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Telephone Preference Service (TPS): how to stop spam calls in the UK

By the Remove Me team · Published on November 1, 2026 · 6 min read

The short answer

Register your landline or mobile number with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS). It is free, and organisations must not make live sales calls to a registered number after 28 days. The TPS does not stop scam, silent, recorded or overseas calls, so add call blocking on your phone and report the calls you still get to the ICO, Report Fraud or Ofcom.

This article is part of the full guide: Phishing, spam and nuisance calls: a UK protection guide

Three tools work together against spam calls in the UK: the Telephone Preference Service (TPS), call blocking on your phone, and reporting. Each covers a different kind of call, so it helps to know what the TPS can and cannot do before you rely on it.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) says that its nuisance calls guidance is under review because of changes made by the Data (Use and Access) Act, so check its page for the latest wording.

What counts as a spam or nuisance call

The ICO describes nuisance marketing calls, or spam calls, as unwanted phone calls that try to promote a product, service, aim or ideal when you have not given permission to be contacted. It names two types: live marketing calls from a real person, and automated marketing calls, which play a pre-recorded message when you answer. Scam calls are a separate problem and are handled differently.

Step 1: register with the TPS

The TPS describes itself as the UK's only official "Do Not Call" register.

  • It is free. The TPS says it will never contact you asking for payment. Be wary of any company that offers to stop calls for a fee. The TPS warns that some may be fraudulent, and that several claim to be the TPS or BT.
  • Both landlines and mobiles can be registered.
  • There is a 28-day rule. The TPS says it is a legal requirement for organisations not to call a TPS-registered number after 28 days, though you are likely to see fewer calls sooner.
  • Register once. For residential numbers, the TPS says there is no need to renew. If your number or address changes, tell the TPS so your new number is registered.
  • Businesses can register too. Limited companies, public limited companies and Scottish partnerships can opt out of unsolicited sales calls, and sole traders and other partnerships can register as individuals.

To remove your number, the TPS asks you to email tps@dma.org.uk.

What the TPS does not stop

The TPS says its remit covers live unsolicited sales or marketing calls only. It cannot prevent:

  • recorded or automated messages
  • silent calls
  • market research calls
  • calls from overseas companies
  • debt collection calls
  • scam calls
  • nuisance and abusive calls

Calls from friends and family are not restricted either, and the TPS says service-related calls from banks and credit card companies are not subject to its rules. The ICO adds one more case: if you agreed an organisation could make live marketing calls to you and then registered with the TPS, that organisation can still call. You need to tell it directly to stop.

Step 2: block and filter calls on your phone

Because the TPS only covers live sales calls, phone settings fill the gap. The NCSC notes that many phone companies offer caller display, incoming call blocking and anonymous call rejection, so ask your provider what it offers.

iPhone

Apple's support page says to go to Settings, tap Apps, then tap Phone. On recent versions of iOS you can:

  1. Choose how to handle calls from unsaved numbers under Screen Unknown Callers: Never, Ask Reason for Calling, or Silence (silenced and sent to voicemail).
  2. Turn on Unknown Callers under Call Filtering to move missed calls and voicemails from unknown numbers to a separate list.
  3. Turn on the spam filter in the same place.

Apple suggests saving important numbers in Contacts so you always see those calls. Call screening does not run while roaming.

Android

These steps are from Google's help pages for the Phone by Google app. Other makers use their own Phone app, so look for similar settings or ask your provider.

  1. Open the Phone app, tap More options, then Settings, then Caller ID and spam.
  2. Check See caller ID & spam is on (Google says it is on by default) and optionally turn on Filter spam calls.
  3. To block one number, open Call history, tap a call from that number and choose Block / report spam.

Google adds that blocking unknown numbers only blocks private or unidentified numbers. Calls from numbers not saved in your contacts still get through.

Step 3: report the calls you still get

The ICO and the NCSC split reporting between several bodies:

  • Nuisance marketing calls (live or recorded): report to the ICO using its online complaint tool. The ICO says reports help it investigate and act against those responsible.
  • Fraud and scams: Report Fraud in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or Police Scotland. The NCSC gives reportfraud.police.uk and 0300 123 2040 if you have lost money or been hacked, and 101 for Police Scotland.
  • A business's practices: Trading Standards, through Citizens Advice.
  • Silent or abandoned calls: Ofcom.
  • Calls asking you to phone a premium rate number: the Phone-paid Services Authority, which regulates charges added to phone bills.

Scam texts can be forwarded free to 7726. See our guide to reporting scam texts and calls.

Special cases

Pension calls. The ICO says only a trustee or manager of the pension scheme, or a firm authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, can make a live marketing call about a pension scheme, and only if you have agreed to receive marketing calls.

If you or a relative is particularly vulnerable, for example with dementia, the ICO suggests speaking to the telephone network about call blocking, which is often free. Call blocker units can also be bought.

Why the calls may keep coming

The official pages used for this guide do not explain where a particular caller got your number. If you want to see what is publicly visible about you, Remove Me offers a free analysis with no account. It searches publicly visible web results, known public data breaches (Have I Been Pwned) and a register of data brokers, then shows a report unlocked with a 6-digit code sent to your e-mail. It cannot block calls and does not yet send erasure requests on your behalf. Run my free scan.

Sources

Related reading: how to spot a phishing email.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Telephone Preference Service free?
Yes. The TPS says registration is free and that it will never contact you asking for payment. It warns that companies charging to stop unsolicited calls may be fraudulent, and that some claim to be the TPS or BT.
How long does it take for TPS to work?
The TPS says it is a legal requirement for organisations not to call a registered number after 28 days, although you are likely to notice a drop in telemarketing sooner. Residential registrations do not need renewing.
Does the TPS stop all spam calls?
No. Its remit covers live unsolicited sales and marketing calls. It cannot stop recorded or automated messages, silent calls, market research, overseas companies, debt collection, scam calls, or nuisance and abusive calls.
How do I stop spam calls on an iPhone?
Apple's support page says to go to Settings, then Apps, then Phone. There you can choose how to screen unknown callers (Never, Ask Reason for Calling or Silence) and turn on the spam filter under Call Filtering. Menu names can differ on older versions of iOS.
How do I stop spam calls on Android?
In the Phone by Google app, Google says to tap More options, then Settings, then Caller ID and spam. You can turn on Filter spam calls, and block a number from your call history. Other phone makers use their own Phone app.
Who do I report spam calls to?
The ICO says to report nuisance marketing calls to it, fraud and scams to Report Fraud (or Police Scotland), a business's practices to Trading Standards through Citizens Advice, and silent or abandoned calls to Ofcom.

Sources

Our editorial approach

This article is written by the Remove Me team, based on the official sources cited above. We update it when those sources change. It is for information only and is not personalised legal advice.

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Further reading