How to Block and Silence Unknown Callers on Your Galaxy

Rosa is 68 years old. She is a retired teacher. She lives alone in a small flat. Her phone rings many times a day. Most of the calls are from numbers she does not know. Some callers try to sell her things she does not need. Some callers stay silent. Some callers ask strange questions. Rosa feels nervous every time her phone rings. She does not want to answer a call from a stranger. She also does not want to miss a call from her daughter or her doctor.

This guide is for Rosa. It is also for you, if unknown calls bother you. You will learn how to block unknown callers on your Galaxy phone. You will learn how to silence calls from numbers that hide their identity. You will also learn how to block one single number that keeps calling you. The steps are slow and simple. You do not need to be good with phones. You only need to follow one step at a time. Take your time. There is no rush.

Blocking a number means the phone will stop that number from reaching you. The caller may hear a busy sound. Or the call may go straight to voicemail. You will not hear the phone ring. Silencing unknown callers is a little different. It means calls from hidden numbers will not ring loudly. They will stay quiet. You can still check them later if you want to. You can turn these settings off again at any time. Nothing here will delete your contacts. Nothing here will delete your messages. Your family and friends can still call you as normal.

What blocking can and cannot do

Blocking helps a lot. It does not solve every problem. A blocked caller can still try again from a new number. Scam callers often change their numbers. That is why this guide also shows you how to silence all unknown and private numbers. That setting gives you more peace. It stops most surprise calls in one go. But it can also silence a call you wanted. For example, a hospital or a delivery driver may call from a hidden number. That is rare, but it can happen. So check your missed calls once a day at first. If you missed an important call, you can call the number back. You can also ask family to save their numbers in your phone and to show their number when they call.

Before you start, charge your phone a little if the battery is low. Sit in a quiet place. Hold your phone in your hand. Make sure you can see the screen clearly. If the text looks small, you can make it bigger later. For now, just follow the steps below. If you make a mistake, do not worry. You can go back. You can try again. No step here will break your phone.

Steps to block unknown and private numbers

Open the Phone app. Look for the green phone icon on your home screen. It is usually at the bottom of the screen. Tap it once. You will see your recent calls and a keypad.
Tap the three dots in the top corner. This is called More options. The three dots are small. They are often in the top right corner. Tap them once. A small menu will open.
Tap Settings in that menu. A new screen will open. This is the Phone settings screen. It has a list of words. Take your time to read the list.
Tap Block numbers. You may need to scroll down a little to find it. The words Block numbers should be in the list. Tap those words once.
Find the switch for Block unknown/private numbers. A switch looks like a small pill shape. When it is off, it is grey. When it is on, it is coloured. Tap the switch once to turn it on. Now calls from numbers that hide their identity will be blocked.
Go back to the previous screen. Tap the back arrow at the top left. Or tap the back button at the bottom of your phone. You are done with this part. The setting is saved by itself. You do not need to tap a save button.
Test it in your mind. Imagine a hidden number calls you now. Your phone will not ring loudly for that call. The call will be blocked. You will feel calmer. If a friend calls from a saved number, your phone will ring as normal.

Steps to block one number that keeps calling you

Open the Phone app again. Tap the green phone icon.
Tap Recents. This shows the list of calls you got and calls you made. Find the number that bothers you. Look at the date and time to be sure it is the right one.
Tap that number or tap the small icon next to it. A screen with details about that call will open. Look slowly at the screen. Look for the word Block. It may be near the bottom. It may be under a small menu with three dots.
Tap Block. The phone may ask, Are you sure? Tap Block again to confirm. The number is now blocked. That number can no longer make your phone ring.
If you blocked the wrong number by mistake, do not worry. Go back to Block numbers in Phone settings. Find the number in the blocked list. Tap the minus sign or the delete icon next to it. The number will be unblocked. You can then block the correct number.

