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Protect your mobile device against phishing text messages

The spam SMS text messages that you receive on your device may include links to fraudulent websites or attachments that can compromise your personal information to cybercriminals. In some cases, cybercriminals may use local phone numbers to mimic the text messages like real financial institutions or banks to steal your personal information when you launch suspicious links or attachments.

I have an Android device

You can enable the SMS Security feature using your Norton 360 app to filter spam SMS text messages and MMS messages that you receive from known and unknown senders.

Set up SMS Security

  1. From the home screen, launch the Norton 360 app.

  2. In the Norton 360 app main screen, tap Security > SMS Security > Set Up.

  3. Tap Allow to allow the Norton 360 app to view and filter the spam text messages that you receive from known and unknown senders.

  4. If you see the Additional Permissions option in the SMS Security screen, tap Additional Permissions.

  5. Next to Draw over other apps, move the slider to turn it on to allow the Norton 360 app to alert you about the risky messages.

  6. In the Display over other apps screen, tap Norton 360 from the list.

  7. Next to Allow display over other apps, move the slider to turn it on.

View and delete the risky messages

Due to Android OS limitations, the Norton 360 app does not automatically delete the risky messages. Follow the below steps to delete the risky messages.

The below steps may vary depending on your device and Android OS version.

  1. From the home screen, launch the Norton 360 app.

  2. Tap SMS Security.

  3. Your Norton 360 app provides you the list of risky text messages that you receive from known and unknown senders.

  4. Tap View to the relevant text message that you want to delete.

  5. Tap and hold on the text message that you want to delete, and then tap Delete.

  6. In the confirmation alert, tap Delete.

I have an iOS device

You can enable the SMS Security* feature using your Norton 360 app to filter spam SMS text messages and MMS messages that you receive from unknown senders.

Turn on SMS Security

  1. From the home screen, launch the Norton 360 app.

  2. Tap Get Started in the Introducing SMS Security feature screen or tap Security on the Norton 360 main screen.

  3. Tap SMS Security.

  4. In the SMS Security screen, tap Open Settings.

  5. In the Settings screen, scroll down and tap Messages.

  6. Under the Message Filtering section, tap Unknown & Spam.

  7. Under the Message Filtering section, next to Filter Unknown Senders, move the slider to turn it on.

  8. Under the SMS Filtering section, tap Norton 360, and then tap Enable to allow Norton 360 to filter the spam text messages.

Verify SMS text filter categories

  1. Launch the Messages app on your iOS device.

  2. Depending on your iOS version do the following:

    • If you have iOS 14.0 or later: You can verify the text messages categorized under the Filtered By Norton 360 section that you receive from unknown senders. If you are in the messages list view, tap Filters at the top-left corner.

    • If you have iOS 13.0 or earlier: Tap the Unknown Senders tab to verify the text messages that you receive from unknown senders.

*iMessages not supported

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DOCID: v138204437
Operating System: Android;iOS
Last modified: 09/06/2023