How To Block Unknown Callers On Google Voice

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Do you feel like you’re getting more spam calls than normal lately? You aren’t alone. As people switch their primary communication preferences from email to text message, spammers are adapting. That means instead of attacking your email inbox, spammers are now spamming your mobile phone. 

If you are a heavy Google Voice user, you’ve probably noticed an increase in unknown callers lately. As a VoIP phone service, Google Voice does a terrible job at blocking Spam phone calls and text messages.

Here’s how to stop most of the spam phone calls coming to your Google Voice number. This tutorial includes instructions for Google Voice users on how to block unknown callers on Google Voice, report spam messages, and enable call screening.

How To Block Unknown Callers On Google Voice ... #GoogleVoice #GoogleVoiceTricks #SpamCalls #UnknownCallers Share on X

How To Filter Spam Calls In Google Voice

One of the easiest ways to reduce your Google Voice spam text messages and spam phone calls is by using the Google Voice spam filter feature. Here’s how:

1. Open the Google Voice app on your smartphone.
2. Tap on the Menu icon with the three horizontal lines in the top left corner (or swipe left).
3. Select “Settings.”
4. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and toggle on the “Filter Spam” option. Enabling this option will redirect suspected spam calls, text messages, and voicemails to the Spam folder. These Unknown calls will still appear in your call history, they just won’t ring your phone. Whew!

How To Block UNKNOWN Callers In Google Voice Using Custom Rules

Enabling the Filter Spam option will help stop a lot of robocalls, but not all of them. Those dreaded unknown callers might still get through. Reddit user, itcrackerjack, had a problem with UNKNOWN CALLERS that many of us Google Voice users can relate with:

“I’m getting anywhere from 10 to 30 calls per minute from “Unknown” … It’s almost as if my number was being called as part of a conference call with other numbers because often times the voicemails are phone system directories like press 1 for English or “your call cannot be completed as dialed” or “no routes found”. 1 time I answered, and it was Indian sounding music for the 20 seconds until I hung up.” 

Unfortunately, there is no way to easily block unknown phone numbers in Google Voice. But there is a way to automatically send unknown callers to voicemail using Custom Rules. Here’s what you need to do.

1. Custom rules can’t be used from the Google Voice app. So go to voice.google.com using a web browser.
2. Click on the gear icon to access the Settings screen.
3. Select the Calls section.
4. Scroll down to Custom Call Forwarding
5. Click on Create A Rule
6. Select Anonomous Callers to apply your rule to.
7. Toggle off “Forward to these numbers” to prevent your phone from ringing.
8. Select a Voicemail greeting to play for this rule. I suggest uploading the disconnected number tone or using the reorder tone.
9. Select Never Screen to prevent the call from being sent to your phone.

Here's how to block unknown callers in Google Voice using custom rules. #GoogleVoice #GoogleVoiceTricks #SpamCalls #UnknownCallers Share on X

If you use an app like VLC player, you can loop the reorder tone (fast busy signal) for 30+ seconds. Chances are neither a human nor a spam robot will wait that long to leave you a voicemail message.

How To Block A Number On Google Voice

Are you constantly being harassed by one particular phone number? Here’s how to block a number on Google Voice.

1. Open the Google Voice app.
2. From the bottom of the screen, open the tab for Messages, Calls, or Voicemail.
3. Open a message, call, or voicemail from the number you want to block.
4. Tap the More options icon (•••) in the top right.
5. Choose Block number.
6. Then tap on Block.

Future calls from that blocked number will hear a special information tone (SIT), a “not in service” message, and the call will disconnect.

Google Voice provides a few features that will help you manage Anonymous callers who block their caller ID. #GoogleVoice #UnknownCallers #GoogleVoiceTricks #GoogleVoiceTips Share on X

How To Report A Spam Call In Google Voice

Reporting a Spam text message or phone call in Google Voice is very easy. Here’s how…

1. Open the Google Voice app.
2. From the bottom of the screen, open the tab for Messages, Calls, or Voicemail.
3. Open a message, call, or voicemail from the number you want to block.
4. Tap More options (•••) 
5. Mark As Spam

It’s an annoying and manual process, but it’s worth the hassle. Reporting spam text messages and phone calls in Google Voice is an effective way to identify spammers and prevent them from contacting you.

