Getting Nonstop Spam Texts? How to Block and Report Them the Right Way (iPhone & Android)

It starts as a trickle and turns into a flood: a "package couldn't be delivered" text, a "you've won a $100 reward," a wrong-number message from a stranger who wants to keep chatting, a link you'd never click. Junk texts are one of the most common and genuinely aggravating tech annoyances there is, and it can feel like there's nothing you can do but delete them all day. There is — you can meaningfully cut the flow — but it helps to be honest about what's realistic first.

Two honest truths up front. One: you usually can't make your number invisible again. Numbers get bought, sold, leaked in breaches, and guessed in bulk, so the goal isn't zero texts, it's far fewer — by blocking, reporting, and filtering the ones that get through so your phone and your carrier learn to stop them. Two: search "stop spam texts" and you'll be met with ads for "spam blocker" apps that want a monthly subscription. Some of them do work, and we'll get to when one's worth it — but the tools that do most of the job are already built into your iPhone or Android and cost nothing, so start there. Everything below is free unless we say otherwise.

First, the mistake that makes it worse: replying "STOP"

Here's the one that trips almost everyone up, because it feels like the obvious move. A junk text says "Reply STOP to unsubscribe," so you reply STOP — and the texts get worse. The reason is simple and worth understanding: to a scammer or a bulk spammer, any reply at all confirms that a real person reads that number. The Federal Trade Commission and security researchers say the same thing — replying, even with "STOP," tells them the number is live and monitored, which makes it more valuable and often gets it sold onto worse lists. Scammers even put "reply STOP" in their texts on purpose, precisely because it fishes for a response.

There's an important exception so you don't over-correct. "STOP" is a real, legally-honored opt-out for legitimate businesses you actually signed up with — your pharmacy's refill reminders, a store's marketing texts you opted into, your kid's school alerts. Real companies must stop when you reply STOP, and doing so is fine. The tell is whether you recognize the sender and remember opting in. If it's a text you expected from a company you know, STOP works. If it's unexpected, from a random number, emotionally urgent, or from a "company" you never gave your number to, don't reply at all — block and report it instead (below). When in doubt, treat it as spam and don't answer.

Forward it to 7726 (it spells "SPAM")

This is the single most useful move most people have never heard of, and it's endorsed by both the FTC and the FCC. Copy the spam message and forward it to the number 7726 — which spells S-P-A-M on the keypad. That sends a copy to your wireless carrier (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and the smaller carriers that run on their networks all use it), and it's free and doesn't count as a normal text. Your carrier uses these reports to spot spam campaigns and block similar messages across the network — not just for you, but before they reach other customers too.

On most phones it's a couple of taps: press and hold the message, choose Forward, and send it to 7726. Some carriers text you back asking for the sender's number, which you just reply with. It won't stop that exact text you already got, but it's how the spam gets choked off at the network level over time — so it's worth the ten seconds. Do this in addition to blocking and reporting on the phone itself, which is next.

On an iPhone: filter, report, and block

iPhones have two features that together handle most junk, and both are free and built in. The first is Screen Unknown Senders. Go to Settings > Apps > Messages and turn on "Screen Unknown Senders" (on older iOS it's "Filter Unknown Senders"). From then on, any text from a number that isn't in your contacts drops into a separate "Unknown Senders" list instead of buzzing your main inbox — so scammy texts stop interrupting you, and you can glance at that list on your own schedule. Legitimate one-offs, like a delivery driver or a verification code, still land there, so check it occasionally; you can allow notifications for time-sensitive messages if you like.

The second is Report Junk. Open a message from a number you don't know and you'll see a "Report Junk" link at the bottom — tap it, then "Delete and Report Junk," and your iPhone sends a report to Apple and, depending on your carrier, to them as well, then deletes the thread. You can also swipe left on a conversation in the list and choose Delete and Report Junk. And you can always block outright: open the thread, tap the sender at the top, and choose Block this Caller. Between screening unknown senders, reporting the junk, and blocking repeat offenders, an iPhone handles the vast majority of this without any add-on app.

