Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr is delivering on one of the most universally despised features of modern life: the robocall.
Carr announced Tuesday that the FCC has published a new set of step-by-step guides showing consumers how to turn on call- and text-blocking features already built into their phones and wireless carrier plans: no excuses, no extra fees, no waiting.
Carr wrote on X:
NEW
— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) September 22, 2026
As part of our ongoing efforts to crack down on illegal robocalls and text, the FCC has published step-by-step guides that enable consumers to turn on blocking and filtering tools.
They are specific to your type of phone and carrier.
Find them here:… pic.twitter.com/XbROzqmSHH
The new guides cover both major smartphone platforms and the three largest nationwide wireless carriers. Consumers can select instructions for an iPhone or Android device, then pair that with a separate guide for AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon. The FCC says consumers should use both the device guide and the carrier guide to make sure all available protections are turned on.
That means an Android user with Verizon, for example, would follow both the Android instructions and Verizon's instructions instead of relying on one layer of protection.
Many of the features are available at no additional cost or are already included in customers' wireless plans. AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon also offer free tools that allow customers to report unwanted incoming calls and texts.
"Combatting the scourge of illegal robocalls remains the FCC’s top consumer protection priority. And we are continuing to take additional steps to crack down on them. The guides we release today are yet another important step in this effort—streamlining essential information and empowering consumers to block and filter calls from their device.”
And the problem demands it. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received more than 2.6 million Do Not Call complaints during fiscal year 2025, a number that makes clear why this issue hits home for ordinary Americans. Roughly 1.6 million of those complaints involved robocalls, compared with about 802,000 involving live callers. Debt-reduction pitches, impostor calls, and medical or prescription-related calls were among the most commonly reported categories. And with election season right around the corner, when political robocalls hit peak annoyance, the timing of Carr's rollout couldn't be better.
The FCC has also been pushing accountability farther up the chain. Earlier this month, the commission sought public comment on creating a Robocall Scorecard, a transparency tool that would let consumers see exactly how well their voice provider is actually fighting illegal calls, not just how well they claim to. The proposal would examine both provider practices and real-world results, putting carriers on the hook for their performance.
The commission has separately proposed tightening requirements on originating voice providers, the companies at the very start of the call chain, arguing they are best positioned to screen out bad actors before illegal calls ever enter U.S. telephone networks. The proposal includes stronger "Know Your Customer" requirements and real penalties tied to illegal calls. No more looking the other way.
Pick the guide for your phone. Pick the guide for your carrier. Turn on the protections.
For once, Washington actually did something useful. Take the win.
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