Tired of political texts blowing up your phone? We still have more than two months until Election Day and the calls and texts are out of control. Some are asking for campaign donations, others want to make sure you vote and the thing is, it doesn't matter who you plan to vote for, the unsolicited messages come from all sides.
Call-blocking service Robokiller reports that in 2022, Americans got 15-billion political texts. That’s around 50 messages for every phone in the country and 2024 is supposed to smash that number. It’s a distraction and it takes up our time and attention, when many of us are already struggling to focus, so how do we make them stop?
Unfortunately, there’s not a single, free way to “mute” the annoying political texts, but these are some things we can do to stop getting so many of them.
- Start by responding STOP to the text - If it’s a legitimate business or organization, this will usually work because the FCC can fine them if they don’t stop. But it’s tricky because political campaign texts are exempt from the Do Not Call list, so while they’re supposed to have your consent to text you, it’s less clear where they get your permission. According to the FCC, robotexts aren’t allowed.
- If you’re getting texts you didn’t ask for - Report the sender by forwarding the text to 7726 or “SPAM.” Click “Delete and Report Junk” and block the sender.
- Use your phone’s built-in spam filter -
- On an iPhone - Open settings, tap Messages, switch Filter Unknown Senders to the “on” position. Messages from people who aren’t in your contacts will now go to a separate inbox.
- On Android - Open the Messages app and go to the Settings menu. Choose Spam Protection, then enable it.
- There’s an app for that - There are apps that can act as an extra line of defense by filtering out spam calls and texts that other users report. Most require a subscription to use, typically between $5 and $15 a month.
Source: USA Today
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