How to block spam calls on Android: a guide by manufacturer (Samsung, Xiaomi, Google)

The phone rings, you don't recognise the number, and you guess right: it's spam again. The good news is that your Android already comes with tools to stop it, but they live in different places depending on the manufacturer. Here are the concrete steps for Samsung (One UI), Xiaomi (MIUI/HyperOS) and Google (Pixel), plus a routine that works on any skin.

Unlike the iPhone guide, Android isn't a single system. Each brand customises the Phone app, the menus are renamed, and the anti-spam features live in different places. That's why one single recipe won't do. Let's go skin by skin.

Why is blocking on Android different on every phone?

On the iPhone, the Phone app is always the same. On Android it isn't. Google publishes the base system (AOSP), but Samsung, Xiaomi and the rest build their own customisation layer on top: One UI, MIUI or HyperOS, etc. That layer decides which Phone app you use by default, what the blocking option is called, and whether there's a built-in anti-spam filter or not.

There are three blocking routes worth telling apart:

1. Manually blocking a number. You add a specific number to a blocklist. Handy once it has already bothered you.
2. Automatic spam filter. The system or the Phone app flags or silences calls it suspects are spam, without you having to add them one by one.
3. Blocking unknown numbers. You reject every number that isn't in your contacts. It's the most aggressive option and has side effects (you miss medical appointments, couriers, delivery messages).

The golden rule: use manual blocking for what's already bothering you and the automatic filter for what's coming. Save total blocking of unknown numbers for cases of intense harassment only.

How do I block and filter spam on a Samsung (One UI)?

Samsung uses its own Phone app and, in many countries, integrates Hiya as its spam-identification engine. Menu names may vary slightly depending on your One UI version, but the path is stable.

Block a specific number:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Go to Recents (call log).
3. Tap the number you want to ban.
4. Tap More options (the three dots) and choose Block number or Block/Report.

Turn on the automatic spam filter:

1. In the Phone app, open More options (three dots) and go into Settings.
2. Look for Block numbers or Block unwanted calls and spam.
3. Turn on Detect spam or Identify unknown numbers. This is where the identification engine kicks in.
4. Optional: turn on Block calls from unknown numbers if you want to reject anything that isn't in your contacts.

Block by prefix or pattern: within Block numbers you can manually add a number or use an asterisk to block sequences. It's useful if you're getting waves from the same premium-rate prefix or from specific ranges.

Samsung also lets you silence unknown numbers: the phone doesn't ring, but the call stays in the log in case it was important. It's a sensible middle ground.

How do I block spam on a Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO (MIUI/HyperOS)?

Xiaomi's skin (MIUI, now evolving into HyperOS) has one of the most complete anti-spam feature sets in the Android market, but it's somewhat hidden. It relies on the system's Security app and on the Phone app's filter.

Block a specific number:

1. Open Phone and go to the call log.
2. Long-press the number or open it and go into Details.
3. Tap Block (it sometimes appears as Add to blocklist).

Set up the anti-spam filter:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Tap the menu (three dots or the settings icon) and go into Call settings or Spam filter / Blocking.
3. Turn on Block spam calls and messages.
4. Inside you'll find configurable rules: block hidden numbers, block unknown numbers, block calls from abroad, block numbers not in your contacts.

The global blocklist trick: on MIUI/HyperOS, the blocklist also lives in the Security app. From there you manage both blocked calls and SMS in a single place, and you can enable keyword filtering for messages. If you're getting waves of fake parcel-delivery SMS or suspicious QR links, this keyword filter saves you a lot of scares.

Watch out for a Xiaomi quirk: if you turn on block calls from abroad, you'll instantly stop much of the wangiri and ping calls, but you might also miss legitimate calls from outside Spain. Weigh up whether it's worth it for your situation. If you're unsure about an international number, first check what to do about a call from an unknown international number.

How do I block spam on a Google Pixel (stock Android)?

Pixels come with the Google Phone app, which is the system's reference and the one offering the most polished anti-spam features: caller ID, filtering and, in some markets, Call Screen, which answers for you with an assistant.

Block a specific number:

1. Open Phone.
2. Go to Recents.
3. Long-press the number and choose Block / Report spam.

Turn on spam identification and filtering:

1. In Phone, tap More options (three dots) and go into Settings.
2. Open Caller ID & spam.
3. Turn on See caller and spam ID.
4. Turn on Filter spam calls: suspicious calls won't ring, will go straight to the log and you won't get a notification.

Call Screen (if it's available in your area): it lets the assistant answer and show you, in text, what the caller wants before you decide whether to pick up. It's very effective against robocalls and fraudulent call centres, because bots and automated scripts give themselves away straight away.

The Google Phone app is also available on plenty of phones that aren't Pixels. If your manufacturer allows it, installing it and setting it as your default Phone app gives you Google's filter on almost any Android.

What do I do about spam SMS on Android?

Blocking calls is only half the battle. SMS is still a heavily used channel for fraud. On Android you have two routes:

• Google Messages includes spam protection: go to Settings > Spam protection and turn it on. Suspicious messages are moved to a separate folder.
• Manual blocking: long-press a conversation and choose Block / Report spam. On Samsung and Xiaomi the menu is equivalent within their own Messages app.

Don't reply or tap links, not even to "unsubscribe". That only confirms your number is active. If the SMS claims to come from your bank or the tax office, verify it first through an official channel: we explain how in checking whether a call or SMS from your bank is real and in how to verify a notification from the tax office or Social Security.

Is blocking enough, or will the number change?

Here's the awkward bit: scammers spoof the number you see on screen (this is called spoofing). They can make it show a prefix from your province, your own carrier's, or even a number that looks official. That means blocking a specific number stops whoever bothered you today, but not whoever calls tomorrow from a different caller ID.

That's why manual blocking, on its own, is a losing race. Real defence combines three things:

1. An active automatic filter (your manufacturer's or Google's), which detects patterns and doesn't depend on you adding each number.
2. Community identification, which is where a collaborative database of reported numbers comes in.
3. Common sense about spoofing: if a "known number" urgently asks you for data or money, hang up and verify through the official channel. Learn to read a number's risk signals before trusting it.

If you live with older people, this combination matters even more: they're at higher risk and have less margin. We've put together a specific guide on protecting older people from phone scams.

Your Android anti-spam routine (practical summary)

Do this once and you'll have most spam covered:

1. Turn on the automatic filter in your Phone app (Samsung, Xiaomi or Google, following the steps above).
2. Turn on caller ID so you see "Possible spam" before picking up.
3. Turn on SMS spam protection in your Messages app.
4. Manually block the numbers that have already bothered you.
5. Don't return calls to unknown numbers, especially if they hang up on the first ring.
6. Verify before acting: no bank, tax office or courier demands urgent data or payments over the phone.
7. Report the number so the next person sees it identified.

Before blocking a number you don't recognise, you can check what others are reporting. Search the number in our spam number directory, check the prefixes and look at the spam trends in Spain to find out which waves are active right now. If you want to understand the underlying problem better, there's the X-ray of phone spam in Spain with data and a look at the carriers with the most spam numbers.

For more tutorials by topic, drop by our guides and the blog. And if you've received a suspicious call or SMS, report it on NoCall: every report helps the whole community's filter work better.