How to Block International Calls on Android: Every Way, Compared (2026)

You want your Android phone to stop making international calls. Maybe you never call abroad and do not want one wrong callback to land on your bill. Maybe the phone belongs to someone else in your household, or it is a work handset. Either way, you are not trying to block calls coming in from other countries. You want outgoing international calls to fail before they cost anything. This guide covers the four ways to do that on Android, what each one really blocks, and the gaps that none of them close.

Steps are current as of September 2026. Menu names vary by phone maker and Android version, and carrier services and defaults change. Check your carrier's help pages before relying on a block.

1. The short answer

To block all outgoing international calls on Android, use call barring: open the Phone app's settings, find Call barring, and turn on International calls (you will need a four-digit barring password, often 0000). You can also dial *331*password#. If your phone or carrier does not offer that, ask your carrier to block international calls on your line; several carriers do this from your account or by phone.

If what you actually want is narrower (one foreign number you keep calling) or wider (block everything except a few numbers), an outgoing call blocker app such as NoDial fits better. It does not block by country, though. Section 6 explains the difference.

2. Why block international calls at all

The usual reason is money. Calls to other countries are billed at international rates unless your plan includes them, so calls you did not mean to make can add up quickly.

The most common trap is the "one ring" scam. Your phone rings once from an unknown number and stops, hoping you will call back. The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) warns that these charges "may show up on your bill as premium services, international calling, or toll-calling." The FTC describes the number as "really an international toll number," with "most of the money going to the scammer."

These numbers do not always look foreign. The FTC notes that scammers use "area codes that look like they're from inside the U.S., but actually are associated with international phone numbers — often in the Caribbean," and lists 268, 284, 473, 664, 649, 767, 809, 829, 849 and 876. The FCC gives the examples of 809 (Dominican Republic) and 232 (Sierra Leone). The FCC's own advice lines up with this article: "If you do not make international calls, ask your phone company to block outgoing international calls on your line."

3. Method 1: Call barring on your phone

• All international calls ✓
• Set from your phone
• Needs a barring password

Call barring is a standard feature of GSM and LTE networks. You switch it on from your phone, and your carrier's network then refuses calls in the category you chose. The 3GPP standard defines two international categories:

• Outgoing international calls (BOIC): you can only call numbers in the country where you are right now. Every call to another country is refused.
• Outgoing international calls except to your home country (BOIC-exHC): the same, but while you are abroad you can still call numbers back home. At home, it behaves like the first option. It is designed for travel.

For "never call abroad", choose the first one. The general guide to call barring (every category, the password, troubleshooting) is Call Barring on Android.

On a Samsung Galaxy

1. Open the Phone app and tap the three-dot menu, then Settings.
2. Tap Supplementary services > Call barring > Voice call.
3. Turn on the international option (described as "all international calls"; the exact label varies by model and carrier).
4. Enter your barring password when asked. The usual default is 0000.

Voice calls and video calls are barred separately on Samsung, so set both if you use video calling over your mobile network. More detail, including what to do when the menu is missing: How to Block Outgoing Calls on Samsung.

On a Google Pixel (or any phone using Google's Phone app)

1. Open the Phone app > three-dot menu > Settings.
2. Tap Calling accounts, then your SIM, then Call barring.
3. Turn on International calls (or the equivalent entry) and enter the barring password.

In our own test on a Pixel 8a (September 2026), the Call barring entry only appeared while mobile data was on for that SIM.

With a dial code (any GSM phone)

You can also type a code into the dialer and press call, exactly like dialing a number. Replace PW with your barring password.

Wait for the confirmation message from the network. If you see "Connection problem or invalid MMI code", it usually means your carrier does not accept the code on your SIM; on some networks it can also mean the password is wrong. The password is not your SIM PIN. If 0000 does not work, ask your carrier to reset it instead of guessing, because some networks lock the service after several wrong tries.

* Carriers' device guides use the same categories. Telstra's guide, for example, lists Outgoing International next to All Outgoing and Outgoing Roaming.

4. Method 2: Ask your carrier for an international bar

• Set on your line, not the phone
• Varies by carrier
• Some need a phone call

Some carriers offer an account-level block that you set in their app or website, or by contacting support. It stays on your line even if you swap phones. What is offered, and what it covers, differs a lot:

Two things to note. First, a spend cap is not a block: it limits how much you can spend, rather than stopping international calls from the start. Second, check the exceptions. T-Mobile's list of what its block does not cover is a good reminder to ask your carrier directly whether its block covers the Caribbean area codes from section 2. T-Mobile and O2 also treat roaming (using your phone while abroad) separately from international calling, with their own bars.

