Your phone keeps lighting up with "Potential Spam," robocallers, and numbers that look almost like your own. The good news: if you are a Verizon customer, you already have a powerful blocking tool tied to your account, and most of it is free.
Verizon Call Filter screens incoming calls, labels suspected spam, and can send high-risk callers straight to voicemail or hang up on them entirely. It works on most mobile phones, and Verizon offers separate controls for Fios and traditional home phones.
This guide walks through every verified way to block spam calls with your Verizon account, ordered from the fastest, most common setup to the more specialized options. Start at the top and stop when your problem is solved.
Confirm Your Plan and Device Qualify
Call Filter (the free version) is included at no cost on standard monthly (postpaid) and prepaid Verizon plans for compatible devices. Mobile phones and select standalone smartwatches are supported.
Incompatible hardware includes 3G-only phones, data-only devices like tablets and hotspots, and smart accessories that are not in standalone mode. On iPhone, the app needs iPhone 6 or newer running iOS 13.4 or later; older iPhones can still manage Call Filter through the My Verizon account portal instead.
There are three pricing tiers. Call Filter Free is included. Call Filter Plus is $3.99/month for one line, and the multi-line plan (three or more lines) is $10.99/month. Plus adds a personal block list, call-category blocking, and city/state lookup.
Set Up Call Filter on Android
On most Android devices Call Filter is already pre-loaded, so this is the quickest path for many users. If the app is not installed, check device compatibility at vzw.com/callfilter.
- 1.Open the Call Filter app and tap Get started. Review the Quick Start Guide comparing Free vs. Plus.
- 2.Confirm or edit the name shown on your Caller ID, then tap Next.
- 3.Spam protection is automatically set to block high-risk spam calls and send them to voicemail. You can instead block high and medium risk calls, or block all risk levels, and choose voicemail delivery or call termination.
- 4.Optionally toggle on the Neighborhood Filter to auto-block calls from your own area code and prefix.
- 5.Review the permissions and roles Call Filter needs, then tap Next to finish.
To upgrade later, go to the Account tab, tap your current plan, choose Manage Plan, select Call Filter Plus, then Review changes and confirm.
Set Up Call Filter on iPhone
The app is not pre-loaded on iPhone, and there is one extra step in iOS Settings that is easy to miss. Skip it and filtering will not fully work.
- 1.Download Verizon Call Filter from the App Store and launch it. When prompted, tap Allow for Notifications and OK for Contacts access.
- 2.Tap Get Started while Verizon verifies your account, review the Quick Start Guide, then choose Call Filter Free or upgrade to Call Filter Plus. Review the account changes and tap Confirm.
- 3.Confirm or edit your Caller ID name and tap Next.
- 4.Set your spam filter type. The default blocks high-risk calls and sends them to voicemail; you can choose to block high and medium risk, or all risk levels.
- 5.Choose call disposition: send blocked calls to voicemail, or terminate them with no voicemail.
- 6.Optionally toggle on the Neighborhood Filter.
- 7.The critical step: tap Go to Settings, then open Settings > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification, find Call Filter, and toggle it ON. Return to the app, review permissions, and tap Next.
Turn the Spam Filter On and Tune It
Once set up on either platform, open the Call Filter app and go to the Block tab to toggle the spam filter on. The free version automatically blocks high-risk spam calls by forwarding them to voicemail.
Detected spam appears on your Caller ID as Potential Spam (indiscriminate or inappropriate callers), Robo Caller (automated pre-recorded calls), or Potential Fraud (callers likely impersonating someone). Use Report a number in the app to flag spam and improve detection.
The Insights tab shows your calling activity and how each call was labeled. Use Add / Remove Neighborhood Filter to block calls from your own area code and prefix, and Add / remove allowed numbers to manage your whitelist.
