Spam calls and robocalls are a growing problem for small business owners. Beside gives you a few complementary ways to handle them: a dedicated Spam Calls setting for carrier-flagged numbers, the ability to manually mark or unmark a caller as spam yourself, Silence Unknown Callers for anyone outside your contacts, and control over which calls your Receptionist answers.
Choose how carrier-flagged spam calls are handled
When your carrier flags an incoming call as likely spam and the caller isn't in your contacts, the Spam Calls setting lets you decide automatically what happens to it.
From the web app
Go to app.beside.com
Open Phone Numbers in the sidebar and select the line you want to update
Scroll to Compliance & Privacy and click Spam Calls
Choose how carrier-flagged spam calls should be handled:
Ring with badge - your phone rings with a "Spam Likely" badge so you can decide whether to answer (default)
Receptionist - the caller is sent to your Receptionist, which can screen the call for you
Voicemail - the call goes straight to voicemail
From the mobile app (iPhone)
Open the Beside mobile app and go to Settings
Tap the line you want to update
Under Notifications, tap Spam Calls
Choose how carrier-flagged spam calls should be handled: Ring with badge, Receptionist, or Voicemail (same options as above)
📌 If Silence Unknown Callers is also on: Silence Unknown Callers takes priority for callers outside your contacts - they're already sent to voicemail or your Receptionist before the Spam Calls setting gets a chance to ring with a badge.
📌 Android: Support for the Spam Calls setting on Android is coming soon.
🟡 Not seeing this setting?
Make sure you're on the latest version of the Beside app.
If it's still missing, your number may not be set up to support it yet - this is rolling out to every number over the next few weeks.
Recognize spam-flagged calls across Beside
Once a call is flagged - whether by your carrier or by you marking a caller manually - you'll see the same signal in a few places across the app, so you always know what you're looking at, wherever you spot it.
Ring screen - if Ring with badge is selected, the incoming call screen shows a "Spam Likely" tag as it rings
Chat header - opening the conversation shows a "Spammer" pill next to the caller's number
Chats list - the row shows a "Spam" subtitle instead of the usual message preview
Calls list - on iPhone, the row shows the real call status (Missed, Incoming, etc.) with a "Spam" tag underneath; on Beside on the web, the call's status shows as a "Spam" badge
Contact details - a "Spammer" row appears on the caller's profile, for as long as they're not saved as a contact or marked a Top client. See Sync and manage your contacts.
📌 Platform: These indicators are available on Beside on the web and the Beside mobile app on iPhone. Not currently available on Android.
Manually mark a caller as spam
Beyond carrier-flagged detection, you can flag or unflag a caller as spam yourself. This works for inbound calls and private chats - not for outbound calls or group chats.
On the web
On the Calls tab, right-click an inbound call row and choose Mark as Spam (unflagged caller) or Mark as Not Spam (already flagged caller)
On the Chats tab, right-click a private chat row for the same options
On iPhone
Long-press (or open the ⋯ menu on) a call or chat row, the Call Recap, or the caller's contact profile, and choose Mark as Spam / Mark as Not Spam (Mark as Spammer / Mark as Not Spammer on the contact profile).
Marking a caller as spam force-flags them with the "Spam" badge everywhere they show, even if your carrier hasn't flagged them
Marking a caller as not spam clears the badge and stops the carrier from re-flagging future calls from that number
Changes apply instantly across the calls list, chats list, and chat header
📌 Not offered for everyone:
Mark as Spam doesn't appear for callers already saved in your contacts or marked a Top client
It also doesn't appear for anonymous or withheld-number callers, or for outbound calls
Silence unknown callers
The most effective built-in tool is Silence Unknown Callers. When enabled, calls from numbers not in your contacts (and that you haven't called before) are muted and sent to your Receptionist instead of ringing your phone. Known contacts ring normally, and all calls remain visible in your call log.
You can enable this toggle from the web app or the mobile app:
On the web app
Go to app.beside.com
Open Phone Numbers in the sidebar and select the line you want to update
On the General tab, scroll to Compliance & Privacy
Toggle Silence Unknown Callers on
On the mobile app
Open the Beside mobile app
Go to Settings
Tap Notifications → Silence Unknown Callers
Toggle the feature on
⚠️ Important: Silencing unknown callers means any number not in your contacts will go to your Receptionist instead of ringing - including potential new clients calling for the first time. Use this setting if spam volume is high and you're comfortable routing cold inbound calls through your Receptionist.
Configure who your Receptionist answers
You can control exactly which calls your Receptionist handles, adding a smart layer of filtering without silencing calls completely.
