T-Mobile today announced that it is the first U.S. wireless provider that has managed to complete deals with all wireless networks to implement full number spoofing and spam call protection for customers.
With these partnerships in place, T-Mobile has completed its implementation of the STIR/SHAKEN standards that are in place to combat illegal caller ID spoofing. T-Mobile is now able to authenticate calls with wireless and network providers that represent 98 percent of wireless customers in the United States.
T-Mobile offers a "Scam Shield" Un-carrier feature that susses out and blocks scams and robocalls. The company has been working on improving Scam Shield, and its new partnerships with Spectrum Voice and Charter Communications ensure number verification across almost all providers in the U.S. to authenticate incoming calls for T-Mobile customers.
"T-Mobile was first to implement number verification in 2019 because protecting customers against scammers and spammers is one of the most important things we can do as an industry," said Mike Sievert, CEO T-Mobile. "To date, T-Mobile has protected over 80 million customers from more than 33 billion suspect calls - and counting. With the combination of Number Verification, free Caller ID and the scam blocking tools in Scam Shield, and by working with network providers of all sizes, we are providing the industry's most comprehensive scam and spam protection for free to all our customers and working every day to make scammers jobs impossible."
The FCC is requiring all carriers in the United States to implement STIR/SHAKEN by June 2021, so other major wireless providers like AT&T and Verizon will need to add the same protections for their customers.
T-Mobile's Scam Shield is a free Caller ID tool that warns customers when a number calling is likely to be a scammer, and there's an option to block scammers entirely.
AT&T and Verizon have similar spam caller prevention tools, but both charge for premium access. AT&T charges $3.99 for features that include Caller ID (though it is included free in the highest tier unlimited plans), while Verizon charges $2.99 per month for Caller ID. Both AT&T and Verizon are working to implement STIR/SHAKEN for identifying spoofed calls.
Friday October 31, 2025 1:40 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a small but helpful change for iPhones, and it could prevent you from running late to something important.
Specifically, when an alarm goes off in the Clock app, there is a new "slide to stop" control on the screen for turning off the alarm. On previous iOS 26 versions, there is simply a large "stop" button, which could be accidentally tapped.
The new ...
Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below.
Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
Friday October 31, 2025 7:32 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple has just given a strong indication that it will not be releasing any additional new Macs for the remainder of the year.
Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh dropped the hint during the company's earnings call on Thursday:On Mac, keep in mind, we expect to face a very difficult compare against the M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac launches in the year-ago quarter.Parekh essentially gave a heads up ...
Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more.
Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1.
Release Date
Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...
Thursday October 30, 2025 4:42 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
One thing worth...
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Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors.
...
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models could be available in new rich and warm color option, according to a known leaker.
The Weibo user known as "Instant Digital" today suggested that next-year's iPhone 18 Pro models will be available in at least one of the following color options: Coffee, purple, and burgundy.
The iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 14, and iPhone 14 Pro were all available in ...
Wednesday October 29, 2025 7:13 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Rumors are stoking excitement for the next-generation iPad mini that Apple is reportedly close to launching. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over a year ago? Read on to find out.
Processor and Performance
Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to...
Friday October 31, 2025 8:52 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device.
Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that have been leaked about Apple's foldable iPhone so far.
Ove...
Currently, iOS merely displays a tiny checkbox under each STIR/SHAKEN verified phone number/name in Recents tab. That is not enough.
At the very least, it should display more prominent icon on the incoming call screen. Furthermore, Silence Unknown Callers should be expanded to:
* Silence Unknown Callers: Callers not in Contacts, outgoing calls, and Siri Suggestions * Silence Unverified Callers: Callers not verified by STIR/SHAKEN. * Silence International Callers: Callers not in local region (e.g., US if your carrier is US) or current region (if you are roaming internationally)
And iOS needs Call Screening feature similar to Android.
On this carrier and got a call about my expiring warranty (for my 10 year old car) yesterday (normally about 1 a day), will be interesting to see if this does a thing. If its only labeling, its close to worthless.
It does make me wonder if we really need phone numbers at this point, at the height of this nonsense (and inability or lack of motivation of the carriers to fix it), a full size ipod touch with connection through a wireless provider (but no phone number) was sounding pretty good.
Ahhh for actual blockage, you have to get their app, it appears, and it (according the app store) harvests your contact info, usage data and user content (whatever that is) along with other stuff not directly linked the user (but probably easily linked later on).
How annoying. That full size ipod touch with a wireless connection but no phone number anyone can call sounds better at every turn.
AT&T and Verizon have similar spam caller prevention tools, but both charge for premium access. AT&T charges $3.99 for features that include Caller ID (though it is included free in the highest tier unlimited plans), while Verizon charges $2.99 per month for Caller ID.
