How to Block Spam Calls on Android and iPhone in Australia

Your phone lights up with a number that looks almost exactly like your own. You answer, and it is a recorded voice about a parcel you never ordered, or a threatening message claiming to be from the tax office. Australia's telcos now block huge volumes of scam calls before they reach anyone, but plenty still get through — and no single setting stops them all. The approach that works is a layered one: your phone's built-in tools, your carrier's filters, the Do Not Call Register, and a blocking app on top.

Know what you are dealing with

Not every nuisance call is the same, and the right response depends on the type:

• Telemarketing calls: sales pitches for energy plans, solar panels, or insurance. Many are legal, but they must follow the rules set by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
• Scam calls: fake tax-office threats, bank impersonation, or automated messages designed to steal money or personal details. These are illegal no matter what.
• Spoofed numbers: scammers can make any number appear on your caller ID, including numbers with your area code or even a real business number. The displayed number proves nothing.
• Silent or one-ring calls: calls that hang up immediately, sometimes trying to trick you into calling back a premium-rate number.

Blocking one number rarely ends the problem because scammers rotate numbers constantly. That is why filters that screen whole categories of calls matter more than blocking numbers one by one.

Block calls on Android

On most Android phones, the built-in Phone app handles both blocking and spam filtering:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Tap the three-dot menu and go to Settings.
3. To block a specific number, choose Blocked numbers and add it manually.
4. To filter automatically, look for Spam and Call Screen (Google Pixel) or Caller ID and spam protection (Samsung) and turn on spam filtering and warnings.

Google's Phone app flags suspected spam before you answer and lets you report numbers, which improves the filter for everyone. Samsung phones offer similar protection under the Phone app's settings menu. Different manufacturers name these menus slightly differently, so if you cannot find them, check your phone maker's support pages.

Block calls on iPhone

On iOS, blocking is straightforward:

1. Open Phone and go to Recents.
2. Tap the info button next to the number.
3. Scroll down and choose Block this Caller.

Manage the list any time under Settings → Phone → Blocked Contacts. The bigger win, though, is Silence Unknown Callers under Settings → Phone: calls from numbers not in your contacts go straight to voicemail and appear in your call history, so legitimate callers — the doctor's surgery, your child's school, a tradie — can still leave a message while robocalls die quietly.

iPhone users can also install third-party call-blocking apps, which must be enabled under Settings → Phone → Call Blocking & Identification before they can screen calls.

Use your carrier's free filters

Australia's major carriers — Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone (TPG Telecom) — all run network-level scam-call detection, and they now block large numbers of scam calls automatically under rules overseen by the ACMA. On top of that, most offer features you can switch on yourself, such as scam-call alerts in their apps or account settings.

Log in to your carrier's app or website and look for spam or scam-call settings. Exact names change over time, so check the official support pages for your provider rather than relying on old instructions. If nuisance calls persist, call your carrier and ask what filtering is available on your plan — some features are free but not switched on by default.

Register on the Do Not Call Register

The Do Not Call Register at donotcall.gov.au lets you list your number so legitimate telemarketers must stop calling you. You can also register by calling 1300 792 958. Registration is free and does not expire for most numbers, though it is worth checking the official site for current details.

Keep expectations realistic: the register stops law-abiding telemarketers, not overseas scammers who ignore Australian law entirely. That is actually useful information — a sales call that arrives after you have registered is a strong candidate for a complaint to the ACMA, which takes enforcement action against businesses that break the telemarketing rules.

Add a dedicated blocking layer

Built-in tools and carrier filters catch much of the noise, but spoofers cycle through new numbers constantly. Call-blocking apps such as NoCall add a real-time layer: incoming calls are checked against continuously updated spam and scam number databases, and likely junk gets flagged or blocked before you pick up. For anyone getting several nuisance calls a day, this is usually the change you notice most.

Whatever app you choose, keep it updated and report the spam you receive — every report sharpens the database for all users, and reports to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au help authorities track new scam campaigns as they emerge.

A routine that works

1. Turn on your phone's spam filter: Silence Unknown Callers on iPhone, spam protection on Android.
2. Switch on your carrier's scam-call features in its app or account settings.
3. Register your number on the Do Not Call Register at donotcall.gov.au.
4. Never confirm personal details on an inbound call — hang up and call back on the official number.
5. Add a blocking app for real-time coverage of new scam numbers.

None of these steps alone stops everything, but together they turn spam calls from a daily disruption into a rare, labelled, one-tap block — and every number you report helps protect the next person it would have rung.