Allow or Block Specific Numbers
To stop a wanted number from being blocked, build a whitelist. In the Block tab, tap Allowed > Add new, enter the number and an optional name, then tap Allow number. The free tier allows up to 5 allowed numbers; Plus allows up to 10.
To block a specific number you choose (a Call Filter Plus feature), tap the Block tab > Blocked > Add new, enter the number and optional name, with the option to report it as spam, then tap Block number. Swipe left on an entry to unblock it.
Use Call Filter Plus Category Blocking
If unwanted-but-not-spam calls are your problem, Call Filter Plus adds Call Categories blocking. You can block calls labeled as telemarketers, political, non-profit, and survey, plus get city and state lookup for incoming numbers.
Note that Healthcare and Public Service categories cannot be blocked, so important calls in those groups still reach you.
Stop Unwanted Calls on a Fios or Home Phone
Your Verizon account also controls landline blocking. Verizon automatically blocks calls with invalid numbers or numbers on a Do Not Originate (DNO) list before they reach you, and Call Filter for home phone is turned on automatically.
To manage it on the website, go to Manage your phone > Call Filter > Blocked Call Setting to turn it on or off. Caller ID shows SPAM? before suspected numbers, and a [V] symbol marks calls verified as not spoofed on Verizon's network. Report mislabels at spamalerts.verizon.com.
- Block specific numbers (My Fios app): Phone > Options > Calling Features > Call Blocking.
- Block specific numbers (My Verizon): Calling Features > Incoming Call Block > Reject calls from certain numbers > Add or Browse your phonebook > Activate.
- International Call Block (My Verizon): Account Manager > Administration > International Call Block.
- Anonymous Call Rejection (My Verizon): Account Manager > Calling Features > Incoming Call Block > Reject All Anonymous Calls > Activate. In the My Fios app: Phone > Options > Calling Features > Block Incoming Calls > Block Anonymous Calls.
- Do Not Disturb (Fios): dial *78 to activate, *79 to deactivate (scheduling supported).
- Add Nomorobo (Fios Digital Voice): sign up at nomorobo.com, then activate it through your Phone Management Portal.
On a traditional copper landline, use star codes: Anonymous Call Block *77 (on) / *87 (off); Call Block list management *60, toggle on/off with *80; and Call Trace *57 for unlawful or threatening calls.
Layer On Device and External Protections
You can stack carrier-independent tools on top of Call Filter. iPhone has an opt-in Silence Unknown Callers setting, and Google Pixel phones offer Call Screen.
Forward spam texts to 7726 (SPAM) to report them, and register your number with the National Do Not Call Registry at donotcall.gov. Third-party services such as Hiya and Nomorobo also provide blocking for mobile phones and VoIP landlines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Verizon guarantee every spam call gets blocked?
No. Verizon does not guarantee all spam will be detected, and some legitimate calls can be mislabeled. Submit corrections through the spam feedback option in the app or at spamalerts.verizon.com.
Will blocked calls still leave a voicemail?
That depends on the disposition you picked during setup. The default sends blocked spam to voicemail, but you can choose to terminate the call with no voicemail instead.
Does deleting the Call Filter app cancel Call Filter Plus?
No. Deleting the app does not stop your subscription. You must change your plan from the app's Account tab (or through My Verizon) to stop being billed.
Why is the Neighborhood Filter blocking calls I actually wanted?
The Neighborhood Filter forwards to voicemail all calls from your own area code and prefix. That catches spoofed spam but can also block your doctor's office, your child's school, or local businesses. Turn it off if you are missing wanted local calls.
What is the difference between the allowed list and a personal block list?
The allowed-numbers whitelist exists on both tiers (up to 5 on Free, 10 on Plus). A custom personal block list, where you add arbitrary numbers you want blocked, is a Call Filter Plus feature only.
My iPhone is too old for the app. Can I still use Call Filter?
Yes. If your iPhone does not meet the iOS 13.4 or iPhone 6 minimum, you can manage Call Filter through the My Verizon account portal instead of the app.
