Instagram has a new tactic to stop unsolicited pics. Why it falls short in this brief podcast.
Use this trick to stop spam texts on your Android phone
Spam messages are no longer confined to your email inbox. They can now show up on your phone as text messages. Spam messages can range from harmless and annoying to invasive and dangerous.
Carriers and smartphone developers offer built-in tools to combat spam. You can block calls and filter numbers from unknown senders if you have an iPhone. You can even report spam messages as junk. Tap or click here to learn more.
Android fans also have recourse against spam. The Google Messages app includes spam text blocking and the ability to report these messages. Keep reading to find out how to stop annoying spam texts.
Google’s built-in tools
You have a couple of options to deal with spam when it comes to Google Messages. You can block a number from messaging you or report it and block it simultaneously.
To block messages from any number:
- Open the Messages app.
- Touch and hold the conversation you want to block on the Home screen.
- Tap Block > OK.
To report and block a conversation:
- Open the Messages app.
- Touch and hold the conversation you want to report.
- Tap Block > Report spam > OK.
You can also block and report a conversation from within the message:
- Open the conversation in your Messages app and tap the three dots for more options.
- Tap Details > Block & report spam > OK.
Block spam texts on your iPhone once and for all
Is your phone full of blocked numbers as a result of spam calls? These types of calls can range from nuisances to dangerous scams.
Being more discrete with your phone number can help reduce the number of unwanted calls. Tap or click here for tips on keeping your number private.
🛑 Nothing but blue skies: X recently changed its policies to where if you block someone, they can still see your profile and posts. Competitor BlueSky, meanwhile, added 500,000 new members in just one day. I’m going to start posting on BlueSky and see what happens. Too many people on X are mean.
Here’s how someone knows you’ve blocked them on social media
Social media is an effective tool for staying in touch with friends and family. Facebook is the most used platform, with 2.8 billion users worldwide. Are you locked out of your social media account? Watch out for scammers promising to help.
How to stop someone from seeing what you post on Twitter without blocking them
Social media can be a hostile environment. When people get behind the keyboard, they feel empowered to say just about anything, because hey, it’s all online, right? Tap or click here to find out how to schedule tweets ahead of time.
📸 Sayonara, snoops: A Japanese sportswear brand just launched infrared-blocking fabric to protect athletes from creepy photographers looking to take naked pics. Clothes already block visible light, but this new material stops thermal cameras from capturing heat signatures. Neat, right?
This great freebie from Google stops annoying robocalls and gives you a second phone number
Fun fact: Two of the most popular tips on my website over the years are all about blocking your number and revealing the identity of blocked or strange numbers calling you.
I get the curiosity. It’s not always a robocaller ringing you from a number you don’t recognize. Tap or click here for four ways to find anyone’s cellphone number online.