How to block text messages on samsung s10

Text messaging is a convenient communication tool. It lets you receive notes from people and institutions, allowing you to get information. You can use SMS to talk to your friends and family, get utility and bank updates, and even secure your accounts.

However, scammers and spammers can also use this technology to try stealing your hard-earned cash. There are also instances where unwanted persons, like rejected suitors and toxic friends, use this to disrupt your mental well-being.

So, to help protect yourself from them, here are five ways to block unwanted texts on your Samsung Galaxy phone.

This is an effective way of blocking contacts or numbers that repeatedly text you. You can save the details of the person or number you want to block in the Contacts app and then use its functions to stop them from messaging you.

Once you've saved the person's details on your phone, this is what you need to do.

1. Find their entry in your Samsung Contacts app.
2. Open the contact card.
3. Tap on More at the lower right-hand corner.
4. Select Block contact.
5. Confirm that you want to block the contact.

Once you do this, you will no longer receive any calls or messages from that contact and all its associated numbers. So if the person or institution you want to block has multiple numbers, you can save them all in one entry and stop them from reaching out in one move.

2. Block From the Messages App

While you can preemptively block saved numbers from sending messages through the Contacts app, this is harder to do for spam messages that come from unknown numbers. Nevertheless, you can still block these numbers from texting you ever again via Samsung's Messages app.

To do so, you need to open the app and find the offending message.

1. Open the spam message in the Messages app.
2. If the spam text has only one message, you'll see the Block number option near the top.
3. Tap on it, and a confirmation window will pop up.
4. If you want to delete the message, make sure to tap on the Delete conversation option.
5. Finally, select Block.

This blocks the number on your phone, ensuring that you won't receive messages from them again. However, if the sender has sent multiple texts to your number, you'll have to block them from the settings menu.

1. Open the spam messages in the Messages app.
2. Tap on the Settings icon at the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
3. Choose Block number.
4. To delete the conversation, tap on the Delete conversation option.
5. Tap Block.

Once you do this, the phone will intercept and block the texts the number associated with that conversation will send.

How to Find Blocked Messages

Even if you've blocked someone, there might be times where you want to see the messages they've sent you. This is especially true if you have blocked a particularly toxic relative but have to check from time to time if they've sent a helpful message.

To do so, you need to go back to the Messages app.

1. On the main screen, tap on the Settings menu.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Choose Block numbers and spam.
4. Tap Blocked messages.

If your Samsung phone has blocked any message, you should see it here.

3. Automatically Block Spam Calls and Messages

If you don't want to deal with spam manually, you can use Samsung's Messages app to do that for you. The app uses Hiya, an advanced spam protection engine, to identify and block unwanted calls. Although it's turned on by default for detecting these unwanted messages and calls, you can use the feature to block them outright.

Here's what you need to do:

1. On the primary screen of the Messages app, tap on the Settings icon at the upper right-hand corner.
2. Choose Settings.
3. Tap on Block numbers and spam.
4. Select Caller ID and spam protection.
5. In the submenu, tap on the Block spam and scam calls slider.
6. You can choose between Block all spam and scam calls or Only block high-risk scam calls.

The first option will block all possible spam and scam calls, but it also tends to intercept legitimate calls from providers. The latter option will most likely allow institution calls, like the one from your bank, but it can also let non-threatening but nonetheless annoying spam calls through.

4. Use a Third-Party App

Samsung's built-in solutions are pretty robust, especially since they partnered with Hiya, the first to build a caller ID and spam blocking app for mobile. They've partnered together since 2016 to deliver Smart Call, a network-based spam solution to stop these unwanted calls.

But if you're not satisfied with the performance of the stock spam and scam blocker, you can use other third-party solutions as well. There are several options in the Google Play Store, including established apps like Truecaller, Spam blocker for android (formerly Key Messages), or Call & SMS Blocker (formerly AntiNuisance).

These highly-rated apps have millions of downloads and have multiple other features like recording calls, backing up contacts, camera lookup, and more. All are free to use and offer in-app purchases for extra features.

5. Get in Touch With Your Provider

If a number still finds ways to get spam into your messages despite all the safeguards above, the nuclear option is to report it to your carrier. This way, they can utilize their network safeguards to block the number directly.

When the network provider marks the number as spam, they could then find ways to block it altogether or even get in touch with law enforcement if the number poses a serious threat.

Block Unwanted Messages on Your Galaxy Device

If you're constantly bombarded by scam and spam texts, you can use the tools above to stop them from getting into your inbox. They're also useful if you have a specific toxic contact that keeps on sending you messages that harm your mental health.

Don't be afraid to cut-off unknown and unwanted numbers from your life. Now, you can do it more effectively with all the tools and methods provided above.