Steps to use Do Not Disturb for quiet times

Open Settings. Look for the gear icon. Tap it once.
Tap Notifications. Then tap Do not disturb. This setting can silence calls and alerts for a time you choose.
Turn on Do not disturb when you want quiet. For example, turn it on at night or during a nap. You can choose to still allow calls from your favourite contacts. Look for the words that let you allow calls from contacts or starred contacts. Choose that option if you see it. That way your daughter can still reach you, but strangers cannot disturb you.
You can also turn Do Not Disturb on fast. Swipe down from the top of the screen with two fingers. This opens the Quick settings panel. Look for Do not disturb. Tap it once to turn it on. Tap it again to turn it off. This is useful when you want quiet right now, without opening Settings.

Try it slowly: Rosa and the afternoon calls

Rosa used to get five unknown calls every afternoon. The calls came while she was making tea. They came while she was reading. They came while she was talking to her neighbour. She felt jumpy. One Saturday, her grandson Sam visited. Sam sat with her at the kitchen table. He did not rush her. He asked her to open the Phone app. Rosa tapped the three dots. She tapped Settings. She tapped Block numbers. She turned on Block unknown/private numbers. The switch turned colour. Rosa smiled. She said, That was easy.

That afternoon, the phone stayed quiet. No hidden number rang. At four o clock, her daughter called from a saved number. The phone rang as normal. Rosa answered. She felt happy. The next day, Rosa checked her missed calls. There was one blocked call. She did not know the number. She did not call it back. She felt safe. Sam told her to check missed calls once a day for the first week. Rosa did that. After a week, she only checked every few days. She still uses Do Not Disturb at night. She turns it on before bed. She turns it off in the morning. She sleeps better now. You can do the same. Ask a family member to sit with you the first time if that helps. Go slow. One step at a time is enough.

Common mistakes

Blocking a number in a hurry and blocking the wrong number, such as a doctor surgery or a pharmacy, because the numbers look alike. Always check the date, time, and last digits before you tap Block.
Turning on Block unknown/private numbers and then thinking a wanted call was lost for ever. The call is usually still in your call log. Check Recents and missed calls before you worry.
Leaving Do Not Disturb on all day by mistake, so family calls stay silent for hours. Check the small moon icon at the top of the screen. If you see it during the day, Do Not Disturb may still be on.
Answering an unknown call just to tell the caller to stop calling. That can tell the caller your number is active. It is better to let the call go quiet and block the number after.
Deleting the whole call log to get rid of one bad number. Deleting the log does not block anyone. It only removes the record. Use Block instead, so the number cannot ring you again.

Frequently asked questions

Will blocking a number delete it from my contacts?

No. Blocking only stops calls from that number. The contact stays in your phone. Your messages and photos stay safe. If you unblock the number later, everything is still there.

Will my family still be able to call me if I block unknown numbers?

Yes, if their numbers are saved and they do not hide their number. Ask family to check that their number shows when they call. If a family member hides their number, ask them to turn that off, or save them as an allowed contact in Do Not Disturb.

What if a blocked caller leaves a voicemail?

Some blocked calls may still leave a voicemail. You can listen to it if you want. You do not have to call back. If the voicemail sounds like a scam, delete it. Do not follow any links or call any numbers given in a strange voicemail.

Can a blocked caller still send me text messages?

Blocking a number in the Phone app usually blocks calls. Some phones also block texts from that number. If you still get texts from a blocked number, open the message, look for Block or Report spam in the message options, and block it there too. Ask a family member for help if you cannot find it.

How do I unblock a number?

Open the Phone app. Tap the three dots. Tap Settings. Tap Block numbers. Find the number in the list. Tap the minus sign or delete icon next to it. The number is unblocked at once. It can call you again.

If the words on your screen look different

Menu words may look a little different on your phone. Your Galaxy model may be an A-series phone or an S-series phone. Your region, your carrier, and your One UI version can change the words. One UI 8, 8.5, and 9 all exist in October 2026. No single version is the version for every phone. The words Block numbers, Do not disturb, and More options are the words to look for. If you cannot find a word, open Settings and use the search box at the top. Type the name of the setting. For example, type Block numbers. Tap the result that matches. If the screen still looks different, ask a family member to look with you. Do not tap random settings. Go slow, and use search to find the right screen.