How to stop robocalls on your flip phone

No matter what type of phone you have, automated calls can be a headache. If you're like many people who prefer the simplicity of a flip phone, you're probably wondering how to fix this problem.

Donna posed a simple but great question to us, she asked, “Is there a way to eliminate robocalls on a flip phone?”

We've covered extensively how to stop spam calls from bugging your smartphone, but what if you don't like using your smartphone and prefer a flip phone? While it's generally harder to block spam calls on flip phones, it's not impossible, but it's not as easy as dealing with automated spam calls on a smartphone.

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image of flip phone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutson)

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How to deal with automated spam calls on your flip phone

Dealing with robocalls on your flip phone can be challenging, but there are steps you can take to minimize them. You have to make some calls, so it's not as simple as blocking incoming spam calls on your smartphone. But if you're willing to make a few calls and do a little extra work, you can live happily without getting spam calls on your flip phone. Here are some steps you can take:

1. Avoid answering unknown numbers: If you don't recognize the number, please send it to voicemail. Legitimate callers will leave messages.

2. Be careful with your numbers: Be careful about where you share your phone number to reduce the chance of it being added to a robocall list.

3. Register on the do-not-call list: Register your phone number on National Do Not Call Registry. This can help reduce the number of legitimate telemarketing calls you receive. You can register your phone number with the National Do Not Call Registry online at donotcall.gov or call 1-888-382-1222 from the phone you want to register with the Do Not Call Registry.

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Man looking at flip phone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutson)

Worrying surge in scam calls from robocalls

4. Contact your carrier: Many carriers offer call blocking services. Contact your carrier (e.g., Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile) and ask if they offer automatic call blocking for flip phones. Many carriers do this, but it depends on the brand of flip phone you have and which carrier you have.

5. Manual call interception: If your flip phone has this option, you can block specific numbers manually. Check your phone's user manual for instructions on how to do this. While this feature is common on all smartphones, many newer flip phones can also block callers manually, but, as we mentioned, you'll want to check the instruction manual.

flip phone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutson)

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6. Report robocalls to the FTC: Report unwanted phone calls to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This helps authorities track robocalls and take action. While this method won't stop robocalls from calling your flip phone, it does help the FTC find robocalls and block them from calling. This is a great way to help the FTC fight back against robospam callers. Here's what you need to do to report robocalls to the FTC:

Internet address: reportfraud.ftc.gov Or call 1-877-382-4357.
When filling out your report, you'll need to provide the robocaller's number and the date and time of the call.

Federal Trade Commission logo (Federal Trade Commission)

7. Consider using a data removal service: Unfortunately, your phone number is likely to be easily found on many listings sold by data brokers to hundreds of people searching the site. However, removing it from the network reduces the likelihood that spammers and telemarketers will obtain your number and contact you.

While no service promises to delete all of your data from the internet, having a deletion service is great if you want to continuously monitor and automate the process of continuously deleting information from hundreds of sites over an extended period of time. Check out my preferred data removal services here.

Kurt’s key takeaways

Robocalls can be a real nuisance, especially for flip phone users. To resolve this issue, consider registering your number on the National Do Not Call List and avoid answering calls from unknown numbers. Additionally, check with your carrier to learn about any call blocking services it may offer. By taking some proactive steps, you can significantly reduce these annoying distractions.

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What do you find most frustrating about automated phone calls? How do you usually deal with them? Please write to us Cyberguy.com/contact

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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning technology journalist with a passion for technology, devices, and gadgets that he shares through his morning shows on Fox News and Fox Business, “FOX & Friends” began contributing to Fox News and Fox Business to make life better. Have a technical question? Get Kurt's free CyberGuy newsletter and share your voice, story ideas or comments on CyberGuy.com.