Robocalls in the U.S. Decline in January 2026, Yet Remain a Concern

In January 2026, the YouMail Robocall Index reported that American consumers received just shy of 3.9 billion robocalls, marking a significant 5.6% decrease from December 2025. This reduction represents a much-needed relief for consumers, as robocalls have increasingly become a nuisance in recent years. The monthly volume also shows an encouraging decline of 18% compared to January 2025, which had seen even higher call volumes.

During January, on average, there were around 125.2 million robocalls made per day, translating to a staggering 1,449 calls each second. This figure, while considerably lower than December’s figures of 132.6 million robocalls daily and 1,535 per second, still underscores a widespread issue. Notably, January's robocall figures were only slightly above October 2025's multi-year low. The call reduction is indeed promising but illustrates that the battle against unwanted calls is far from over.

Alex Quilici, the CEO of YouMail, expressed cautious optimism about the decline, stating, “It’s encouraging to see January start 2026 with a meaningfully lower number of robocalls than December. This also marks the first four-month stretch averaging below 4 billion robocalls since April 2022. However, the issue remains significant, advocating for consumers to continue using call-blocking apps like YouMail.”

Categories of Robocalls on the Decline

Interestingly, January saw decreases across all major categories of robocalls. Notifications fell by 3% to around 1.10 billion calls, payment reminders dropped by 11% to 0.57 billion, and telemarketing and scam calls decreased by 4.2% to approximately 2.18 billion. This decline in all categories is a hopeful sign; however, it still indicates that around 2.2 billion telemarketing and scam calls reached consumers, comprising nearly 57% of all calls in January.

Notable Robocall Campaigns

Despite the overall decline, January saw contentious campaigns that caught consumers' attention. One particularly annoying campaign claimed to assist consumers in recovering unclaimed money from the government, delivered through tens of thousands of identical messages—often misleading in nature. Messages such as, “Hey, it’s Dan from www.myreliefclaim.com. This is a final notice regarding $5,286 already issued in your name…” have raised eyebrows due to their implausibility, drawing concerns that these could be robocall scams designed to mislead recipients.

Moreover, this campaign's extensive scale appears to have exceeded 50 million calls in January alone, showcasing how robocall operations can adapt and persist despite broader trends in call reductions. Many consumers reported receiving these calls without consent and expressed concerns about suspicious behaviors linked to the advertised website.

How the Data is Gathered

The insights outlining the robocall landscape come from YouMail, a free call protection app designed to help users manage unwanted calls and texts. The app employs advanced technologies to identify and block unwanted robocallers effectively, ensuring that users' phones remain undisturbed by unsolicited calls. For the first time in many months, January’s data suggests hope that the tide may be turning in favor of consumers, though vigilance remains crucial.

YouMail conducts ongoing assessments of robocall behavior by extrapolating data from the billions of calls it handles monthly, and this information is frequently cited as a reliable source for national trends by the FCC. For comprehensive statistics on robocall activity across different regions, YouMail maintains a detailed Robocall Index, which can be accessed online.

Conclusion

While January's decrease in robocalls offers a sign of progress, the sheer volume of remaining calls and the emergence of new scams indicate that consumers must continue their proactive approach towards protecting themselves. Utilizing tools like YouMail may be essential in mitigating the ongoing threat posed by robocalls as we move deeper into 2026.