
Place your cursor over the number or contact in the sidebar, and then tap the three-dot Options icon.
Choose Block and report spam from the menu.
Check the “Report spam” box if you want Google and your carrier network to get the spammer’s number and texts. If you don’t want to get blocked text messages in Android from the number, uncheck the box and click OK.
You can also open the spam message, click on the menu icon in the upper right corner, and then click on Details.
Choose Block and report spam, and then click OK to confirm.

Unblock Texts in Messages for Web

Follow the steps below to take a number or contact off of the list of blocked numbers and contacts in Messages for web.

Open Messages for web, tap the More options icon at the top of the sidebar, and then tap Spam & blocked.
Click the Unblock button next to the number you want to take off the list, then click Done.

Enable Spam Protection on Android

The official Android Messages app has a spam protection engine that uses the device’s intelligence to find and block spam messages. Here’s how to get the feature to work:

Open Messages, tap the menu button with three dots and choose Settings.
Choose to protect against spam.
Turn on the “Spam protection” switch

Note that when you turn on spam protection, Android will send information (like who sent the spam) to Google. Google doesn’t get your phone number or the text of the spam messages.

Block text messages in Android Using Third-Party Apps

Many third-party apps for caller ID and texting also have spam filters built in that do the hard work for you. Most of the time, these apps have a list of phone numbers that other users have reported as spam. So, if you get a text from an unknown number that many other people have marked as spam, these apps will automatically block the text and put it in the spam folder.

TrueCaller is a great app that does a great job of recognizing and blocking spam messages from bots, telemarketers, and unknown numbers. If you use a third-party app to block a number, make sure it’s your default SMS app.

Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > Default apps > SMS app, and then choose the third-party app.

Block Texts Everywhere

People you block in Messages or SMS apps can still send you texts (using the same number) through other instant messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. You’ll have to manually block the person’s number in the app’s settings if you don’t want to get texts from them.

Some mobile network providers have apps for managing accounts that can block spam calls and texts at the network level. So, even if you switch to a different device, the number won’t be able to call or text you. Contact your cell phone company to find out how to add numbers to a “blacklist.”

FAQs

Can you just block text messages on Android?

Open the Messages app and choose the conversation with the person you want to block. Tap the three dots in the upper right corner of the screen to open the menu, then tap Details. Tap Stop spam and report it. Check the box that says “Report as spam” if you want to say that the person is sending spam.

How do you stop text messages that you don’t want?

Here’s how to block texts on your Android phone that you don’t want to get: Open your messaging app and find the message you want to block. Then, tap the icon with three dots in the upper right corner of the screen. Then, tap the Block number or Block contact option and confirm.

Can you tell a person not to text you?

Follow these steps to stop getting texts from a certain number:

Open the app “Messages.” Start talking to the person you want to avoid. Click on the “More” button. Click on the “Block number”