The text might mention an unpaid toll, a delivery problem or a bank charge. Its immediate goal is often the same: get you to take the next step before you have checked who sent it.
You do not need to solve the message from inside the message. Open the service’s usual app, use a saved website, or call a trusted number. Then use your phone’s filtering and reporting tools to reduce the interruptions.
Sources: Federal Trade Commission
Use STOP for a subscription you recognize
A shop you signed up with is different from a stranger claiming you owe money. For recognized business messages, use the sender’s genuine unsubscribe instructions, an in-app Unsubscribe option, or the communication settings in your account.
Google Messages offers Unsubscribe for supported business conversations and sends a STOP message for you. Requested messages, such as a verification code or boarding pass, may still arrive after promotional messages stop.
For a suspicious or unexpected text, do not reply—even if it says to send STOP. A short code, familiar company name or local-looking number does not prove the sender is legitimate. If you are unsure, check with the business independently.
Sources: Google Messages Help · Federal Communications Commission · Federal Trade Commission
iPhone: give unknown senders a separate place
On iOS 26, look for Screen Unknown Senders. Earlier versions may call it Filter Unknown Senders. The feature organizes unfamiliar conversations; it does not establish which messages are safe.
Open the filtering controls.
In Messages, tap the Filters button, then Manage Filtering. Turn on Screen Unknown Senders. You can also find it under Settings → Apps → Messages.
Review notification choices.
Under Unknown Senders, look for Allow Notifications. Available categories and default behavior vary by country and region, so check which unfamiliar messages can still alert you.
Check the filtered list.
Return to Filters → Unknown Senders when waiting for a delivery, appointment or login code. Use Mark as Known only after recognizing the sender.
Sources: Apple Support · Apple iPhone User Guide
Android: check which Messages app you use
These instructions are for Google Messages. Samsung and carrier messaging apps can have different menus, and a phone’s call-protection setting does not necessarily filter its texts.
Find spam protection.
In Google Messages, tap your profile picture, then Messages settings. Look under Protection & Safety → Spam protection, or directly for Spam protection on an older app version.
Enable the available setting.
Turn on Enable spam protection if it appears. Google says this option is shown only on supported devices. Check your app’s help if your screen differs.
Report and block a suspicious conversation.
Touch and hold it in the conversation list. Choose Block, select Report spam, and confirm. You can also find Block & report spam in the conversation’s details.
Review mistakes.
Open Spam & blocked from the app’s profile or menu. If an expected conversation is there, verify the sender before unblocking it or marking it as not spam.
Sources: Google Messages Help · Google Messages Help
Send a report, without contacting the sender
The FTC recommends forwarding unwanted texts to 7726, which spells SPAM, or reporting them through your messaging app. Carrier support and the route used for reports can vary. Neither method guarantees that a sender will be shut down or that every similar message will stop.
Preserve anything you may need.
If there was a threat, payment or account problem, save the message and sender details before deleting it. Keep those records private for your provider or a report.
Forward the text to 7726.
Use the message’s forwarding or copying control without opening its links. Send it to 7726 and follow any carrier request for the original sender’s details.
Use another route if necessary.
If your carrier does not support that shortcode, use the app’s reporting option or ask the carrier for its process. Report a suspected scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Sources: Federal Trade Commission · Apple iPhone User Guide · Google Messages Help
If you clicked, act on what happened next
Opening a link is different from entering a bank password or sending money. Close the page and stop following its instructions. Keep your phone and apps updated; do not install software offered by the message to ‘fix’ the problem.
- Shared a password? Change it through the real service, including anywhere you reused it.
- Shared a verification code or account access? Contact the service through a trusted channel and review its recovery and security settings.
- Paid or exposed card details? Contact the bank or payment company promptly and ask what can be stopped, reversed or secured.
- Shared identity information? Use IdentityTheft.gov for recovery steps tailored to the information involved.
Sources: Federal Trade Commission
Keep the routine small enough to use
Leave filters on, review their folders when expecting something, and block repeat unwanted senders. Changing numbers can make individual blocks less effective, so filtering and independent verification still matter.
You do not need to investigate every text. A useful standard is: if it asks you to act on an unexpected money or account problem, check through a channel you already trust. A familiar logo, an urgent deadline or a number with no complaints does not replace that check.
Sources: Federal Trade Commission · Federal Trade Commission
Sources & further reading
- Federal Trade CommissionIs that unexpected text a scam?
- Federal Communications CommissionFCC warns of rising robotext scams
- Google Messages HelpUnsubscribe from business senders
- Apple SupportView conversations from unknown senders in Messages
- Apple iPhone User GuideReport spam and block senders in Messages (iOS 26)
- Google Messages HelpHow spam detection works and how to control it
- Google Messages HelpReport spam in Google Messages
- Federal Trade CommissionHow to recognize and report spam text messages
- Federal Trade CommissionWhat to do if you were scammed
This guide focuses on U.S. phone services. Features and reporting options can vary by device, provider, and country. Read our editorial standards and correction policy.
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