Most of us receive spam messages and calls. Although the messages are not that annoying, they do create some problems. For example, they fill our inbox and distract us. The most worrying thing, however, is that spam messages may have a link that promotes malware or leads to phishing sites.
If you are one of those people who wants to get rid of these messages, there are ways.
How to stop spam messages on iPhone and Android?
First, don't reply to spam messages.
Spammers often tell users to reply “STOP” if they don’t want to receive any more spam. However, they may not keep their word. Spammers use your reply – including STOP – as a signal that you received their message , and so they start sending more messages. Scammers may also sell users’ information to other spammers looking for phone numbers that have been verified as active. So, avoid replying or even opening the messages.
Report spammers to your mobile provider
One way to deal with spam messages is to report them directly to your mobile phone provider. Depending on the company, you may be asked to send the phone number that is sending you the spam messages. The phone company will then take appropriate action, which will help not only you but many other users.
Filtering
Most phones have the ability to automatically filter potential spam messages so that they don't appear in the same list as important, legitimate messages from known contacts.
- iPhone
Go to Settings and tap “Messages.” Find “Filter unknown senders” and turn it on.
- Android
Go to Messages and tap the three dots in the top right. In the drop-down menu, select “Settings,” then tap “Spam Protection.” Finally, tap “Enable Spam Protection.”.
Block specific spammers
If you frequently receive spam messages from the same phone number, you can use your app to block that number. However, don't rely on this, as most spammers use many different numbers, so blocking individual numbers may have little effect.
- iPhone
Open the message and tap the user at the top of the page. Then tap “info.” On the next page, tap “info” again, then tap “Block this person.”
- Android
The process may vary depending on the messaging app you use, but generally, you can tap the three dots at the top of the message and select “Block number” from the drop-down menu.
Use a spam blocking app (paid)
If the above steps aren't enough, you can use a dedicated spam blocking app . According to Business Insider, one such app is RoboKiller , which is available for both iPhone and Android and can dramatically reduce spam messages and calls. However, these apps aren't free. RoboKiller allows a free trial for 7 days. After that, you have to pay $5 per month or $40 per year.
