Robocalls are one of the most frustrating things to happen to your Phone. They are automated calls that try to sell you something, scam you, or trick you into giving away your personal information. They can interrupt your work, sleep, or peace of mind.
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Americans received nearly 4 billion monthly robocalls in 2019. That’s an average of 12 calls per person per month. And the problem is only getting worse, as robocalls use spoofing technology to disguise their numbers and evade detection.
Fortunately, there are some ways to fight back and block these unwanted calls on your iPhone or Android phone. In this article, we will review some of the best free robocall blocker apps for Android that can help you reduce or eliminate robocalls from your life. We will also share some tips on how to avoid falling for robocall scams and how to report them to the authorities.
What is a Robocall, and How Does It Work?
A robocall is a phone call that uses a computerized autodialer to deliver a recorded message. The message may be pre-recorded or generated by text-to-speech software. The message may ask you to press a button, say something, or stay on the line to speak to a live person.
Robocalls are often used for legitimate purposes, such as reminders from your doctor, alerts from your school, or notifications from your bank. However, many robocalls are illegal and fraudulent. They try to sell you products or services you don’t need or want or trick you into revealing your personal or financial information.
Robocallers use various techniques to make their calls more convincing and harder to trace. One of them is spoofing, which means changing the caller ID information to make it look like the call is coming from a local number, a trusted organization, or even your own number. Another technique is using multiple numbers and rotating them frequently to avoid being blocked by call-blocking apps or services.
How to Block Robocalls on Your iPhone or Android Phone?
There are several ways to block robocalls on your Android or iPhone phone, depending on your phone model, carrier, and preferences. Here are some of the most common methods:
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Use your Phone’s built-in call-blocking feature
Most Android or iPhone phones have a native option to block specific numbers or unknown callers. You can usually find this option in your Phone’s settings menu under “Call blocking” or “Blocked numbers”. However, this method may be ineffective against spoofed numbers or robocalls that change their numbers frequently.
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Use your carrier’s call-blocking service
Some carriers offer free or paid services to identify and block suspected robocalls before they reach your Phone. For example, AT&T has Call Protect, Verizon has Call Filter, T-Mobile has Scam Shield, and Sprint has Premium Caller ID. You can check with your carrier if they have such a service and how to activate it on your Phone.
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Use a third-party robocall blocker app
Many apps on the Google Play Store can help you block robocalls on your Android phone. These apps use various methods to detect and filter out unwanted calls, such as databases of known spam numbers, crowd-sourced reports from other users, machine learning algorithms, or caller ID verification. Some apps offer additional features like call recording, reverse lookup, spam reporting, or safelist/denylist options.
What are the Best Free Robocall Blocker Apps for Android?
There are dozens of robocall blocker apps for Android on the market. Still, not all of them are equally effective, reliable, or safe. Some may have hidden fees, annoying ads, privacy issues, or compatibility problems with your Phone or carrier.
To help you choose the best free robocall blocker app for Android for your needs and preferences, we have reviewed some of the most popular and reputable ones based on their features, performance, user ratings, and reviews. Here are our top picks:
CallApp
CallApp is one of Android’s most comprehensive and versatile caller ID and call-blocking apps. It can identify and block over 655,000 annoying robocalls, telemarketers, and scammers. It also offers call recording (on select versions of Android), reverse lookup, spam reporting, backup, analytics, and personalized video ringtones.
With a sleek and intuitive interface, you can use CallApp as your default dialer and contact book. CallApp is free, but you can upgrade to a premium subscription for more features and an ad-free experience.
Nomorobo
Nomorobo is a robocall blocker app that won the FTC Robocall Challenge in 2013. It uses a real-time protection system that checks every incoming call against a database of over 655,000 known robocallers, scammers, and telemarketers.
If it detects a robocall, it will block it or send it to voicemail, depending on your preference. You can also report new robocalls to help improve the service. Nomorobo is free to try for 14 days, costing $1.99 per month or $19.99 per year.
RoboKiller
RoboKiller is another award-winning robocall blocker app that claims to block over 99% of spam calls. It uses a patented audio fingerprinting technology that analyzes callers’ voice patterns and behaviours to identify and block robocalls.
It also has a unique feature called Answer Bots, which are pre-recorded messages that you can use to waste time and frustrate robocalls. You can choose from various Answer Bots or create your own. RoboKiller also offers caller ID, spam text blocking, custom block and allow lists. RoboKiller is free to try for 7 days, costing $3.99 per month or $29.99 per year.
Truecaller
Truecaller is one of Android’s most popular and trusted caller ID and spam-blocking apps. It has over 500 million downloads and 250 million active users worldwide. This app can identify and block spam calls, SMS, and MMS from over 250 million known spammers.
It also has a smart dialer that lets you make calls directly from the app, a chat feature that lets you send messages and money securely, and a backup feature that lets you save your contacts and call history to Google Drive. Truecaller is free, but you can upgrade to a premium or gold subscription for more features and an ad-free experience.
