How to Block Calls with Google Voice

If you read my earlier post lamenting the onslaught of random callers with the wrong number dialing me on my iPhone, you’ll already know that the methods for blocking calls with the iPhone for free are only semi-satisfying at best. This is yet another reason why you should seriously switch to Google Voice, especially now that the App Store has approved the official Google Voice iPhone App. Google Voice gives you much greater control over your incoming calls, including the ability to block callers by number (for free). Here’s how:

Step 1

Log in to your Google Voice account.

Step 2

Scroll down to the number you want to block. If they didn’t leave a voicemail, you can find them in the received calls or missed calls.

Step 3

Click More and choose Block Caller.

Step 4

You’ll be given the opportunity to confirm and listen to the “Not in service” that this particular caller will receive. Click Block.

Alternately, you can mark a call as spam by checking it and choosing Report Spam. When you do this, the call will immediately go to voicemail and the call will be stored in your Spam folder.

To unblock a number, say, if you want to give your cheating ex a second chance (not recommended), you can find all your blocked contacts in the Spam folder. Select the call and click Not Spam or click More and choose Unblock caller.

And that’s all there is to it (do I end every tutorial with that phrase?). I really recommend switching to Google Voice and only giving out your Google Voice number. It’s all I put on my business card, and it’s definitely what I put into forms where I might accidentally be signing up for telemarketing. In this way, you can block calls one by one without paying $5 a month to AT&T.