Each guide is short and written to be followed with your phone in your hand. Stuck on a step? Text Uncle at +1 208 214 0093 and tell him what you see on your screen.
Your phone
Forward a text on iPhone
Forwarding sends an exact copy of a text to someone else. It takes about four taps once you know where the arrow hides.
Forward a text on Android
Forwarding passes along an exact copy of a text. The steps depend on which messaging app your phone uses.
Screenshot on iPhone
A screenshot is a photo of whatever is on your screen. It is the easiest way to show someone exactly what you are seeing.
Screenshot on Android
Two buttons pressed together save a picture of your screen. Here is how to do it, find it, and share it.
Send a photo by text
Sending a picture by text takes one extra tap: the plus button next to where you type.
Photo of a letter
A sharp photo lets a family member, your doctor's office, or Uncle read every word of a letter without a scanner.
Block a number on iPhone
Blocking stops a number from ringing your phone or reaching your texts. It takes about five seconds.
Block a number on Android
Blocking stops a number from calling or texting you. On Android you can report it as spam in the same step.
Report spam texts to 7726
Forwarding a scam text to 7726 tells your phone carrier about it, so they can block it for you and for others.
Silence unknown callers on iPhone
One setting sends calls from numbers you do not know straight to voicemail, so most robocalls never ring.
Filter spam calls on Android
Your Android phone already has a spam filter for calls. It just may not be switched on all the way.
Update your phone
Updates fix weak spots that criminals have found. Keeping your phone up to date is one of the easiest ways to protect it.
Safer online
Check if a website is real
Fake websites copy real ones down to the logo. The address bar and a few habits tell you what the page itself will not.
Read a web address
Every web address has one part that tells you who really owns the page. Once you can find it, fake links are much easier to spot.
Spot a fake email
Fake emails copy real logos perfectly. The clues are in the details the scammer cannot control.
Caller ID spoofing
The name and number on your screen are typed in by the caller. Scammers fake them to look like your bank, a government office, or a neighbor.
Make a strong password
Long beats clever. A short phrase of random words is stronger than a short jumble of symbols, and easier to remember.
Turn on two-step verification
Two-step verification means a stolen password alone is not enough to get into your account.
If something went wrong
Clicked a scam link
Tapping a link by mistake happens to careful people every day. What matters is what you did next, and what you do now.
Paid a scammer
Act fast and call the company you used to pay. The sooner they hear from you, the better the chance of stopping the money.
Freeze your credit
A credit freeze stops strangers from opening loans or cards in your name. It is free, and you can lift it whenever you need.
Identity theft steps
Identity theft is fixable. Work through it one step at a time, and keep notes as you go.
Report a scam
Reporting takes a few minutes and helps investigators spot patterns, warn others, and sometimes recover money.
Protect yourself and your family
Family code word
A secret word only your family knows is a simple, old-fashioned way to beat fake emergency calls, even ones that copy a voice.
Talk to parents about scams
The goal is a team, not a lecture. Parents who feel respected are far more likely to call you when something feels wrong.
Help a parent after a scam
Your parent probably feels embarrassed and scared. How you react in the first few minutes shapes whether they tell you next time.
Trusted contact at your bank
A trusted contact is someone your bank or investment firm may call if they think something is wrong. They get no access to your money.
Protect your Medicare number
Your Medicare number is as valuable to thieves as a credit card. Guard it the same way.
Do Not Call Registry
Signing up is free and lasts forever. It stops honest sales calls, though scammers ignore it.
Stop junk mail
You cannot stop all of it, but you can cut down the credit card offers, catalogs, and ads that pile up in your mailbox.
Written by the Textuncle team. Last updated October 3, 2026.
Text Uncle