How to Block Text Message Spam on Your iPhone

by Julie Gomoll on February 26, 2010

screen shot of an iPhone screen with a spam text message messageI get far more annoyed with text message spam than I do with email spam. My iPhone dings every time I receive a text message, and I check it as soon as I can. I really, really resent the intrusion when it’s spam. And of course there’s the cost. I don’t pay per text message, but lots of people do. I do, however, have a monthly limit and don’t want spammers using it up. I searched every nook and cranny on the iPhone to find a way to block the spam, to no avail. Turns out AT&T actually does provide a way for you to block text messages. They just don’t publicize it much. Put your iPhone down right now and go to http://mymessages.wireless.att.com/. You’ll need to register here, even if you already have an AT&T login for your regular account. Once you’re there, you’ll have a few different options for blocking text messages.

screen shot of AT&T blocked messageYou can block all SMS messages and multimedia messages sent to you as email. This is how most spammers get you — they send their junk to MobileNumber@txt.att.net or MobileNumber@mms.att.net. I recommend you block both of them.

AT&T does give you an option to set up an alias address, so if there are people you know who send you SMS messages via email, you can give them the alias and still foil the spammers.

Tagged as: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

  • Danny M

    Thanks for this – I just used it.
    AT&T’s web site is lame and hard to use, no surprise there.

    Now if only I could do this with all the “vote for me” robot calls we’ve been getting on our home phone. D*mn politicians gave themselves an exception on the Do-Not-Call laws.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robocall:
    Political robocalls are exempt from the United States National Do Not Call Registry.

  • Julie Gomoll

    I’m totally with you on the RoboCalls. I’d love an iPhone app that blocks any call using a recording. Not sure if that’s even possible, but it sure would be nice.

  • John

    Actually, the AT&T website mentioned does nothing to limit the kind of text spam that you mentioned and the screenshot shows: text spam from other mobile numbers. The only way to control this, apparently, is to pay AT&T another $4.99 a month for their “SmartWireless” feature, which allows blocking of certain mobile numbers for texting.

    The AT&T website mentioned is only for blocking/managing email-to-text messages, i.e messages sent to 1112223333@txt.att.net or 1112223333@mms.att.net

  • ParadiseMobi

    Ha, probably ATT sends the spam themselves hoping we will buy their extra protection option.

    The link http://mymessages.wireless.att.com won’t even load on my iphone… even though all other sites load fine. Did ATT change the url? 10:49am Monday 7/5/10

  • TheLip

    So can I block the AT&T text messages ? I don’t care if they don’t cost me , makes me check my sms when it’s not important.

  • http://Getmessagesfrom63636 ATT Sucks

    Getting message(SMS) from 63636 that someone on AdultFrindFrinder is waiting for me. It says I can sent “FF STOP” to cancel messages. I have sent a number of “FF STOP” but still keep on getting same messages. And there seems nothing to block 63636. ATT needs money for something which must be absolutely free service. Just FYI – it’s on my iPhone.

    • James

      You obviously signed up for something or someone who had your phone did. That’s not AT&T. That’s you being lonely one night or your friend playing a prank on you.

      • Ed

        Thanks so much for your opinion James, but how does that solve the problem?

    • Mr. Biker

      BIG MISTAKE!!!

      Both text and emails telling you to reply with a stop message are phishing scams. They just blanket send millions of numbers and if you reply, they know they got a good number. Then it gets sold. And sold and sold and sold and sold…

      If there’s instructions on how to get off a list, ignore it. The only time it works is if you KNOW it’s legit. I’ve bought stuff from some companies that then send marketing crap once a day. You can safely click their “I want off your list” button.

  • Mary

    Tried the fix and still getting MMS messages from the nuisance caller. Smart limits only works on a US number, not international or emails addresses. Our fix will have to changing the number and not allow forwarding.

  • josh

    HOW about an app that answers the robocalls and takes it all the way through the process to when a live rep gets on the phone – and then prompts them to follow a random sett of instructions to speak with you. and then disconnects.

  • http://www.stop-text-message-spam.com/ sms spam

    Sounds interesting! I am gonna try to use this one. Thanks a lot for the share and keep on posting!
    sms spam´s last [type] ..Hello world!

  • http://geekzspot.blogspot.com geekzspot

    You can Forward the message to AT&T 7726 (SPAM on your keypad)

    Step 1. Copy the offending message
    Step 2. Send to 7727
    Step 3. AT&T will thank you (via a text message) and ask for the Phone Number of the offending Sender to sent

  • http://geekzspot.blogspot.com geekzspot

    DOH! Resubmitting due to typo
    geekzspot´s last [type] ..How to watch Google TV online in your browser

  • http://geekzspot.blogspot.com geekzspot

    You can Forward the message to AT&T 7726 (SPAM on your keypad)

    Step 1. Copy the offending message
    Step 2. Send it to 7726
    Step 3. AT&T will thank you (via a text message) and ask for the Phone Number of the offending Sender to sent
    geekzspot´s last [type] ..How to watch Google TV online in your browser

  • lauren

    Does signing up for this cost anything? I’m trying to avoid adding a monthly cost or hidden fees. please let me know asap!!

  • http://geekzspot.blogspot.com geekzspot

    There is NO COST to forward SPAM messages to AT&T
    geekzspot´s last [type] ..How to report spam text messages to AT&ampT

  • Lauren

    I was asking if it costs to sign up for the website to block numbers. Not fwd spam.

  • http://geekzspot.blogspot.com geekzspot

    ah, sorry for misunderstanding. John (above) reports that it is “$4.99 a month ”
    geekzspot´s last [type] ..How to report spam text messages to AT&ampT

  • helper1

    it might be a message from AIM or another instant messenger. Try the following link http://mobile.aol.com/block-sms/

  • bajacalla

    I keep getting texts from something about “find out your secret crush!” – I just sent the msg to AT&T with the 5-digit #, and got back a message about “short codes” and the instruction to reply STOP to the sender. I’ll see if that works – it’s come from a couple different numbers, so I may still continue to receive this spam.

    • James

      That’s what you get when you think it’d be funny to text that number on those commercials. You realize you get charged for each text they send you?

  • mlee

    The STOP reply worked for me. Thanks geekzspot!
    The spam was coming from Wlamart MoneyCard.

  • Wilson

    I just got over 100 spam messages: They all had similar content as this.

    FRM:WindowsLive MSG:[Hotmail] Aytun Erdogan:[BEST OF 80s] http://www.facebook.com/l/BAQCSmcTXAQD6oeEpt9pAqoT…

    This is a new company phone that I had for 4 days and barely used. It shows the sending phone numbers as 1(410)000-001 all the way to 1(410)000-036.

    I forwarded a few to ATT but they told me to reply with block so I replied to about 5 of them with Block. So far i haven’t received anymore.

  • http://www.sparkleworks.com game writer guy

    Fantastic post — the spammers are just starting to get a hold of my number and I’m getting mortgage spam now.

    And yes, as Geekzspot said, use the SPAM text address to report spam from other mobile numbers, cuz the ATT site only blocks spam from emailers. I really wish AT&T had a feature like Google Voice which allows you to block spam callers with a “this number is no longer in service” audio message.

  • Pingback: Block Text Message Spam on the iPhone | Claude Penland: Actuary & Partner, Ezra Penland Actuarial Recruitment