Hundreds of thousands of spam calls are made every month, according to research by Clever Dialer. More than 585,000 were recorded in April 2026 alone, with affected people receiving more than four calls on average. Common scams include fake prize claims used to obtain sensitive information and demands for allegedly unpaid debts.
Many smartphones now include tools that can identify suspicious calls before users answer them. Android is also set to receive a feature designed to combat scams in which callers impersonate bank employees. When a call appears to come from a participating bank, Android will communicate with the installed banking app to check whether the call is genuine or expected. If the bank does not recognize it as legitimate, the phone can end the call automatically.
The feature will require agreements between Google and participating banks. At launch, Revolut, Itaú and Nubank are listed as partners, with more banks expected to join. The system is intended to help counter spoofing, in which scammers imitate a bank’s phone number.
Samsung users can use the company’s Smart Call feature. It checks incoming numbers against a database and labels them as suspected spam or potential fraud when appropriate. Users can then swipe up on the incoming-call screen to block the number or report it to Samsung.
Smart Call can be enabled in the Samsung Phone app by opening the three-dot menu, selecting “Settings” and activating “Caller ID and spam protection” if it is not already enabled.
Google Pixel phones offer another option called Call Screen. In the United States, the feature can answer suspicious calls automatically. In Germany, users can activate it manually by selecting “Screen call” when a number appears suspicious. An assistant asks the caller why they are calling, and the response is shown to the user as a transcript. If the call is unwanted, it can be reported as spam and the assistant can tell the caller not to make further contact.
The feature is located in the Phone app under the three-dot menu and “Settings,” followed by “Spam and Call Screen.” Google notes that the option may not be available on every device.
iPhones provide several ways to manage unwanted calls. Call identification can check incoming numbers through a third-party app, a mobile carrier or Apple Business Connect. Suspicious numbers are then marked accordingly. The setting is available under “Settings,” “Apps,” “Phone” and “Call Blocking & Identification.”
Apple’s call screening option can also answer calls on the user’s behalf. Siri asks for the caller’s name and the reason for the call before passing the information to the recipient, who can then decide how to proceed. The relevant setting is “Ask Reason for Calling” under the call-screening options in the Phone app.
Users can additionally silence unknown and spam calls automatically and move them to separate lists. Depending on the classification, calls are either handled silently in the background or sent to voicemail.
Dedicated apps offer another layer of protection. Clever Dialer and Tellows are available for Android and iOS and rely on community reports. When users flag a number as suspicious, the apps can identify it as spam during future calls. They can also provide information about whether a number is associated with advertising or suspected fraud, while allowing users to block it.
Sources: t3n.