Hiya
Hiya is another well-known caller ID and spam-blocking app for Android. It has over 100 million downloads and 25 million active users worldwide. The Hiya app can identify and block unwanted calls from over 500 million known spammers, fraudsters, telemarketers, and robocalls.
It also has a caller profile feature that lets you see the name, photo, location, and reputation of callers. You can also report new spammers to help improve the service. Hiya is free, but you can upgrade to a premium subscription for more features and an ad-free experience.
Discuss benefits and drawbacks.
Robocall blocker apps can offer many benefits for Android users who want to eliminate unwanted calls.
Some of the benefits are:
- They can save you time and hassle by filtering out spam calls before they reach your Phone.
- They can protect you from scams and fraud by identifying and blocking known robocallers, spoofers, and telemarketers.
- They can enhance your privacy and security by preventing your personal or financial information from being exposed or stolen by robocalls.
- They can improve your phone performance and battery life by reducing the number of unwanted calls that consume your resources.
- They can provide additional features and options, such as call recording, reverse lookup, spam reporting, or custom block and allow lists.
However, robocall blocker apps also have some drawbacks you should be aware of.
Some of the drawbacks are:
- They may not be able to block all robocalls, especially those that use spoofing technology or change their numbers frequently.
- They may require access to your contacts, call logs, phone numbers, and other permissions that may raise privacy or security concerns.
- They may have hidden fees, annoying ads, compatibility issues, or bugs affecting their functionality or reliability.
- They may block legitimate calls from unknown numbers, such as emergency services, delivery services, or potential employers.
- They may conflict with other apps or services you use on your phone, such as caller ID, voicemail, or call forwarding.
How to Avoid Robocall Scams?
Blocking robocalls on your Android phone can help you reduce the nuisance and annoyance of these calls, but it may not be enough to protect you from falling for their scams. Here are some tips on how to avoid robocall scams:
- Don’t answer calls from unknown numbers. They will leave a message or call back later if it’s important.
- Don’t trust caller ID information. Spoofing technology can make any number appear on your screen, even if it’s not real.
- Don’t press any buttons or say anything when you receive a robocall. This may confirm that your number is active and lead to more calls in the future.
- Don’t give out any personal or financial information over the Phone. No legitimate organization will ask you for such information unsolicited.
- Don’t follow any instructions or links from a robocall message. They may lead to fake websites or malware downloads that compromise your security.
- Don’t pay any fees or taxes upfront for any prize or offer. This is a common tactic used by scammers to get your money.
- Don’t fall for scare tactics or threats. Scammers may try to intimidate you into paying them by claiming that you owe money to the IRS, have a warrant for your arrest, or have a problem with your social security number.
How to Report Robocalls?
Reporting robocalls can help authorities track down and stop robocalls. Here are some ways to report robocalls:
- In the US, you can report robocalls to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at donotcall.gov. By reporting the number on your caller ID, you help the FTC track down the scammers behind the call. The FTC takes the phone numbers you report and releases them to the public each business day, which helps phone carriers and other partners to block and label them.
- You can also report robocalls to your phone carrier, which may have tools or services to block them. You can check with your carrier how to report robocalls and what options they offer to protect you from them.
- You can also report robocalls to your state attorney general or consumer protection agency, which may have jurisdiction over some types of robocalls and may take legal action against them. You can find their contact information at naag.org or consumerresources.org.
- Suppose you receive a robocall that claims to be from a government agency, such as the IRS, SSA, or Medicare. In that case, you can also report it to that agency directly. You can find their contact information at usa.gov.
Conclusion
Robocalls are a major nuisance and a potential threat to your privacy and security. However, you don’t have to put up with them. Using some of the best free robocall blocker apps for Android can significantly reduce or eliminate unwanted calls from your phone.
You can also avoid robocall scams by being vigilant and sceptical of unsolicited calls asking for your personal or financial information. And you can also help fight back against robocalls by reporting them to the authorities and contributing to their enforcement efforts.
We hope this article has helped you find the best free robocall blocker app for Android for your needs and preferences. Please let us know in the comments below if you have any questions or feedback. And don’t forget to share this article with your friends and family who may also benefit from blocking robocalls on their Android phones.
Useful resources
If you want to learn more about how to block robocalls and spam calls on your Android phone, you can check out these useful resources:
- How to Stop Unwanted Robocalls and Texts
- 5 best robocall blocker apps for Android – Android Authority
- How to Block Robocalls and Spam Calls | PCMag
- The Best Robocall Blocker Apps of 2021 – The Plug – HelloTech
These articles provide more details, tips, and reviews on some of the best robocall blocker apps for Android available on the market. They can help you compare and choose the best app for your needs and preferences. You can also find more information on avoiding and reporting robocall scams and protecting your privacy and security from unwanted callers.
