Block Spam Calls on Your Smartphone

July 2021 — Tip of the Month

Anyone with a mobile phone knows the frustration of receiving unwanted phone calls. These unsolicited calls have found their way under "spam" umbrella, a term previously reserved for unwanted email. But spam is an accurate term for these incoming calls, especially if you receive several a day.

If you're tired of telemarketing calls and robocalls on your smartphone, it might be time to download a spam-blocking app. Several major cellular carriers provide these apps for free. I use AT&T, so I downloaded their "Call Protect" app a few months ago.

The app checks incoming phone calls against a database of known spam sources and warns me if the call is spam, with a label such as "Spam Risk" or "Telemarketer." These identifiers help me differentiate between spam and legitimate incoming calls. I'm now able to answer calls from unknown numbers with more confidence.

- Per Christensson