Questions
- How do I block a phone number in Microsoft Teams?
- How do I stop a specific person from calling me in Teams?
- How do I block an unwanted caller from my Teams call history?
- How do I report a spam call in Teams?
- How do I see and manage my blocked contacts in Teams?
- How do I unblock someone in Teams?
- Teams is showing a "Spam likely" label on incoming calls — what does that mean?
Environment
This article applies to Bowdoin College faculty and staff using Teams Calling who want to block unwanted callers or report suspected spam calls.
- Desktop app: macOS (Sequoia 15.x, Tahoe 26.x) and Windows 11
- Note: Blocking a contact prevents them from reaching you through Teams. For stopping all calls temporarily — for example, during a meeting or after hours — use Do Not Disturb or Quiet Hours instead. See the Related Articles section.
Resolution
Block a caller from your call history
The easiest way to block someone is directly from your call history after they have called you.
- Click the Calls icon in the left sidebar of Teams.
- In your call history, find the call from the person or number you want to block.
- Hover over the entry and click the three-dot menu (…) that appears.
- Select Block contact (for a Teams user) or Block number (for an external phone number).
- Confirm the block when prompted.
Done: The blocked person or number will no longer be able to reach you through Teams Calling. Their calls will go directly to voicemail without ringing your devices.
Block a caller during an active call
If you are already on a call you want to end and block:
- Click the three-dot menu (…) in the call controls.
- Select Block or Block contact.
- Confirm the block — the call will end and the contact will be added to your blocked list.
View and manage blocked contacts
To review your blocked contacts list or unblock someone:
- Click the ellipsis (…) next to your profile picture and select Settings.
- Click Privacy in the left menu.
- Under Blocked contacts, you will see everyone you have blocked.
- To unblock someone, click the X or Unblock button next to their name.
Report a spam call
If you receive a suspected spam or robocall, you can report it to Microsoft to help improve Teams' built-in spam detection for all users.
- In your call history, find the suspected spam call.
- Click the three-dot menu (…) next to the entry.
- Select Report a concern or Report spam.
- Follow the prompts to complete the report.
Spam likely label: When Teams detects an incoming call as probable spam, it displays a "Spam likely" label beneath the caller's number on the incoming call screen. You can still answer the call if you choose — the label is a warning, not a block. If you decline, the call goes to voicemail.
Reduce unwanted calls without blocking
If the issue is call volume rather than a specific unwanted caller, these settings may help more than blocking individual numbers:
- Do Not Disturb — immediately silences all incoming calls; callers go to voicemail. Set from your profile picture in Teams.
- Quiet Hours — automatically silences call notifications on your mobile device during evenings and weekends. See Set Quiet Hours in Teams to Silence Calls After Hours in the Related Articles section.
- Forward calls to voicemail — in Settings > Calls, set Forward my calls to Voicemail during times you do not want to be interrupted. Remember to turn it off when you are available again.
Additional Help
If you need further assistance, you have several options:
- Bowdoin Bot: Chat with Bowdoin Bot directly from any KB page for instant answers.
- Phone: Call the Bowdoin College Service Desk at (207) 725-3030.
- In person: Visit the Tech Hub in Smith Union during business hours.
- Submit a ticket: Request assistance through the Service Catalog.