Why Gini Did Not Block a Spam Text

If a spam or scam text reached your regular inbox, here are the possible reasons and what you can do.

Common Reasons

1. The Sender Is In Your Contacts

Gini only filters messages from unknown senders. If the number is in your contacts, messages come through unfiltered.

What to do:

  • Check if you have this number saved
  • Remove them from contacts if you don't know them

2. SMS Protection Isn't Set Up

Protection only works if you've completed the setup process.

Check your status:

  1. Go to Settings > Text Message Protection
  2. Look for "Active" or a green checkmark
  3. If not active, complete the setup

3. New Scam Tactic

Scammers constantly invent new techniques. Sometimes a new type of scam text slips through before our AI learns to catch it.

What to do:

  • The system learns over time
  • Report the message to help improve detection

4. The Message Looked Legitimate

Some spam is well-crafted and doesn't trigger detection.

Examples that might pass:

  • Generic messages without obvious scam indicators
  • Messages mimicking legitimate services
  • Texts without suspicious links

5. App Permissions Issue

If Gini doesn't have the right permissions, it can't filter messages.

What to check:

  • Make sure SMS permissions are granted
  • On iPhone: Settings > Messages > Message Filtering > Gini Help (enabled)
  • On Android: Check app permissions for SMS access

What You Can Do

Mark It as Spam

If a spam text got through:

  1. Find the message in your regular inbox
  2. Mark it as spam or junk (in your Messages app)
  3. This helps train your phone's built-in filtering too

Block the Sender

Prevent future messages from this number:

  1. In your Messages app, block the sender
  2. Or add them to Gini's block list if available

Check Held Messages

Sometimes messages are filtered but you didn't notice:

  1. Open Gini Help
  2. Go to Held Messages
  3. The spam might actually be there

Limitations of SMS Filtering

No system catches 100% of spam. SMS filtering faces challenges:

  • No central authority - Unlike email, there's no universal spam database
  • Evolving tactics - Scammers change their approach frequently
  • Short messages - Less content means fewer signals to analyze
  • Number spoofing - Spammers use different numbers constantly

Tips for Reducing Spam

  1. Don't respond - Responding confirms your number is active
  2. Don't click links - Even to "unsubscribe"
  3. Be careful sharing your number - Online forms and social media can lead to spam
  4. Report spam - Many carriers have spam reporting (forward to 7726/SPAM)

Is Gini Still Working?

To verify SMS protection is active:

  1. Check Settings > Text Message Protection for "Active" status
  2. Review Held Messages - if Gini has caught texts, it's working
  3. Ask someone not in your contacts to text you something test-like

Questions?

For more help, see:

  • How SMS Protection Works
  • Understanding Held Messages
  • Setting Up SMS Protection on iPhone/Android