How To Block Restricted Numbers On Iphone

How to block a phone number on Android

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Knowing how to block a phone number on Android will certainly prove useful if you're constantly receiving spam and promotional text messages or calls from an unwanted person,

As of right now, Android is the most-used operating system in the world — rivaling Apple's iOS — with over 2.5 billion active users spanning over 190 countries. So if you're among the many Android users trying to figure out a way to block a phone number on your smartphone, we've got you covered.

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Whether you're a novice Android user or one of those few lucky users who hasn't had to consider blocking/reporting a certain phone number until now, this is one of the most common practices for the majority of smartphone users.

Simply put, by blocking a phone number, you restrict the person (or AI bot) behind it from contacting you at all. This means that no calls and text messages will go through to your phone from a blocked sender. However, you can still contact a blocked phone number through a phone call and the recipient should be able to answer your call.

Below, we've prepared a step-by-step guide on how to block a phone number on Android through both the Phone app and your Contacts list. Keep in mind that at the time of writing, we were using a Samsung Galaxy A20e. It's also worth noting that some screenshot elements were blurred/covered for privacy purposes.

How to block a phone number on Android through the Phone app

1. First, locate and tap on the Phone app icon in the main menu.

How to block a phone number on Android through Phone app — (Image credit: Samsung)

2. Next, tap on the three-dot icon, which should appear on the right-hand side of the screen.

3. Go ahead and tap the Settings option in the drop-down menu as shown below.

4. Next, select the "Block numbers" option. And if you're trying to protect yourself from spam, make sure to check our guide on how to block and report spam text messages for more guidance.

5. At this stage, you can turn on a feature that blocks any unknown or private numbers by toggling the grey icon.

To block a new number you can either: type in the number manually, select one from the "Recent" calls/text messages, or from your Contacts list. If you're doing the former, make sure to tap "Done" and "+" to finalize the process.

Congratulations! You're all done. You can remove a blocked number at any time by tapping the "-" icon right next to it.

1. First, locate and tap on the Contacts app from the main menu.

How to block a phone number on Android through Contacts app — (Image credit: Samsung)

2. Next, select a person that you'd like to block from your Contacts list.

3. Go ahead and tap on the three-dot icon, which should appear on the bottom right part of your screen.

4. Next, tap the "Block Contact" option in the drop-down menu.

5. Almost there! Confirm your choice by tapping "Block" in the pop-up window. Got it? Alright, you're all done. You can remove a number from your blocked list at any time by tapping the three-dot icon and selecting "Unblock contact."

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Denise is a news writer at Tom's Guide covering all things tech, gaming software/hardware, streaming, and more. She regularly produces short-form news articles as well as long-form content, including reviews, buying guides, how-tos, and features. When she's not live-streaming horror games on Twitch, she can be found exploring East London while playing Pokemon Go. She's also a part-time piano enthusiast and regularly experiments in the kitchen. You can reach her at denise.primbet@futurenet.com.