To stop spam texts, turn on your messages app’s spam filter: Google Messages → Messages settings → Protection & safety → Spam protection, or on iPhone Settings → Apps → Messages → Screen Unknown Senders.
Then report each scam: forward it to 7726 (US and UK) or use 1909 and Chakshu in India, and delete and block the sender. Don’t reply, not even STOP, and never tap the link.
Spam filters catch most junk, but some will always get through, because scammers rotate through thousands of numbers. That’s why reporting matters: every 7726 or 1909 report helps your network block the sender for everyone.
We checked the Android steps on our own Samsung Galaxy. The iPhone steps are based on Apple’s support pages. Unwanted calls are covered in our guide to blocking spam calls on Android and iPhone.
How to stop spam texts on Android
Most Android phones, including many recent Galaxy models, use Google Messages. Older Galaxy phones may still use Samsung Messages. Open your texting app and check the name if you’re not sure.
Google Messages
- Open Messages and tap your profile picture or initials (top right).
- Tap Messages settings → Protection & safety → Spam protection.
- Turn on Enable spam protection. Google says it’s on by default, but it’s worth checking.
Suspected spam goes to a separate spam folder instead of your main list. To report a text that got through, touch and hold the conversation, then tap Block → Report spam → OK. Messages from a blocked number go quietly to the spam folder.
Samsung Messages
- Open Messages → More options (three dots) → Settings.
- Tap Block numbers and spam to see your blocked list and spam settings.
- To block a sender, touch and hold the conversation, tap More → Block, and confirm.
How to stop spam texts on iPhone
We didn’t test these steps on an iPhone. They’re based on Apple’s support pages for iOS 26 and later.
- Open Settings → Apps → Messages, scroll to Unknown Senders, and turn on Screen Unknown Senders. You can also do this in Messages: tap the Filters button → Manage Filtering.
- Texts from numbers you haven’t messaged before, and that aren’t in your contacts, now go to the Unknown Senders filter instead of your main list.
- To report a spam text you haven’t opened, swipe left on it, tap Delete, then Delete and Report Spam. If it’s open, tap Report Spam at the bottom of the message.
Apple says you can’t report a message after you’ve replied to it, which is one more reason not to reply. To block a sender, open the conversation, tap their icon at the top, then Info → Block Contact. If you used Filter Unknown Senders in iOS 18, Screen Unknown Senders is switched on for you after the upgrade.
Forward scam texts to 7726 (US and UK)
7726 spells SPAM on a phone keypad. In the US and the UK, forwarding a text there sends it to your mobile network, which can investigate and block the sender. It’s free on major US carriers and on UK networks.
- Touch and hold the scam message and choose Forward (on iPhone, tap More, then the forward arrow).
- Enter 7726 as the recipient and send.
- Your network may reply asking for the number the text came from. Reply with that number.
- Then report it in the app (Report spam or Report Junk), and delete it.
India doesn’t use 7726. Report unwanted commercial SMS to your operator by calling or texting 1909, or through TRAI’s DND app, within three days of receiving it. For fraud attempts, use Chakshu (below).
Where to report spam texts in the US, UK and India
| Country | Report the text | Report the scam | If you lost money |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | Forward to 7726; use Report spam or Report Junk | FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov; the FCC also takes complaints at consumercomplaints.fcc.gov | Call your bank, then the FTC; for online fraud also the FBI’s ic3.gov |
| UK | Forward to 7726 | Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040 (Scotland: 101); spam marketing texts to the ICO | Call your bank on 159, then Report Fraud |
| India | 1909 or TRAI DND app | Chakshu on Sanchar Saathi (SMS, calls and WhatsApp) | Call 1930 or file at cybercrime.gov.in |
Chakshu is meant for suspected fraud where you haven’t lost money. Once money has gone, the case belongs with the national cybercrime helpline, 1930. In the UK, Action Fraud was renamed and replaced by Report Fraud in December 2025.
How to spot a scam text
Scam texts copy real companies, so the logo or name proves nothing. Look at what the message asks you to do. Almost every scam text wants you to tap a link, call a number or pay something, fast.
