Block a Number on Android: Every Method That Works

Block a Number From the Phone App (Most Android Phones)

On Pixel and most stock-Android phones, blocking lives inside the Phone app's call history:

1. Open the Phone app and tap the More menu, then Call history.
2. Tap the entry for the number you want to stop hearing from.
3. Select Block/report spam.

Two related settings live in the same place. 

• Under More > Settings > Blocked numbers, you can flip on Unknown to auto-decline calls from private or unlisted numbers. This won't touch calls from numbers simply not saved in your contacts. 
• To unblock a number later, go back to Blocked numbers, find the entry, and tap the clear icon next to it. Keep in mind the call history from while it was blocked won't reappear once you unblock it.

Block a Number on a Samsung Galaxy

Samsung spreads number-blocking across a few different apps depending on where you're starting from:

• From Contacts: Open the contact, tap More, tap Block contact, then confirm by tapping Block. The entry stays in your list but can no longer reach you.
• From the Phone app: Tap the three-dot menu, go to Settings > Block numbers, then either type in a number and hit the plus icon to add it, or jump into your Recents/Contacts tab to pick one directly.
• From Messages: Press and hold the conversation, tap More, then Block, and confirm.

To review or edit everything you've blocked, head to Messages > Settings > Block numbers and spam. Undoing a block works the same way in reverse, through the contact's Unblock contact option, or by removing the number from the list in Phone app > Settings > Block numbers.

Samsung also has a Smart Call feature that filters calls from numbers that aren't saved anywhere in your contacts, which is useful against spam or unknown callers. It's a toggle in Phone app > Settings > Block numbers > Block calls from unknown numbers, though availability depends on your carrier.

What Happens When You Block a Number

Blocking a number on Android doesn't notify the caller. Their calls instead go straight to voicemail (or get silently rejected, depending on your carrier) without a single ring on your end, and their texts stop arriving in your messages app entirely. You won't see a "message not delivered" flag, and they won't get one either. From their side, it typically just looks like the call didn't go through or the text sent normally.

Blocking is number-specific, not device-specific. If the same person calls from a second line, a new number, or a spoofed caller ID, the block won't catch it.

See or Manage Your Blocked List

To check who's currently blocked, or to unblock a number:

• Pixel/stock Android: Phone app → three-dot menu → Settings → Blocked numbers.
• Samsung: Phone app → three-dot menu → Settings → Block numbers.

Tap the minus sign or trash icon next to any entry to unblock it. There's no limit most users will hit; Android's blocked list comfortably holds hundreds of entries.

Not Sure Who It Is? Identify the Number Before You Block

Blocking works fine when you already know who's calling and just want them gone. However, if the number is unfamiliar, blocking it blind means you might also block a delivery driver, a new doctor's office, or a legitimate callback. Running a reverse phone lookup can potentially tell you who's actually behind the number before you cut it off for good.

If the calls keep coming from new numbers even after you block one, the pattern is often bigger than a single caller. Our guide to stopping spam calls covers the carrier- and app-level filters that catch what one-off blocking can't. If what you're actually seeing is "Unknown" or "No Caller ID" instead of a real number, there's nothing to block yet. Our field guide to unknown and no caller ID calls breaks down what each label actually means and what to do about it.