On Android: Google Messages (and Samsung) do the same

If your phone uses Google Messages — the default texting app on Pixel and most modern Android phones, and a free download for the rest — it has spam protection built in and switched on automatically. It runs on your device to flag likely spam and scams, and when a message contains a link it checks that link against Google's database to catch phishing. You can confirm it's on under your profile picture > Messages settings > Spam protection. When it's working, obvious spam gets flagged or filtered for you.

To knock out a specific sender, press and hold the conversation, then tap Block and choose "Report spam." That blocks the number and moves the thread to a "Spam & blocked" folder, and (optionally) sends Google a report to improve detection for everyone. If your phone uses Samsung's own Messages app instead, the equivalent lives in that app's settings and menus — open the conversation, tap the menu, and you'll find Block number and a report option. Either way, the pattern is the same as on iPhone: block the sender, report it, done — no purchase required.

Do you need a paid "spam blocker" app?

For most people, no — and it's worth understanding why before you subscribe. Paid apps like RoboKiller and Nomorobo do block spam texts and calls, and they run a few dollars a month, but they're doing a more aggressive version of what your phone and carrier already do for free. Before paying, check the free tool your own carrier offers: AT&T has ActiveArmor, Verizon has Call Filter, and T-Mobile has Scam Shield, each free at the basic tier and each layering network-level spam blocking on top of the phone's built-in filters. Stack the built-in screening, 7726 reporting, and your carrier's free app first, and see how much still gets through.

A paid app can be reasonable if you're getting hammered despite all of that, or you want one dashboard that manages calls and texts together — just go in knowing it's a convenience upgrade, not a magic wall, and read what it does with your messages before installing (a spam filter necessarily sees your texts). One thing that won't help much here: the National Do Not Call Registry (donotcall.gov) is worth signing up for, but it's aimed at legitimate telemarketing calls — scammers breaking the law to text you don't consult it, so don't expect it to quiet the junk texts.

Getting fewer in the first place

A few habits genuinely reduce how many land. Never tap a link in a text you weren't expecting, and don't tap "unsubscribe" links inside a suspicious message either — like replying, it can confirm your number is active or lead somewhere malicious. Be stingy with your number online: skip it on forms that don't truly need it, and be wary of "text me the coupon" prompts and public sign-up sheets, which are how a lot of numbers end up on marketing lists. And if a text is fishing for a password, a card number, a Social Security number, or a login code, it's a scam full stop — no legitimate company asks for those by text.

One scope note: this guide is about stopping the everyday flood of junk and knowing how to block and report it. If you've gotten a specific text that's trying to trick you — a fake unpaid-toll notice, a "verify your account" alert, a package-delivery con — and you want to know whether it's a scam and what to do if you clicked, we cover those in detail in our guides to toll and account-verification text scams and to scam QR codes. The tools here (don't reply, forward to 7726, block and report) apply to those too; those articles go deeper on spotting the specific cons.

How we can help

The honest short version: you don't need to buy anything to get spam texts under control. Stop replying "STOP" to strangers, forward the junk to 7726 so your carrier can block it, switch on your phone's built-in screening (Screen Unknown Senders on iPhone, Spam protection on Android), and block-and-report the repeat offenders. Do that for a couple of weeks and the flood usually thins to a trickle — for free, with what's already on your phone.

If it still feels overwhelming — or you'd rather someone sit down and set the filters up properly, especially for an older parent who's getting hit with scammy texts and worrying about which are real — that's exactly the kind of everyday tech headache we're glad to help with across Southern California and the Coachella Valley. We'll turn on the right settings, block the worst offenders, walk you through spotting a scam text from a real one, and, if something did get clicked, help lock the account down. No subscription, no upsell to an app you don't need — just getting your phone quiet again.