- Unpaid tolls or traffic fines (US): the FTC says these often copy real toll programs like E-ZPass or SunPass and threaten late fees. Check with the tolling agency using a website you already know.
- Parcel delivery problems: a missed delivery or customs fee with a payment link.
- Bank or account alerts: “suspicious activity” or “your payment failed” with a link to log in.
- KYC or account blocking (India): a warning that your bank account, SIM or wallet will be blocked unless you update details. Sanchar Saathi lists KYC and payment fraud among the most reported types.
- Wrong-number chats: a friendly “sorry, wrong person” message that turns into an investment or crypto pitch.
- Prizes, refunds and job offers: money you weren’t expecting, in exchange for a small fee or your details.
In India, genuine business SMS now carry a sender header ending in -P (promotional), -S (service), -T (transactional) or -G (government). A banking alert from an ordinary 10-digit mobile number is a red flag.
Should you reply STOP to spam texts?
Only to businesses you know you signed up with, such as a shop’s marketing messages. Legitimate senders are expected to honour STOP. For texts from unknown numbers, don’t reply at all. A reply confirms the number is live and someone reads it, and on iPhone it stops you reporting the message as spam.
What to do if you tapped a link
Tapping a link on its own is rarely the end of the world. The damage usually comes from what you type or install next. Close the page and work through these steps.
- If you entered nothing, close the tab and delete the text. Don’t install anything the page offered.
- If you entered a password, change it now on the real site or app, and turn on two-step verification or a passkey.
- If you entered card or bank details, call your bank using the number on your card (in the UK, dial 159).
- If you shared personal details in the US, get a recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov.
- If you paid money in India, call 1930 as quickly as you can.
- Report the text using the channels above, even after the fact.
Never call a phone number from a suspicious text to “check” it. Look up the company’s number yourself, from its official website or the back of your card.
If you installed an app from a text, read how to tell if your phone has been hacked. Switching important accounts to passkeys also makes stolen passwords far less useful: see how to set up passkeys. More guides are in our security hub.
Why you keep getting spam texts from different numbers
Scammers send from large pools of numbers and sometimes from email addresses, so blocking one sender rarely stops the next. Filters that judge the content and sender behaviour, like Google Messages spam protection and Apple’s unknown-sender screening, cope better than blocking alone. Your reports to 7726, 1909 or Chakshu train those systems.
FAQ
Why am I suddenly getting so many spam texts?
Your number may have leaked in a data breach or been sold by a site you used, or scammers may be dialling number ranges at random. A sudden wave doesn’t mean your phone is hacked. Turn on spam filtering and report the messages.
What is 7726?
It’s a free short code that spells SPAM. In the US and UK, forwarding a spam text to 7726 reports it to your mobile network so it can block the sender.
Can a text message hack my phone?
Simply receiving a text is very unlikely to. The danger is tapping links, entering details or installing apps the message points you to. Keep your phone updated to close the rare flaws that do exist.
How do I stop spam texts from different numbers?
Blocking each number won’t keep up. Turn on your app’s spam protection or Screen Unknown Senders, so texts from strangers are filtered automatically, and report them to 7726 or 1909.
Does my carrier block spam texts?
Yes, to a point. US, UK and Indian networks filter known spam before it reaches you, and some offer free extra controls, such as AT&T ActiveArmor and T-Mobile Scam Shield.
Sources
- How to recognize and report spam text messages — FTC Consumer Advice
- Got a text about unpaid tolls? It's probably a scam — FTC Consumer Alert
- What to do if you were scammed — FTC Consumer Advice
- Report spam in Google Messages — Google Messages Help
- View conversations from unknown senders in Messages — Apple Support
- Report spam and block senders in Messages on iPhone — Apple Support
- Block a phone number or contact on your Galaxy phone — Samsung US
- How to protect yourself from scam calls, texts and messages — Ofcom
- Unsolicited Commercial Communications FAQ — TRAI
- Sanchar Saathi (Chakshu) — Department of Telecommunications, India
