If your phone is blowing up with health insurance offers and sketchy Medicare calls, you’re not alone. Open enrollment season always brings a surge in spam calls and scam texts.
The good news?
Your iPhone or Android already has built-in tools that can silence, filter, and block most of them.
This quick guide shows you exactly which settings to turn on—and how to protect your number starting today.
Why Spam Calls Increase During Open Enrollment
Every year from October through early December, the FTC reports a spike in:
- Insurance scams
- Fake Medicare agents
- Robocalls spoofing local numbers
- Spam texts offering “new plans” or “urgent coverage changes”
Most scammers want one of three things:
- Your personal info
- Your payment info
- Confirmation your phone number is active
- Turning on your filtering tools reduces their success rate dramatically.
Spam Call Protection on iPhone (iOS 26 and later)
iPhones now include several upgraded features that silence or block calls from unknown numbers, suspected scammers, and robocallers.
1. Turn On “Silence Unknown Callers”
When enabled, any number not saved in your contacts goes straight to voicemail—your phone won’t ring at all.
How to turn it on:
- Open Settings
- Tap Apps
- Tap Phone
- Toggle Unknown Callers under Call Filtering
- Turn on Spam Filtering so flagged calls are silenced automatically
This alone can cut spam call interruptions by 80%+.
2. Enable iPhone’s Call Screening Feature
Newest iOS versions include a screening tool that prompts unknown callers to:
- Say their name
- State the purpose of their call
Your phone shows the transcript before you pick up so you can choose whether to answer.
You’ll find this option just above Call Filtering in your Phone settings.
Spam Call Protection on Android
Android users have even more control thanks to Google’s advanced spam detection and call screening tools.
1. Google’s Spam Call Warnings
The Google Phone app highlights potential spam in bright red with a warning label so you instantly know not to answer.
2. Google Assistant Call Screening
On supported devices, Google Assistant can:
- Answer calls from unknown numbers
- Ask the caller who they are and why they’re calling
- Automatically hang up if it detects a scam
How to turn it on:
Open the Phone app
- Tap the three dots (…)
- Select Settings
- Choose Spam & Call Screen
- Turn on every spam protection option available
This is one of the most effective robocall tools available on any phone.
How to Block Spam Texts (iPhone & Android)
Spam texts are increasingly common—especially during open enrollment—and many include dangerous phishing links.
Here’s how to filter them automatically.
On iPhone
- Open Settings
- Tap Messages
- Turn on Filter Unknown Senders
This moves suspicious texts into a separate folder so you don’t see them unless you open it.
On Android
Google Messages includes built-in AI filtering.
To make sure it’s on:
- Open Messages by Google
- Tap your profile icon or three dots
- Select Spam Protection
- Make sure it is enabled
This stops many fraudulent texts before they hit your inbox.
How AI Is Improving Spam Detection
Both Apple and Google now use AI-powered pattern recognition to identify spam numbers and scam scripts faster than ever.
AI learns from:
- Previous scam reports
- Call patterns
- Message content
- Known insurance enrollment scams
While it’s not perfect, AI filtering continues to improve each year.
The Most Important Rule: Don’t Engage
Even with smart filters, security experts still emphasize:
- Don’t answer calls from numbers you don’t recognize.
- Don’t reply to suspicious text messages.
- Don’t click links from unknown senders.
- Even replying with “STOP” confirms your number is active—and often leads to more spam.
How to Know If an Insurance Call Is Real
Legitimate insurance companies will never:
- Ask for your SSN over text
- Request immediate payment
- Tell you coverage will be canceled if you don’t respond
- Pressure you to make fast decisions
- When in doubt, hang up and call the company using the number on its official website.
Report Scam Calls & Texts From Your Phone
Reporting helps improve global spam filters.
On iPhone
Swipe left on a message → Report Junk
On Android
Long-press the message → Report Spam
This sends data that helps Apple and Google block future scams.
Did you find this helpful?
Download Our Free Smartphone Safety Checklist
If you want step-by-step instructions for securing your phone—beyond just spam blockers—grab our FREE Online Safety Checklist.
It walks you through the exact settings to protect your identity, block unsafe apps, avoid phishing scams, and keep your data private.
Open enrollment always brings a surge of unwanted calls and texts, but the right settings on your iPhone or Android can prevent most of them from ever reaching you.
Take a few minutes to turn on the tools above and keep your number—and your personal information—protected.
And if you want even more protection, don’t forget to download the Free Smartphone Safety Checklist to secure your device in minutes.
