Face it; your Android phone is your gateway to the world. Thanks to it, staying in touch with your friends and family is faster and easier. However, even if you like this ability to connect with people and contact them when necessary, there are times when such a connection becomes useless. This is the reason why you could consider blocking a number, to prevent them from calling you or texting you.
We really don’t like everyone who can reach us on our mobile phones. If you’re like me, you’re probably thinking of scammers, cold sellers, your boring high school flame. Asking them to stay away from you is not enough, only because it never works.
But, how do you even block a number on Android?
How to block a phone number on Android
We have to be practical about it. How do you prevent unwanted messages and calls from reaching you?
The majority of Android phones have a native way of blocking specific numbers. However, the process varies from phone to phone. Without worrying about the details of call blocking on all phones on the market, we can paint a general picture of the process for the most popular devices.
Stock Android
Some phones run Android – Google’s Android vanilla. There are two methods that anyone can use to block phone numbers on devices running this version of Android.
The first method is to open the Phone on your Android smartphone and access your recent calls. A long press on one of these numbers will bring up a menu on which you can press “Block number”.
You always open the Phone in the second method, but this time you will tap the three-dot menu in the upper right corner. Select “Settings” and press “Call barring” to add the numbers you want to block.
Carriers who understand you
The Stock Android method assumes that you will not be changing phones. Well, in the real world, anything is possible. This is why you should consider blocking a number more systematically.
Your telephone operator can help you block a phone number.
AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon – the four main American operators – provide a service where you can block specific telephone numbers. You just need to make sure of the general conditions of the carrier.
The Samsung Galaxy Way
Samsung remains a market leader in the field of smartphones. It is likely that you are using a Samsung Galaxy smartphone to read this article.
Samsung Galaxy phones have an ingenious way to manage blocking of phone numbers. It’s a simple 4 step process:
- Open the Phone app.
- Select the number you want to block and press “More”.
- Add it to the black list by pressing “Add to the automatic rejection list”.
- If you want to unblock a number or make more changes, go to Settings> Call settings> All calls> Auto reject.
What happens when you block a number?
Once you have blocked a number, the caller can no longer reach you. You no longer receive their calls. You also do not receive their messages. But there is one thing that you surely get back – your peace of mind.
So what really happens when you block a number?
First of all, be aware that after blocking a phone number, you can still call that number as if nothing had happened. You can also send text messages to the number. However, they will receive your text messages but will not be able to reply.
Let’s be clear about what’s going on here; calls ring once and go to voicemail, while texts go to a “blocked senders” directory. It is therefore not a “block” in the true sense of the term. Instead, it is more like a “rerouting”, but the blocked party does not receive any notification that it is under blocking.
The block is in one direction, which means that you can initiate communication on your side, unlike the phone number you have blocked. However, you can unblock the phone number if you don’t mind resuming regular communications with a phone number that you previously blocked.
Conclusion
There are several hidden gems on your Android phone. The ability to block any phone number is just one. This feature shows you the control you can exercise, if only you are aware of it.