5. Method 3: Fixed Dialing Numbers

• Only listed numbers ✓
• Blocks everything else too
• Needs PIN2

Fixed Dialing Numbers (FDN) is a SIM feature that lets the phone call only the numbers on a list you set up, protected by a code called PIN2. International calls stop, but so does every other number that is not on the list. The 3GPP standard allows FDN entries to contain wildcard digits, but how far that goes depends on the phone and SIM, so do not count on one entry to allow a whole country or area.

FDN makes sense for a phone that should only ever call a handful of numbers. It is too blunt if you just want to stop international calls on an everyday phone. Details and setup: Fixed Dialing Numbers on Android.

6. Method 4: An outgoing call blocker app

• One number ✓
• All except a few ✓
• No "every foreign number" switch

Android lets one app hold the call-redirection role, which means it can check each outgoing call as you place it and end the ones you asked it to end. An app like this works on your phone, not on the carrier's network, so it needs no barring password and works with any carrier.

Be clear about what it is for. NoDial does not have a setting that blocks every number starting with a foreign country code. If that is all you need, Method 1 or 2 is the right tool. NoDial is better in two cases that call barring cannot handle:

Block one international number, and keep all other calls

Call barring works by category. If there is one foreign number you have decided not to call, NoDial blocks that number only. International calls to everyone else still go through, and your contacts are not changed. NoDial compares numbers in full international format, so the number is blocked whether you dial it with + or with your country's international prefix.

1. Install NoDial and let it handle call redirection when Android asks (a one-time prompt).
2. Add the number, including its country code.
3. Choose how it is blocked: always, on certain days and hours, or up to a set number of calls per day, week or month.

The first number is free. Turning a number's block off takes effect one hour later, and you can cancel during that hour. Blocking is instant.

Block every call except a few numbers

With the Premium Unlimited plan, NoDial can block all outgoing calls, always or on a schedule, while Allowed numbers (up to 20) can still be called. Every international number is blocked along with everything else that is not on your allowed list. It works like Fixed Dialing, but without PIN2, and you can turn it off in the app and it takes effect right away. Setup and use cases: How to Block All Outgoing Calls on Android.

* The one-hour delay applies to switching a number's block off. Editing a rule's hours or call limit is saved straight away. When you add a number, NoDial refuses common emergency numbers such as 911, 112 and 999, and emergency calls are never blocked in any case.

7. What these blocks do not stop

• Calls in internet apps. WhatsApp, Telegram and similar apps place calls over the internet, not through your carrier's calling service. Call barring and NoDial do not act on them. T-Mobile also notes that its block does not cover "third-party international calling apps that bill you separately." These app calls usually cost only data, but paid calling apps bill on their own.
• Wi-Fi calling is still a phone call. Wi-Fi calling uses your carrier's calling service over a Wi-Fi connection. T-Mobile states that "Wi-Fi calls placed to other countries are subject to international rates." Whether a network bar also covers Wi-Fi calling depends on the carrier, so ask before relying on it.
• Roaming. Using your phone while abroad is a separate setting from calling abroad from home. Some carriers offer a separate roaming bar (O2's "International (Roaming)", T-Mobile's roaming block).
• Numbers that look domestic. The Caribbean area codes in section 2 are dialed like US numbers. Ask your carrier whether its block covers them before you rely on it. A blocker app only stops the numbers you add.
• Incoming calls. None of these stop foreign numbers calling you. For that, use your Phone app's block list or spam filter. See Block a Number on Android.

8. Every method compared

* NoDial's own switch is the barrier. Anyone with the unlocked phone can also remove NoDial's call-handling permission in Android settings or uninstall it, and blocking stops at once.

9. FAQ

How do I block international calls on Android?

Open the Phone app > Settings > Call barring (on Samsung, under Supplementary services; on Pixel, under Calling accounts > your SIM) and turn on International calls with your barring password, often 0000. Or dial *331*password#. If your carrier does not support it, ask them to block international calls on your line.

What is the code to block outgoing international calls?

*331*PW# turns it on, #331*PW# turns it off, and *#331# checks the status, where PW is your four-digit barring password. *332*PW# blocks international calls except to your home country.

