We live in a world where fraudsters and spammers disturb phone users. You may often receive a phone call only to find it spam or robocall. Knowing the process of block spam calls on an iPhone gives you the confidence that you are in control of your device. Nothing feels worse than receiving spam calls from spammers instead of your loved ones. Research shows that most people receive four to six robocalls daily. Nowadays, spammers have upped their game by masking the spam numbers with local genuine-looking numbers. This process is also known as caller ID spoofing. Because of these caller ID spoofing techniques, it is hard to identify whether the person calling is a spammer or a colleague.
Fortunately, if your iPhone runs on iOS 13, you can benefit from the voice mail feature that Apple has started that block spam calls. However, the cases of spammy calls have not been permanently finished despite such features being in place. Are you tired of receiving these random calls from suspicious numbers? This tutorial will discuss several alternatives that can help you block spam calls on your iPhone. However, before we go over the different options for restoring some sense of our call experiences, let us know what spam calls are.
Know About Spam Calls
Have you ever received phone calls from suspicious numbers of people whom you have never shared contact with? These are the spam calls. In most cases, you will receive these calls even when you have not expressed interest in receiving them. So, what is the actual definition of a spam call? To answer you, a spam call is usually an unsolicited call with the primary intention of tricking or scamming you.
In general, spam call is an unwanted communication not limited to calls, messages, Caller IN spoofing, or robocalls. This type of call is typically directed to many users with the intention of phishing, spreading malware, or advertising.
Several calls can be categorized as spam calls. It is sometimes confusing to tell the difference between these calls done by robots, spam, or fraud callers. Let us shed some light on these three callers to make it easy for you to categorize each call as you receive it. It will also help you improve your phone call experience with your iPhone by filtering spammer.
Differentiate Between Robo Callers, Spammers, And Fraud Callers
These words may look similar, but there is a distinction between the three even though they yield to spam calls. Here is a detailed definition of the three types of callers;
- Robo callers : Robo callers are automated and pre-recorded phone calls executed by computerized auto dialers. The main agenda of these calls is to deliver a certain message to people within a certain network. Such calls are commonly found in the political arena or telemarketing campaigns. Besides, in case of an emergency, you can receive robocalls to alert you the same.
- Spammers : Spammers are unwanted callers who usually call a large number of people indiscriminately. In most cases, spammers will call to tell you about services you have never subscribed to.
- Fraud caller : These callers call you and express themselves, pretending to be a person or brand they are not. Usually, these kinds of calls’ intentions are mainly for malicious purposes, like tricking you into taking something precious from you.
You Can Block Spam Calls On iPhone Dialing #662#
#662# is one of the effective methods for blocking spam calls, but unfortunately, it only works with T-Mobile users. If you are an iPhone user using Verizon, or AT&T carriers, you will be forced to look at their methods of block spam calls. This is because #662# will only work for iPhone users who have subscribed to T-Mobile network services.
So, how does it work? To start, open your “Phone” app and dial #662# to initiate the process. It is even working with Sprint phones after merging with T-Mobile. This will automatically disable spam calls from being received on your phone. After enabling the scam call block feature, every incoming scam call will be labeled “Scam Likely” and blocked immediately.
Kindly note that the method is not 100% effective but can greatly help reduce scam calls. If you want to disable the feature, kindly open your Phone app and dial the #632# code.
Block Spam Call Using 6 Best Apps For iPhone And iOS
Even though spam blockers for iPhone iOS will not block all spam calls, they will reduce the number of calls you receive. Besides, spam call blockers give you foresight when the incoming call may be spam. These apps are not products of Apple but are from third parties, and you will have to pay to get their services. Here are some of the spam call blockers for your iPhone;
1. Robo Shield Spam Call Blocker For iPhone
Robo Shield has been introduced in the market recently but recently is among the best spam call blockers for iPhone. It is a highly effective tool that you can use to block unwanted calls. According to several sources, the app has a spam-killing score of 95%, which means it can accurately identify and block 95% of spam calls.
Using the criteria mentioned earlier for identifying a good spam call blocker, Robo is rated at a 4.5 on App Store with over 6,000 reviews from users. This means that most users who used the app have been impressed by how Robo Shield is effective. If you go through the reviews on the app page on App Store, most reviews are positive. That rating alone gives you all the confidence that Robo Shield is one effective blocker of spam calls.
Here are some features of Robo Shield
- It includes the Caller ID.
- It automatically filters calls based on its spam database, which is updated every hour.
- Also it has a number lookup tool
- It automatically blocks the number once identified as spam.
Robo Shield offers a unique feature not found in most basic spam call blocker apps blocking robocalls from political agencies, charities, etc. This means that the calls will be automatically sent to a voicemail, and you will not be bothered by vibrating calls from spammers. It will cost you $12.99 per month to have Robo Shield on your iPhone. This premium subscription will give you a Hotspot Shield VPN, which secures your data when browsing on the internet.
