Don’t you hate it when you wake up in the morning and see a number of messages from advertisers or other companies that you haven’t even heard of trying to sell you useless stuff? I know I have. These are far worse, for me at least than those door-to-door salespersons knocking on your door at 7 AM on a Sunday. The problem with spam messages is even greater on smartphones because you receive the usual email spam and SMS spam and air push notifications from apps. But fear not, there are some ways to block a part of this spam, although not 100%, but it will take care of some of it. Nevertheless, this is a start.
How to block spam on mobile phones
“Spam is the use of electronic messaging systems to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately.” – This is how Wikipedia describes it, messages sent on our phones with information we didn’t ask for, from companies or people we don’t know, about stuff we don’t need. Spam is sent via SMS messages from operators and from other internet services that have your phone number. When dealing with notification spam, this is caused by apps you install on your device that send these notifications. If you own a smartphone, the process is fairly simple. Because you have access to lots of apps that can block incoming spam, it’s just a matter of finding a good ad blocker that can get the job done. Also, you have at your disposal apps that can filter SMS messages and emails. On an Android smartphone, a quick search on the Google Play Market reveals a few great apps that can help you fight off spam messages:
- Call Blocker – A great tool for blocking call spammers, such as those who like to survey you over the telephone or to promote their services. Also, it lets you create your personalized lists of callers and blacklists. 2. Call Control – A simple tool that lets you define blacklists and whitelists of callers, so you will never be bothered by those who don’t want 3. Mr. Number Text, Call & Block – Offering you complete control of your calls and SMS messages, this little app can help you keep spammers at bay for both SMS/MMS and voice calls. 4. AntiSpamSMS – Designed to make your SMS messages safe, AntiSpamSMS makes short work of spam messages sent by SMS. 5. Go SMS – Users of Go SMS have at their disposal a great tool for blocking spam. Users can add a number to the blacklist, or they can have a filter that automatically searches for words found in spam messages. 6. Airblocker – This is a free app that lets you enjoy your Android smartphone without air push notifications. Keep in mind that this app only works on rooted devices. Related Article: 7 Ways to Block a Phone Number! On any other type of phone you have, one of the best ways to get rid of spam is to notify the carrier. They have the ability to block senders that massively spam users. At AT&T, for instance, you have the option to send the spam message to the carrier, and they will see that you will never be bothered by that number again. Just copy the message and/or phone number into an SMS and send the text to 7726 (SPAM from the keyboard). They will let you know if the problem is fixed. Also, you have the option of blocking your SMS email gateway from their website. But every major phone company has such a service. Be sure to give them a call, and you will see that they offer great solutions for blocking spam messages. Blackberry smartphones also have a Firewall that can help you with your spam problems. Also, you can find apps to install, and they can have a pretty big impact on your spam problems. Also, if you live in the US, you can add your number to the National Do Not Call Registry. This will ensure that promoters will not bother you with calls or SMS messages.
A few useful tips:
Do not leave your phone number on sites claiming to give you free minutes, SMS messages, or any other service. They cannot do this! If you see web pages claiming you have won a prize, be it $1 million or a brand new iPhone 7 (kidding), do not fill any forms or give any information about yourself. Actually, do not even click them. You can get viruses on your computer. If salespersons call you, save the number and never answer again, or report it to the carrier. Do not forget that almost all phones have some manner of call or SMS blocker, not only smartphones, so look it up and create blacklists with the numbers that spam you. If you do answer, do not give them any information. Be very careful. Some even say they represent the phone company or other utilities, do not give them any information unless you are sure about who you are talking to.
Related Article: Permanently Block Unwanted Calls With YouMail
