Landline
How to stop spam calls on a landline
The short answer
Dial *77 to reject calls that hide their caller ID, use *60 to block numbers that keep calling, and turn on your phone provider’s spam filter if it has one (cable and fiber phone services usually do). Register the number at donotcall.gov to stop real telemarketers. For older traditional lines, the FTC suggests a call-blocking device.
Checked on AT&T and Verizon support pages, October 2026 (codes vary by provider and area) · Updated October 18, 2026
- Time
- 5 minutes
- Cost
- Mostly free
- Codes
- *77 and *60
- Stops
- Hidden and repeat callers
Use the star codes
Most home phone providers still support two codes. Dial them from the home phone.
Dial *77 to turn on Anonymous Call Rejection: callers who hide their number hear a message and can’t ring through. *87 turns it off.
Dial *60 to open Call Block and add numbers that keep calling. *80 turns it off.
On AT&T’s digital home phone, *61 adds the last caller to your block list.
From the makers of this guide
Want the calls screened, not just silenced?
PhoneShield answers your calls first. Known scam numbers are refused before your phone rings, the people you know ring straight through, and everyone else is asked who they are and why they’re calling, so your doctor and the delivery driver still reach you.
Turn on your provider’s spam filter
Internet-based home phone services (cable, fiber, Verizon Fios) usually include free spam blocking you can switch on in your account.
Sign in to your phone provider’s website or app and look under Voice or Home Phone settings for spam or robocall blocking.
Turn it on, and choose whether suspected spam is blocked or sent to voicemail.
Register on the Do Not Call Registry
Free and permanent. It stops law-abiding telemarketers, not scammers.
Go to donotcall.gov, or call 1-888-382-1222 from the number you want to register.
Sales calls should stop within 31 days. Registration never expires.
Beyond this setting
What else helps
A call-blocking device
For traditional landlines, the FTC suggests a call-blocking device that plugs in between your phone and the wall.
Never press a number
If you answer a robocall, hang up. Pressing a key to "be removed" marks your number as live.
Got a specific number?
Check who’s been reporting it
See how often people reported a number to the FTC, what the calls were about, and what to do, at isthisnumberascam.com.
Questions
What people ask
How do I block unwanted calls on my landline for free?
Dial *77 to reject anonymous callers and *60 to block specific numbers (where your provider supports them), turn on your provider’s spam filter, and register at donotcall.gov.
Does *77 still work?
On many providers, yes, including AT&T and Verizon home phones, though not everywhere. It only rejects callers who hide their caller ID.
Why do I get so many robocalls on my landline?
Landline numbers have been listed and sold for decades, and many robocallers fake local-looking numbers. Star codes and the registry help; a provider spam filter or a call-blocking device helps more.
Sources
Checked against
Every step is checked against the official instructions. Menus change with updates; tell us if one has moved.