What does "international calls except to home" mean?

It blocks calls to other countries but, while you are abroad, still lets you call numbers in your home country. At home it works like the normal international bar.

Does blocking international calls stop the "one ring" scam?

It stops the charge if you call back a foreign number, which is what the scam relies on. The FCC advises asking your phone company to block outgoing international calls if you do not make them. Some scam numbers use Caribbean area codes that look domestic, so ask your carrier whether its block covers them.

Will call barring block WhatsApp calls abroad?

No. Call barring works on your carrier's calling service. Calls in internet apps such as WhatsApp are not affected.

Can I block just one international number?

Not with call barring, which works by category. An outgoing call blocker app such as NoDial blocks only the numbers you add, and every other call, including other international calls, still works.

10. Summary

• The main reason to block: callback charges, including the one-ring scam, whose numbers can look domestic.
• Call barring: set from your phone, needs a barring password, and blocks calls to other countries. Ask about numbers that share your country code.
• Carrier bars and spend caps: different on every carrier. Ask about exceptions.
• Fixed Dialing: blocks everything except a list. Too blunt for an everyday phone.
• NoDial (Android): blocks one number you choose, or all calls except up to 20 allowed numbers. It has no by-country switch. Emergency calls are never blocked. First number free.

NoDial: block calls to the numbers you choseOne number, or everything except a few. First number free.

Sources

• FCC, "'One Ring' Phone Scam" (charges as premium or international calling; 809 and 232 examples; ask your phone company to block outgoing international calls) fcc.gov
• FTC Consumer Advice, "'One-ring' cell phone scam can ding your wallet" (Caribbean area codes that look domestic) consumer.ftc.gov
• FTC Consumer Advice, "Get a one-ring call? Don't call back." (international toll number; most of the money goes to the scammer) consumer.ftc.gov
• ETSI TS 122 088 (3GPP TS 22.088) V17.0.0, "Call Barring (CB) supplementary services" (BOIC and BOIC-exHC definitions) etsi.org
• ETSI, GSM 03.88 "Call Barring (CB) supplementary services – Stage 2" (barring programs) etsi.org
• ETSI TS 122 030 (3GPP TS 22.030) V17.0.0, "Man-Machine Interface (MMI) of the User Equipment" (service codes 331 and 332 for barring of outgoing international calls) etsi.org
• ETSI TS 122 101 (3GPP TS 22.101) V17.6.0, "Service aspects; Service principles" (FDN entries may contain wildcard characters) etsi.org
• MakeUseOf, "What Is Call Barring on a Samsung Phone and How Do You Use It?" (Supplementary services > Call barring > Voice call; default password 0000) makeuseof.com
• TechBone, "Samsung Call Barring: Turn On or Off" (Voice call and Video call barred separately) techbone.net
• Google Pixel Community, "Call barring" (Phone > Settings > Calling accounts > SIM > Call barring) support.google.com
• Telstra device guide, "Turn call barring on or off" (All Outgoing / Outgoing International / Outgoing Roaming…) telstra.com.au
• T-Mobile, "International talk & text guide (when stateside)" (international block by phone; Canada and US Virgin Islands not blocked; third-party apps not blocked; Wi-Fi calls at international rates) t-mobile.com
• Verizon, "International Long Distance FAQs" (call 611 to block all international calls) verizon.com
• EE, "Use call barring" (block incoming, outgoing and international calls; no charge) ee.co.uk
• O2, "How to add or remove a bar on your O2 account" (Outgoing Calls: International; International (Roaming)) o2.co.uk
• Three, "Spend Caps" (calls to international numbers from the UK) three.co.uk
• Vodafone UK, "Calling abroad" (spend limit for services such as international calls) vodafone.co.uk
• Airtel, "What is ISD Call & How to Activate ISD Calls" (basic ISD enabled by default; cannot be deactivated) airtel.in
• Airtel, "What is Call Barring and How to Activate It" (All Outgoing Calls, International Calls, All Incoming Calls) airtel.in
• Android Developers, "CallRedirectionService" (the system role an app uses to modify or cancel outgoing calls) developer.android.com
• Our own check on a Google Pixel 8a (Android, September 2026): the Call barring entry under Phone → Settings → Calling accounts appears only while the SIM's mobile data is on.

Carriers change their services, defaults and exceptions. Check your carrier's current help page before relying on a block.