2. Truecaller Spam Call Blocker For iPhone
Truecaller has been on the market for years, helping users identify and protect users from spam calls. It has gained much respect from both iPhone and Android users. Truecaller has a free subscription package that you can identify and block spamming calls from spammers and fraudsters. The app has a spam-killing score of 95%, meaning that Truecaller will block 95% of the spam calls to your phone.
Truecaller has over 200,000 ratings from users on App Store. You can imagine that with all these ratings, Truecaller has maintained a 4.5-star rating. Maintaining this high score rating alone confirms Truecaller’s immense effectiveness in blocking spam calls. Besides, it gives tips to its users who provide negative and positive reviews to improve their user experience.
Here are some of the features of Truecaller
- Caller ID.
- It can block spam calls on the free package.
- You can create your profile on the free package.
- You have access to an extensive and detailed call history without paying any penny.
The are other features that are only available on the premium package only, which include;
- Ability to see who viewed your profile
- Ability to receive contact requests
- You can search a person’s profile in an incognito mode that hides your identity on other people’s profiles.
- You can do a call recording.
The pricing of Truecaller is almost free compared to other spam calls blocker in the market. Most of the important features regarding spam call blocking are free. The premium Truecaller package will cost you $2.99 per month, normally discounted to $26.99 annually.
3. Nomorobo Robocall Spam Call Blocker For iPhone
Nomorobo is not known to many iPhone users in the country. However, do you know it is the winner of the FTC Robocall Challenge? Nomorobo Robocall Blocking comes with a 14-day free trial before you start paying for the premium package. This app has a spam-killing score of 95%, meaning it has a success rate of blocking 95% of all incoming spam calls.
Nomorobo Robocalls has over 12,000 reviews on App Store and has maintained a 4.5-star rating. This is a confirmation that to the 2.5 million users, Nomorobo has fulfilled the user’s expectations in iPhone block spam calls. The developers are very responsive to user issues on the App Store.
Here are several features of Nomorobo
- It automatically blocks spam calls.
- It automatically blocks text messages.
- Also it has a phone number lookup tool.
- It has an ad blocker.
All the blocked calls are automatically sent directly to voicemail. Besides, Nomorobo identifies all the incoming calls as “Robocaller” and blocks them afterward. You can get Nomorobo Robocalls Blocking for $1.99 per month, which is cheaper than most spam blockers.
4. YouMail Voicemail & Spam Call Blocker For iPhone
YouMail differs from all other spam blockers in the market by focusing on voicemail services and not incoming calls. This blocker matches the numbers calling your phone against the spammy number in a database. When the spammer tries to contact you, they usually get a message, “This number is not in service,” on your behalf.
YouMail has a spam-killing score of 92.5%, which means it can keep off 92.5% of spam numbers trying to call you. YouMail has been rated 4.7 stars on the App Store by more than 75,000 users who use the product. Its customer service is active even though it may take time before they reply to your issue.
Here are some of the YouMail Voicemail features
- It has a separate voicemail service
- It blocks numbers identified as spam automatically.
- Also it gives you 100 voicemail inboxes for free
- It gives you unlimited blacklisting features for free.
- It has unlimited personalized voice greetings for your contacts.
If you have a business, YouMail’s premium plan is the best option; otherwise, the essential features of the free package are suitable for your personal use. For example, you might not need a 1,000-voicemail limit in the professional plan; 100 is enough for you from the free package. YouMail Voicemail and Spam Blocker have three premium packages, including a Plus plan that costs $5.99 per month. Besides, they also have a professional package which will cost you $10.99 per month. They also have a package for small businesses that costs $24.99 per month, with more features than personal plans.
5. Malwarebytes Mobile Security Spam Call Blocker For iPhone
Malwarebytes is a very known antivirus software that protects iPhone users from spam calls by block them. It has a spam-killing score of 92.5%, gaining a 4.6-star rating from more than 20,000 users who have reviewed it. The app has earned much credit because it extends its services from spam blocking to protecting web browsing.
Malwarebytes has good customer service that will respond to all complaints in the developer section on App Store. This has seen most people change their app rating after getting a good response from the support team.
Here are the Malwarebytes features
- It blocks malicious sites freely.
- Adblocking
- It has an SMS fraud filter.
- It automatically blocks spam calls through the premium package.
- You are capable of seeing the Caller ID on the premium package
Malwarebytes does not offer automatic call blocking or sending spam calls to voicemail.
If you want to access the spam call features, you must pay $1.49 per month or $11.99 annually. The premium package offers more advanced blocking features that are worth your annual pay.
6. Hiya Spam Call Blocker For iPhone
Hiya is one of the most useful products in the market regarding robocall blocking. If you are an AT&T or T-Mobile user, you might be indirectly benefiting from Hiya’s services. These two mobile networks have applied the Hiya spam-blocking technology to offer their in-built spam identification services. Samsung has also employed the same technology in developing the Samsung Smart Call app available on every Samsung phone.
