How to block text messages from email addresses

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• iPhone
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Unfortunately, text messages from strange email addresses you’ve never interacted with have become quite common. Scammers rely heavily on sending text messages from email addresses to avoid charges from cell phone carriers for outgoing messages.

Fortunately, there are a few things you can try to block text messages from fraudulent email senders. For example, you can create a temporary contact entry for them and then block that contact.

If you want to know exactly how this is done, this article will cover instructions on how to block text messages from email addresses for multiple devices. Additionally, our FAQ includes details of third-party apps and other ways to automatically block unwanted calls and texts.

How to Block Text Messages from an Email Address on an Android Device

To prevent an email address from sending text messages to your Android device, you’ll first need to create a contact entry for it:

1. Open the “Messages” app.
2. Find the text message and hold it.
3. At the top, choose “Add Contact.”
4. Tap “Add Contact” again to confirm.
5. Then select “Create new contact.”
6. Enter a name for the contact in the “Name” text field.

To block the contact:

1. Open the “Phone” application.
   
2. Go to the “Contacts” tab.
   
3. Find the contact entry created earlier and then tap the name.
   
4. At the top right, tap the three-dot menu icon.
   
5. From the drop-down menu, select “Block numbers.”
   
6. Now confirm that you want to block that contact by choosing “Block.”
   

How to Block Text Messages from an Email Address on an iPhone

To stop receiving text messages on your iPhone from an email address, you’ll first need to create a contact entry for it:

1. Open “Messages.”
2. Find and then tap the text message.
3. At the top, tap the chevron pointing right next to the sender details.
4. Click “Information” and then enter a name for the contact.
5. Tap “Done” to save.

Then to block the new contact:

1. Open the “Settings” app.
   
2. Select “Messages” and then “Blocked” or “Blocked Contacts.”
   
3. At the bottom, select “Add new…”
   
4. Find and tap the contact. You will be instantly added to your blocked list.

How to Block Text Messages from an Email Address with Verizon

To demonstrate how to block a text message from an email address on your Verizon number, you can log into your Verizon account and block all emails from sending text messages to your phone number. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Click on this link to go to the Verizon Spam Blocking page. Then, sign in to your account.
2. Click on Blocked services.
3. Select the Emails and domains option.
4. Enter the email or domain you want to block. Verizon allows users to block up to 15 inpidual domains.
5. Click on the option to Block all text messages sent from email.

Now, you will no longer receive text messages from email addresses. You can add a specific domain (@google.com, for example). But scammers often use several different domains, so it’s best to block them all unless you need to send email to text.

How to Block Text Messages from an Email Address with AT&T

If you prefer to call AT&T to block all email-to-text options, you can do so. Dial 611 from your AT&T cell phone and select the Customer Service option.

But, if you prefer to do everything online, AT&T lets you block text messages to your AT&T number from people or email addresses from spambots. Here’s how to set this up using your portal:

1. Navigate to AT&T Messagesand then sign up for a messaging account.
2. Click “Sign up now” and then create a password. When you’re done, you’ll receive a registration code via text message.
   
3. Sign in to your account after you have registered it at mymessages.wireless.att.com and entered your registration code.
4. The next screen will show some “Lock Options”. Check the appropriate checkboxes for “Block all text messages sent to you as email” and “Block all multimedia messages sent to you as email.”

Additional FAQs

Here are the answers to more questions about how to block spammers on your smartphone.

How do I report a spam text message?

To report a conversation as spam, block the sender and then go to your Spam folder via an Android device:

1. Open “Messages”.

2. Touch and hold the conversation you want to report.

3. Tap “Block,” “Report Spam,” and then “OK.”

Alternatively, you can open the conversation and then report it as spam as follows:

1. Tapping the three-dot “More” menu icon.

2. Tap “Details,” “Block and report spam,” “Report spam,” and then “OK.”

The contact will be reported as spam and then the message will be sent to your “Spam and Blocked” folder. You can also report spam without blocking the contact.

To report spam or unwanted messages in the iMessage app on iPhone:

You can report any message that appears to be junk or spam. If you receive a text message from someone who is not saved in your Contacts, there will be a “Report Spam” link below the message:

1. Tap “Report Junk”.

2. Tap “Delete” and “Report Junk”.

In addition to deleting the message from your device, doing so will send the sender information to Apple. However, doing this will not prevent the same sender from sending you other messages. You will have to block the contact.

Can I block emails for texting on T-Mobile?

Unfortunately, it appears that T-Mobile has yet to develop a solution for spam emails sent to text messages. While T-Mobile users can call customer service for further assistance, as of this writing it appears the best way to stop these communications is to follow the device-specific instructions at the top of this article.

Stop unwanted text messages

Receiving unwanted text messages from unknown senders is like receiving spam. It can cause an annoying mess and you’re usually not interested in what they offer.

Fortunately, there are several options available to prevent unwanted text messages, including blocking inpidual senders or installing third-party apps to automatically fix the problem.