There are few things more jarring than the phone ringing in the middle of dinner, only for you to pick it up and hear a robotic voice trying to sell you an extended car warranty. These unwanted junk calls are more than just an annoyance; they can feel like a constant invasion of our privacy and peace. As one of our readers put it, dealing with a phone that is "full of spam" from people trying to sell you things can "drive you crazy".

The frustrating reality is that this problem is very difficult to solve completely. But you are not powerless. There are several effective tools and strategies you can use to fight back and significantly reduce the number of interruptions on both your mobile phone and your landline. Today, let's walk through your options these days.

Cutting Junk Calls: “Blocking Robocallers on Landline and Mobile”

Why Is This Problem So Hard to Solve?

Before we get to the solutions, it helps to understand why these calls are so persistent. Scammers have two powerful technologies on their side:

1. Caller ID "Spoofing": They can easily fake the number that appears on your caller ID. They often make it look like it's coming from a local number or even a government agency to trick you into picking up.

2. Internet-Based Calls (VoIP): Modern technology makes it incredibly cheap and easy for scammers to make millions of automated "robocalls" from computers anywhere in the world, making them almost impossible to trace and shut down.

Because of these tricks, even if you block one number, they can simply call you from a different fake number the next day.

Your Toolkit for Fighting Back

While there's no single magic bullet, using a layered approach can make a huge difference.

• 1. Start with Your Phone Carrier: Most major carriers (like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile) now offer free call-filtering services for their mobile customers, and these are often turned on by default. They use network-level data to automatically block the most obvious spam calls or will display a warning on your screen like "Spam Likely." This is a great first line of defense that requires no setup from you.

• 2. The National Do-Not-Call Registry: While illegal scammers completely ignore this list, legitimate telemarketing companies are legally required to honor it. It's still worth doing, as it will cut down on unwanted (but legal) sales calls. You can register your numbers for free at donotcall.gov or by calling 1-888-382-1222.

• 3. Use Your Smartphone's Built-in Features: This is one of the most powerful options for mobile users. The feature in Android is much more effective than iPhones, which simply let you silence all unknown calls.

  • On an iPhone: Go to Settings > Phone, then scroll down and tap on Silence Unknown Callers. This is a fantastic feature that sends any call from a number that is not in your contacts list, recent outgoing calls, or Siri Suggestions straight to voicemail. The phone won't even ring. You do have to be careful, because this will silence ALL unknown callers. If they are legitimate they can still leave a voicemail and you can call them back.

  • On an Android: Most Android phones have a similar feature. Open your Phone app, tap the three-dot menu, go to Settings, and look for "Caller ID & spam protection." Make sure it's on, and you can often enable a feature to automatically filter spam calls.

• 4. Consider a Third-Party App (or Landline Service): For even more power, apps like Nomorobo or Hiya use constantly updated global databases of known spam numbers to block or identify junk calls. Nomorobo is also one of the few services that offers an effective solution for many internet-based landlines (VoIP).

The Catch: Privacy and Managing Expectations

It's important to understand two things. First, to work effectively, some third-party apps may ask for access to your contacts and call history. They use this data to avoid blocking your real contacts and to identify new spam numbers. You must decide if this privacy trade-off is worth it for you.

Second, even with all these tools, some junk calls will still get through. The goal is to dramatically reduce the number of unwanted calls and to feel more in control, unfortunately it’s not possible to achieve perfect silence.

Quick Tech Tip

If you do answer a call and a recorded voice asks a question like, "Can you hear me now?", simply hang up. Never say the word "yes." This is a common tactic scammers use to record your voiceprint saying "yes," which they could then potentially use to authorize fraudulent charges or services. The safest response to a suspected robocall is always to just hang up.

Tech Term Demystified: 'Spoofing'

In the digital world, "Spoofing" is the act of disguising a communication from an unknown source as being from a known, trusted source. When scammers "spoof" a phone number, they are tricking the caller ID system into displaying a fake number—like one from your local area code—instead of their real one. This is done to increase the chances that you'll answer the phone.

Good News Byte

A technology framework called STIR/SHAKEN is now being implemented by phone carriers across the country. It's a complex system, but its goal is to create a digital verification system for caller ID. It allows a carrier to confirm that the number displayed on your screen is the actual number the call is coming from. While it's not a silver bullet, it is making it significantly harder for scammers to "spoof" their numbers, which is a major step in the right direction.

Did You Know?

The first documented "robocall" wasn't from a scammer, but from a candidate for local office in New York in the early 1980s. He used a computer and a tape recorder to automatically dial thousands of voters to play a pre-recorded campaign message, much to their surprise and annoyance! The technology has been around for decades, but the internet has made it vastly cheaper and more widespread.

Your Turn to Take the First Step!

This week, try one of the powerful built-in solutions on your smartphone. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Phone and just look at the "Silence Unknown Callers" option. On Android, open your Phone app's settings and find the "Caller ID & spam protection" feature. You don't have to turn it on, but just knowing where this powerful tool is located is a great first step to taking back your peace and quiet.

Wishing you a weekend free of interruptions,

Steve