Hiya is worth downloading because it has an 80% spam-killing score. Additionally, it has been rated 4.6 by over 200,000 users who have managed to review it. The only challenge you may encounter with Hiya is the customer service response rate which is very slow. Fortunately, despite limited troubleshooting options, Hiya’s ratings show that it has few technical problems.
Here are the key Hiya features
- Caller ID, which is offered freely.
- It has unlimited number lookup free.
- Automatic spam call blocking on the premium package
- You will get 200 name lookups for your business on the premium package.
The ability of Hiya to block the specific area codes and prefix blocking allows it to focus on the first six digits of your phone number. This is an excellent tackle because spammers mainly focus on mimicking these numbers to convince you fully to receive the call. You can get the premium package at $2.99 per month.
Best Ways to Find The Best Spam Call Blocker Apps For Your iPhone
There are stringent rules that Apple has put in place for controlling the uploading of all apps into the App Store. Consequently, all the spam call blockers in the App Store are usually scrutinized to ensure all apple users are secure. Apple prioritizes the security of users and their devices.
However, determining the best spam blocker requires checking on several factors, from prices to features. These are the factors we have used to give you the best spam blockers that you can consider when selecting your spam call blocker. Let us look at some of these factors that you can use to determine the best spam call blocker.
1. App Store rating and reviews
Before selecting your spam call blocker, kindly check its reviews and see what other users have said about the app. Besides reading the positive review, look at the negative review and check if the app developers have resolved the problem. Fortunately, the blockers we will discuss later have a minimum of 1,000 reviews and are minimally 4.5-star rated.
2. Customer service
One of the primary factors you should consider is whether the app developer has a responsive customer service desk. This is determined by checking how they respond to reviews in the app store. A product with responsive customer service guarantees peace of mind if you have problems using it.
3. Quality features
The app you are using to block iPhone spam calls should be able to solve your problems. It is not worth it if you are paying for an app that does the basic things that can be done with free apps. Kindly note that quality comes with a price, so it is ready to part with some bucks for a high-quality app.
4. Price
As said above, quality comes with a high price. For example, the spam call blockers we will discuss are not free; you must pay for their premium features. Kindly note that getting a quality spam call blocker in App Stores comes with a price, but some apps offer quality features at cheaper prices.
Those are some of the factors that you can consider to come up with a good spam calls blocker for your iPhone. Kindly note that the spam call blockers are incapable of blocking 100% of the spam calls you receive. Most of them have a success rate of 95%. In some cases, scammers and telemarketers usually change the numbers to avoid being blockers. Your goal should not be to block every spam call because it is currently impossible but to reduce the number you receive.
Other Than Blocking, How Can You Minimize Receiving Spam Call or Robocalls
iPhone has developed a spam call blocker feature which is only available to users with devices running the latest iOS as of March 2022. This feature will automatically send every unrecognized incoming call to your voicemail. The blocking will be done if the number is not in your contact list, email, or message.
So, how do I set up my built-in spam call blocker on my iPhone? Apple’s spam calls blocker is more aggressive than most call blockers for iOS devices. However, you will not be forced to activate it unless you wish to use it. This means that you can continue using your other apps to block all incoming spam calls. However, if you want to customize it, kindly follow these steps carefully.
- Open your “Settings” app on your home screen to start the process.
- Scroll down until you find “Phone” and tap on it.
- Select the “Silence Unknown Callers” option on your phone.
- Congratulations, you have already set your in-built blocker.
This process does not need you to customize these settings, you simply need to toggle a button and the feature is active. Once you activate the feature, every incoming call from a number not in your contact list will be treated as “unwanted” or spam. It is important to note that this is the first release from Apple and could be in the future, there will be more nuanced features. We can only keep waiting.
Frequently Ask Questions
Why Do More Spam Calls Look Like They’re Coming From A Local Number?
Spammers usually manage to call you with a number similar to your area code through a caller ID spoofing tactic. To spoof means to imitate something with an agenda of tricking you. This is mostly achieved with Voice-over-IP (VoIP) services.
How Does iPhone Know It’s a Spam Call?
When a call is made to your phone, your iPhone checks the spammer’s number and compares it with a database of numbers from third-party spam apps. If the number is similar, iOS usually displays the phone numbers as spam and blocks them if your blocker has that feature.
What Happens If You Pick Up A Spam Call?
Nothing harmful will happen; however, the spammer will gain confidence that there is a person they can trick. Additionally, if the spam call was from a robot computer, they will have achieved the goal of delivering the recorded message to you. Mostly if it was in the case of a charity or political campaign and they wanted to pass a certain message.
Can iPhone Be Hacked Through A Phone Call?
No. Your iPhone cannot be hacked via a phone call. However, be warned because the scammer may trick you into giving important personal details that can be used to hack your phone. This is because every detail you provide can be used to take away your identity.
How Do Spammers Get My Number?
There are so many places where you have used your phone numbers when confirming your identity. These places include social media, websites, and other online directories where you may provide contacts. For a spammer to get your number, they usually run bots in a process called web-scrapping. After a few minutes, they have several numbers from the internet that can be used to scam you.
