Tired of annoying calls from exes or telemarketers? Fear not. These steps will teach you how to block calls to your home or cell phone for the most popular carriers in North America. You will also learn how to join lists that make it illegal for telemarketers to call you in a variety of English-speaking countries.
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| How to Block a Phone Number |
AT&T and Verizon Residential
1. Dial “*60” from your home phone.
2. You will hear a recording that gives you step-by-step instructions on how to add a number to your blocked numbers list. Follow these directions.
3. Listen to the instructions for how to disable call blocking.
4. Hang up the phone.
AT&T Wireless
1. Go to
https://att.com/olam/passthroughAction.myworld? and log in to your my AT&T account. This will allow you to sign up for Smart Limits for Wireless, a service offered by AT&T to wireless users.
This service carries a monthly cost per line, and allows you to add up to 30 numbers to your Blocked Numbers list.
2. Under the “Smart Solutions” tab, select “AT&T Smart Limits for Wireless.”
3. After you select this option, you will be guided through a series of prompts. Enter the appropriate information to add the Smart Limits feature to your account.
Alternatively, you can add Smart Limits by calling AT&T Customer Service at 1-800-331-0500, or by visiting your local AT&T Retail Store.
4. Once you have added Smart Limits to your wireless account, you are ready to begin adding numbers to you Blocked List. To do so, first go to the “Smart Limits for Wireless” page in your myAT&T.
5. Select the “Blocked Numbers” tab under the “Controls” list for the appropriate wireless number.
6. In the “Add New phone numbers” field, enter the 3-digit area code and 7-digit phone number that you wish to block.
7. Click “Submit” to add this number to you Blocked List.
This will block both calls and text messages from the selected number.
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| How to Block a Phone Number |
Verizon Wireless
1. Go to
http://verizonwireless.com.Sign in using your phone number and password.
2. Under “Plans and Services”, navigate “My Verizon > Manage Verizon Safeguards”.
3. Click “View Details & Edit”.
4. Click “Add Blocked Contacts”.
5. Click “Add Blocks”.
6. Enter the name, phone number, and number type of the person that you want to block.
7. Click “Add”. You can add up to 20 numbers to your blocked list.
Sprint Wireless
1. Go to
http://www.sprint.com. Log in to your “My Sprint” account.
2. Click the “My Preferences” tab.
3. Click “Block voice” under “Limits and Permissions”.
4. Select the phone for which you wish to add blocked numbers. A green check mark indicates the selected phone.
5. Select “Block only the following phone numbers for inbound and outbound calls”. Enter the number that you want to block in the appropriate field, and click “Add number”. You will see the number added to the list, and you can remove it by clicking “Remove”.
6. Click the green check mark to indicate that you are done setting the level of restriction.
7. Click “Save”.
8. Turn your phone off and back on to activate the changes.
National Do Not Call Registry (USA)
1. Go to
https://www.donotcall.gov. This will take you to the site for the National Do Not Call Registry. Once you add yourself to this list, it is illegal for telemarketers to call you.
2. Click the “Register A Phone Number” tab on the left side of the page.
3. Enter your phone number and email address, and then confirm your email address and click “Submit.”
You can enter up to 3 phone numbers to add to the registry.
4. On the next page, check for errors in the information you just entered, and then click “Register.”
5. Check your email. You will have a message from Register@donotcall.gov that contains a link. Click on the link to complete your registration.
You can also add yourself to the Do Not Call Registry by phone using these steps.
Call 1-888-382-1222.
Make sure that you call from the phone number that you wish to add to the registry.
6. Choose your language. If you want your instructions to be in English press “1.” For Spanish, press “2.”
Enter your phone number. You will be prompted to enter your 3-digit area code and your 7-digit phone number. After a brief pause, a message will tell you that you have been added to the registry. Note that it takes 31 days for your registry to become complete.
National Do Not Call List (Canada)
1. Go to
https://www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/index-eng. This will take you to the site for Canada’s National Do Not Call List. By joining this list, you make it illegal for telemarketers to call you.
2. Click on the “Register My Number” button under “I am a Consumer” on the left side of the page.
3. At the bottom of the page, enter the 3-digit area code and 7-digit phone number that you wish to add to the list. Click “Continue.”
You can add residential, mobile, fax, or VoIP numbers to the DNCL.
4. On the next page, confirm that the number you have entered is correct. Then type in the characters that appear in the “Characters” field. If you cannot read the characters, click “Too difficult? Try another” to generate another set of characters. If you made an error in typing the phone number, click “Change Number” and enter the correct one. Click “Register.”
5. On the next page, you will be able to read important information about the DNCL. To finish registration, click “Continue.”
6. The next page will confirm your registration. If you wish to add another number, click “Register Another Number” and repeat the process.
Do Not Call Register (Australia)
1.Go to
https://www.donotcall.gov.au. This will take you to the site for Australia’s Do Not Call Register. By joining this list, you make it illegal for telemarketers to call you.
2. Click on the “Online Registration” button in the middle of the page.
3. On the Start page, confirm that you are an account holder or are authorized to act for the an account holder. Select the appropriate radio button (my number, family or friend’s number, etc.) and click “Continue.”
4. Enter your first name, last name, email address, and confirm email. Click “Next.”
5. Enter the phone number(s) you wish to register. You can enter up to 20 numbers. Check the box next to the number entry field if your number is a fax or phone/fax. Click “Next.”
6. On the Confirm Details page, check the box that indicates “I have read and agree with these statements.” Then enter the text that appears in the box at the bottom of the page into the text field. Click “Submit.”
7. Check your email. Open up the message from the Do Not Call Register. Click on the link in the email to confirm your registration.
Telephone Preference Service (United Kingdom)
1. Go to
http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/index.html. This will take you to the site for the Telephone Preference Service. By signing up for this service, you make it illegal for telemarketers to call you.
2. Click the “Register” button on the left side of the page.
3. Select the option that applies to the number you wish to register (Residential, Partnership, etc.). Click “Continue.”
4. Enter the number that you wish to register. Click “Continue.”
5. Enter the postcode of the address you wish to register and click “Continue.”
6. Follow the steps to complete your registration.
Do Not Call List (New Zealand)
1. Go to
http://marketing.org.nz. This allows you to sign up for the Name Removal Service.
Note: the New Zealand Name Removal Service is run by the Marketing Association of New Zealand, not the government. It only prevents you from receiving telemarketing calls from the members of the Marketing Association
2. Click on the link that says “Click here to add yourself to the Do Not Call List.”
3. Enter your first name, last name, phone number, and postal address in the appropriate fields. Check the box at the bottom of the page next to “I Agree” and click on the “Save” box.
Source:
wikihow.com