You can configure this from the web app or the mobile app:
On the web app
Go to app.beside.com
Open Receptionist in the sidebar*
On the Phone tab, scroll to Scope
Under Answers to, choose between:
Missed From Everyone - answers every missed call
Missed From Unsaved Numbers - answers only calls from numbers not in your contacts
*if you have multiple lines, select the line you want to update first using the line picker at the top of the sidebar
On the mobile app
Open the Beside mobile app
Go to the Receptionist
Select the Calls sub-tab*
Under Scope, choose between:
Missed calls from everyone - answers every missed call
Missed calls from unknown numbers - answers only calls from numbers not in your contacts
Missed calls from saved contacts - answers only calls from saved contacts (mobile only)
*if you have multiple lines, select the line you want to update first in the top-left
This setup lets you capture important calls from new clients while filtering out unknown or spammy numbers through the Receptionist - without muting your phone entirely.
💡 Note: The Missed from contacts only option is currently available in the mobile app only. To use it, configure your Receptionist scope from your phone.
Change your Beside number if spam becomes excessive
If spam calls are too frequent or disruptive, changing your Beside number can instantly reset unwanted call traffic. This is especially useful if your current number was previously targeted by robocall lists - a fresh number starts with a clean reputation.
Each line gets one free number change. You can pick a new area code directly from the app in just a few seconds.
FAQ
Does Beside have a dedicated spam blocker?
Does Beside have a dedicated spam blocker?
Yes. The Spam Calls setting (Settings → Phone Numbers → [line] → Compliance & Privacy → Spam Calls on the web, or Settings → [line] → Notifications → Spam Calls on iPhone) lets you choose how carrier-flagged spam is handled - ring with a badge, route to your Receptionist, or send straight to voicemail.
It's available on iPhone and Beside on the web; Android support is coming soon.
If you don't see it, make sure you're on the latest app version - if it's still missing, your number may not be set up to support it yet, which is rolling out over the next few weeks. Silence Unknown Callers and your Receptionist scope add further layers of protection.
Can I manually mark a caller as spam myself?
Can I manually mark a caller as spam myself?
Yes. On Beside on the web, right-click a call or chat row and choose Mark as Spam or Mark as Not Spam. On iPhone, long-press the row (or use the caller's contact profile) for the same options. This works for inbound calls and private chats.
Why don't I see a "Mark as Spam" option on a call or chat?
Why don't I see a "Mark as Spam" option on a call or chat?
"Mark as Spam" isn't offered for callers already saved in your contacts or marked a Top client, for anonymous or withheld-number callers, or for outbound calls.
What's the default Spam Calls setting?
What's the default Spam Calls setting?
Ring with badge. If you haven't changed this setting, calls your carrier flags as spam still ring normally - just with a "Spam Likely" badge - so nothing is silently blocked or redirected until you choose otherwise. The one exception: if Silence Unknown Callers is also on, that setting takes priority for callers outside your contacts.
Can I block a specific phone number in Beside?
Can I block a specific phone number in Beside?
Beside doesn't currently have a manual per-number block feature. To prevent a known spam number from reaching you, you can use your phone's native blocking feature (available on both iPhone and Android) alongside Beside's Silence Unknown Callers setting.
Should I use iPhone's "Screen Unknown Callers" to block spam?
Should I use iPhone's "Screen Unknown Callers" to block spam?
We don't recommend it for business users. That setting (Settings → Apps → Phone → Screen Unknown Callers on iOS 26+, or Settings → Phone → Silence Unknown Callers on iOS 18 and earlier) silences all calls from unsaved numbers - including potential new clients - before your phone even rings. Beside's own Silence Unknown Callers feature is designed for the same goal but keeps your Receptionist in the loop, so new customers can still reach you via voicemail or the Receptionist. If you're troubleshooting an iPhone that's not ringing because of this setting, see Fix calls not ringing.
Will my Receptionist answer robocalls?
Will my Receptionist answer robocalls?
Yes - if a robocall reaches your line, your Receptionist will answer and greet the caller. Most automated systems hang up at that point since they're not designed to respond to a live-sounding voice. The call will still appear in your log with a short or empty transcript.
Can I make my Receptionist screen spam callers itself?
Can I make my Receptionist screen spam callers itself?
Yes. In Scenarios you can add a call-handling rule that recognizes a likely sales or robocall, responds with a firm message, asks who's calling, and takes a message - so the attempt is logged without interrupting you. Your Receptionist screens and records the caller but can't hang up on them. 📖 Set up Scenarios
My number shows as "Scam Likely" to people I call - what should I do?
My number shows as "Scam Likely" to people I call - what should I do?
This can happen with new Beside numbers while carrier spam registries update. It typically resolves within 48 hours - and if it persists, our support team can guide you to register your number with the Free Caller Registry.