Verizon has made its call filter free for all of its customers, giving them automatic blocking of spam and robocalls at no extra cost.

The Call Filter app detects and filters spam and allows the user to report the number that called them. It can also automatically prevent robocalls from ever reaching one's phone. Thee free tier does all that, but there's an optional $2.99 upgrade that comes with a few nifty perks, such as caller ID, a personal block list, and a risk meter. Previously, the app didn't have such tiers, with the $2.99-a-month option being the only one.

Verizon Makes Call Filter Free

"Far too frequently, customers tell me they want relief from the bombardment of bothersome robocalls," said Ronan Dunne, president of Verizon's consumer unit. "I'm confident that our new, free version of Call Filter and STIR/SHAKEN will put a big dent in the problem."

iOS users can download the app now. Things get a little more complicated when it comes to Android, however. The app isn't yet available on the Google Play Store, but Verizon says most Android phones it sells have Call Filter preinstalled, including the Google Pixel 3. Verizon lists all supported handsets on its website.

STIR/SHAKEN Tech

Verizon began rolling its STIR/SHAKEN caller ID technology this week, which attempts to detect when callers, including robocallers, spoof caller ID information to make their numbers seem legitimate by virtue of, for instance, appearing as if they're calling from the customer's area code. The Big Red says it's testing the tech within its own network at the moment, but it plans to roll it out with other carriers in the coming months. In any case, this comes as a huge boon for all those folks getting pestered with spam and robocalls on a daily basis.