How To Enable Call Screening In Google Voice

Another way to reduce spam phone calls and block unknown callers in Google Voice, is to enable call screening. Call screening forces callers to announce themselves before you accept the call.

Here’s how to enable call screening in Google Voice:

1. Open the Google Voice app.
2. Tap on the Menu icon with the three horizontal lines in the top left corner (or swipe left).
3. Select “Settings.”
4. Toggle on the “Call Screening” option.

If you have Google Voice call screening enabled, callers are required to announce themselves before the call is routed to your phone. This drastically cuts down on robocalls. If anything, you’ll get random voicemails of silence because the robocalls don’t know how to navigate the voice prompts.

And if a spam caller does get through, you can send the call to voicemail and stay muted. You can even ease drop on the message, if you want.

Why Isn’t The Government Doing More To Stop Spam Robo Calls & Spam Text Messages?

Spam phone calls and spam text messages are a major issue for millions of people across the United States. So, what is the government doing to stop it? Honestly, not much. Why? They are powerless to prevent spammers.

In 2003, the US Government passed a largely bipartisan law creating the national Do Not Call Registry. Anyone who didn’t want to receive calls from telemarketers could add their phone number to the Do Not Call List. And if a telemarketer was caught calling someone on the Do Not Call Registry, they could face an $11,000 fine per call from the FTC (Federal Trade Commission).

For a short period of time, the Do Not Call Registry and the $11,000 fine dramatically helped reduce spammers from attacking our phones. Unfortunately, that ended after the adoption of Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) dialing. VoIP technology allowed telemarketers to easily spoof phone numbers, use robo dialers to increase their calls, and virtually disappear before they could get caught. 

Sadly, VoIP technology created an uncontrollable surge in spam phone calls.

Annual Do Not Call Complaints

• 2010: 1.6 million
• 2011: 2.3 million
• 2012: 3.9 million
• 2018: 1.4 million
• 2019: 5.1 million
• 2020: 4.0 million (COVID-19 pandemic begins)
• 2021: 4.6 million
• 2022: 2.7 million

There was a significant drop in complaints in 2022 compared to 2021. Where the government is struggling to control spam calls, big tech is stepping in to help. For example, recent updates to the iPhone’s iOS, have made it easier to block and filter unwanted calls.

But the amount of complaints hardly matters anymore. According to this RoboKiller report, 71 Billion spam calls were placed in 2021. Yikes!

In addition to spam robocalls, spam text complaints are also soaring. An estimated 47 billion spam texts were sent in 2021, up 55% from the year before. Yikes! That’s a lot of spam!

How Does The Do Not Call Registry Work?

The Do Not Call Registry is a popular program that allows consumers to opt out of receiving telemarketing calls. However, many people are unaware of how the registry actually works.

When you add your number to the list, it does not prevent telemarketers from calling you. Instead, it simply gives you the right to file a complaint if you are contacted.

To file a complaint, you can call the FTC at 1-888-382-1222. Or, you can also fill out a form on the Do Not Call website. If the FTC receives enough complaints about a particular telemarketer, then maybe it will take enforcement action.

It is important to note that the Do Not Call Registry is not a perfect solution. Telemarketers can still call you if they have your prior consent, or if they are calling on behalf of a charity or government agency. However, the registry can help to reduce the number of unwanted telemarketing calls you receive.

Ways To Block Spamers From Calling Your Google Voice Number

Spam phone calls are annoying and can drain the life out of you. Hopefully these tips on how to block unknown callers on Google Voice will help. Enabling all options in this tutorial should help reduce the amount of spam phone calls, spam text messages, and spam voicemails that you receive on your Google Voice account.

Do you have any other tips to help block unknown callers in Google Voice? Please let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading and please share this article online.