The Federal Communications Commission has introduced clear, step-by-step instructions for consumers to activate call and text blocking features on their phones, aiming to curb the surge in illegal robocalls and robotexts.
The Federal Communications Commission has published new step-by-step consumer guides designed to help people switch on call and text blocking tools already built into many phones and mobile plans. The agency said the instructions are intended to make it easier for users to reduce illegal robocalls and robotexts without needing specialist technical knowledge. According to the FCC, the guides cover Apple and Google devices, along with app-based services offered by AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.
The commission said the materials are presented as two device-level instruction cards and three provider-level cards, allowing consumers to match the guidance to their handset and network. In practice, a user can select the relevant combination, such as an iPhone and T-Mobile, and then activate the protections they want. Many of the features are offered free of charge or are included within existing service plans, and the major carriers also provide no-cost tools for reporting unwanted calls and texts.
FCC chairman Brendan Carr said in a statement that tackling illegal robocalls remains the agency’s top consumer protection priority. He said the new guides are meant to streamline essential information and help consumers block and filter unwanted communications more quickly. The commission framed the publication as part of a wider enforcement effort aimed at disrupting robocalls at multiple stages of their lifecycle.
The release follows a separate public notice from Carr seeking comment on a proposed Robocall Scorecard, which would rate voice service providers on their anti-robocall efforts. That proposal suggests the FCC is trying not only to give consumers practical tools, but also to create more visibility around how effectively providers are defending users from unwanted traffic. The agency’s wider consumer materials also include guidance on reporting unwanted calls and texts, as well as explanations of the rules that govern them.
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