How to block numbers on a BlackBerry

Blackberry Phone Screen and keypad

Unwanted calls can be a real pain, whether it’s someone cold-calling about unclaimed PPI or a distant relative that insists on blabbering on at you for hours on end. If you want to put an end to such annoying, or even, harassing calls, here’s how to block calls and texts on BlackBerry phones.

BlackBerry has a nifty little feature that allows you to block phone calls and messages from anyone not in your contacts list. Annoyingly, however, it’s buried in the parental controls submenu, rather than being a dedicated option within BB10’s privacy settings.

How to block unknown numbers

1) Open security settings

Open the settings menu, and tap on the ‘Security and privacy’ tab.

2) Activate Parental Controls

Go into the ‘Parental controls’ tab, and use the slider to activate parental controls.

3) Set up password

If you’re activating parental controls for the first time, you’ll be asked to set up a password and optional recovery question.

4) Block unknown numbers

Once you’ve done that, you can tick the boxes to block calls or texts from numbers not already in your contacts.

How to block specific numbers

Unfortunately, BlackBerry doesn’t allow users to blacklist specific numbers from contacting them. If you want to block, for example, a particularly persistent ex, then you’ll have to do so via a third-party app.

There are plenty to choose from on the company’s BlackBerry World app store, so you can pretty much take your pick. There are various examples, including free and paid-for apps and almost all of them feature personal blacklists, along with other useful features.

Adam Shepherd

Adam Shepherd has been a technology journalist since 2015, covering everything from cloud storage and security, to smartphones and servers. Over the course of his career, he’s seen the spread of 5G, the growing ubiquity of wireless devices, and the start of the connected revolution. He’s also been to more trade shows and technology conferences than he cares to count.

Adam is an avid follower of the latest hardware innovations, and he is never happier than when tinkering with complex network configurations, or exploring a new Linux distro. He was also previously a co-host on the ITPro Podcast, where he was often found ranting about his love of strange gadgets, his disdain for Windows Mobile, and everything in between.

You can find Adam tweeting about enterprise technology (or more often bad jokes) @AdamShepherUK.