There are few things more annoying than nuisance phone calls from private numbers. It is bad enough when a caller that you know interrupts you when you’re having a meal, but when it is a cold caller from a call centre, it can be infuriating.
Luckily, most smartphones these days come with an inbuilt feature that can allow you to block incoming calls and messages from hidden and private numbers, but not everyone knows how to do it. The following guide will explain for Android and iPhone users how to block private number in a few easy steps!
Read: Who is calling you from that number?
Android
The steps you need to take will vary a little depending on your phone manufacturer but they are all roughly the same once you open the phone app.
From the phone app tap More > Call Settings > Call Rejection.
Next, tap ‘Auto reject list’ and then toggle the ‘Unknown’ option to the on position and all calls from unknown numbers will be blocked.
If your smartphone doesn’t allow you to block unknown numbers, you can also download call blocking apps such as Extreme Call Blocker.
Read: Simple ways to silence robocalls and other nuisances
iPhone
The iPhone process is a little different to Android.
Go into Settings > Do Not Disturb.
Then turn ‘Do Not Disturb on Manual’ and select to only allow calls from your contact list. You can also block repeated calls from the same number getting through within a three-minute period.
If you would like to block only the spam callers without blocking potential hidden numbers that may come from someone you do know, try the TrapCall app.
TrapCall’s spam call blocking will automatically block more than 100,000 known spam numbers from your phone.
Read: Blocking numbers on smartphones
