T-Mobile Launches 'Scam Shield' to Protect Subscribers From Scam Calls and Robocalls

T-Mobile today unveiled its latest "Un-carrier" initiative, Scam Shield, which is designed to block robocalls and scam calls targeting T-Mobile, Metro, and Sprint customers.

tmobilescamshield
A free service, Scam Shield offers scam identification and blocking for every customer and provides more information about who's calling with enhanced Caller ID. T-Mobile is also offering a free second number so customers can keep their main numbers safe, plus free number changes and free ID monitoring.

T-Mobile competitors Verizon and AT&T have similar services, but charge for some features. Verizon, for example, has a free Call Filter service that IDs spam calls, but charges $2.99 per month for features like caller ID, blocking, and spam look up.

AT&T also has a free service for blocking fraud calls, but charges $3.99 per month for caller ID, reverse number lookup, custom call controls, and more. T-Mobile says that it is challenging other carriers to offer the same free services provided to T-Mobile customers.

tmobilescamshield2
"Today, I'm challenging the Carriers to get off their assets, stop profiting from fear and do the right thing, because everyone needs and deserves protection now, more than ever," said T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert.

T-Mobile and Metro customers can activate scam blocking by dialing #662# on their smartphones as of today, with the Scam Shield app launching on July 24. Sprint customers will be able to download an upgraded Call Screener app from the App Store on July 24 to activate free scam ID and blocking along with caller ID.

Along with the new Scam Shield service, T-Mobile also announced that it will be combining operations with Sprint and unifying under the T-Mobile brand in retail stores nationwide.

Popular Stories

iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.5 With New Wallpaper, Screen Time Changes, Carrier Satellite Support for iPhone 13 and More

Monday May 12, 2025 10:06 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5, the fifth updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 come a little over a month after Apple released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. The iOS 18.5 update has a...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's 'CarPlay Ultra' Experience Now Available

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:07 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its next-generation CarPlay experience, now dubbed "CarPlay Ultra" begins rolling out today, starting with Aston Martin vehicles. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. CarPlay Ultra is now available with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the U.S. and Canada. It will also be available for existing models that feature the brand's next-generation ...
iPhone 12 Made in India

Trump Tells Tim Cook to Stop Building iPhones in India

Thursday May 15, 2025 2:21 am PDT by
President Donald Trump has asked Apple CEO Tim Cook to halt the company's manufacturing expansion in India, in a potential disruption of Apple's plan to shift iPhone production away from China. "I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday," Trump said during his state visit to Qatar, according to Bloomberg. "He is building all over India." "They [India] have offered us a deal where...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

WSJ: Apple Weighing Price Hikes for iPhone 17 Lineup Without Blaming Tariffs

Monday May 12, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
Apple is considering raising prices for its upcoming iPhone 17 models set to release this fall, according to people familiar with the matter cited by The Wall Street Journal. The company reportedly aims to pair the potential price hikes with new features and design changes to justify the increased cost to consumers, rather than attributing them to U.S. tariffs on goods from China. The...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's CarPlay Ultra Is Here – Does Your iPhone Support It?

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:17 am PDT by
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature. According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
tvOS 18 Feature

Apple Releases tvOS 18.5

Monday May 12, 2025 10:01 am PDT by
Apple today released tvOS 18.5, the latest version of the tvOS operating system. tvOS 18.5 comes a little over a month after the launch of tvOS 18.4, and it is available for the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models. tvOS 18.5 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software. ‌Apple TV‌ owners who have...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.5

Monday May 12, 2025 10:10 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.5, the fifth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched last September. macOS Sequoia 15.5 comes a little over a month after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.4. Mac users can download the ‌‌‌macOS Sequoia 15.5‌‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run ...
apple music

Apple Music Gets New Transfer Tool to Make Switching From Spotify Easier

Wednesday May 14, 2025 5:17 pm PDT by
Apple this week introduced a new feature designed to allow prospective Apple Music users to import their saved music and playlists from third-party music services to Apple Music. The feature is either in an expanded testing phase or it has started rolling out, and it is available in Australia and New Zealand according to an Apple Support document. Signs of the transfer option first surfaced...

Top Rated Comments

Unity451 Avatar
63 months ago
I left the dumpster fire that is AT&T years ago for T-Mobile, and I've never regretted it for a moment.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
boss.king Avatar
63 months ago
American carriers are ridiculous. Imagine paying to be able to receive calls, and then also paying to block them. What a joke.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nutmac Avatar
63 months ago
Only Caller ID is free. T-Mobile will sell reverse number lookup, blocking categories (e.g., political surveys), and managing block list at $3.99/line per month. Granted, caller ID is the most valuable feature of the lot, but let's not compare Caller ID to more feature packed paid add-on from AT&T and Verizon.

As for free proxy phone number, only 1 number is provided per plan, and only for customers on Essentials, Magenta, and Magenta Plus plans. Older customers will have to pay $9.99/month.

On a related note, it's a letdown that iOS 14 does not advance call blocking feature. iOS 13 identified STIR/SHAKEN verified numbers, but they cannot be filtered. "Silence Unknown Callers" feature should optionally allow verified numbers. Furthermore, nothing like Android's Call Screen feature.

Tried #662# from my iPhone 11 Pro. Got a Please Wait spinner for about 30 seconds then got an error message.
Try turning off Wi-Fi. It sometimes require cellular connection to enable/disable.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
oneMadRssn Avatar
63 months ago
I use the AT&T Call Protect app and can verify that it doesn't work at all and is completely and utterly worthless. It's powered by Hiya, so that is also totally ineffective.

It's actually kind of driving me crazy. I get a 3+ robo calls per day most days. I've actually considered porting my number to a VOIP such as Google Voice to be able to have an automated screening system, and using a data-enabled iPad Mini as my primary comm device instead of an iPhone.

This is an area where I think Apple should step up and try to find a solution. Getting too many spam calls with drive down iPhone sales, so they have a vested interest in this.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
centauratlas Avatar
63 months ago

I left the dumpster fire that is AT&T years ago for T-Mobile, and I've never regretted it for a moment.
I went the other way about 10-11 years ago when T-Mobile wanted me to change plans - to an identical plan that cost the same and had everything identical except "it was compatible with the iPhone". The catch was I was going to have to sign up for a 2 year contract - I was off contract because I'd been with them for more than a decade - for doing nothing except staying with T-Mobile. It was stupid and they tried the "if you do it now, we'll give you a $50 statement credit, but that is only good for this call." It was like I was buying a car.

Since Legere took over and turned things around and stopped stupid stuff like that, I've considered going back. Hopefully they continue well without him because I was happy with them until the above.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
deeddawg Avatar
63 months ago

Pay us to protect you from the thing we should be protecting you from in the first place.
Pay? What do you mean? Free service per article.


what are the privacy implications of this? Does TMO get access to contacts? Does TMO log phone calls accepted, etc?
#1 - no - I'm guessing they leverage databases of known robo call sources.

#2 - All carriers have been logging phone calls accepted / declined / initiated for something like forever.

I was on a jury for a murder trial several years ago - part of the evidence was the cell phone company logs of the murderer's phone calls that afternoon. It included which tower his phone was making the call through, as well as which antenna on the tower - with the tower addresses and the antenna direction it was strong evidence of his (phone's) movements that day. ... and that was with a dumb flip-phone.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)