To stop promotional texts and calls on any Nigerian network, send STOP to 2442. To stop the subscriptions that keep eating your airtime, dial *305# and opt out of the ones you do not want. Both are free and both come from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), so they work on MTN, Airtel, Glo and 9mobile.
Most people mix the two up. DND stops marketing messages. It does not cancel a caller tune or a daily news alert you are paying for. For that you need *305#. This guide covers both, plus how to keep the messages you actually want.
The two codes at a glance
| Problem | Code | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Promotional SMS and calls | Text STOP to 2442 | Blocks all unsolicited marketing messages and calls |
| Airtime disappearing to subscriptions | Dial *305# | Shows your active value-added services and lets you cancel them |
| Want some promotions back | Text a category number to 2442 | Lets one category through (see the list below) |
| Undo DND completely | Text ALLOW to 2442 | Turns DND off |
| Not sure if DND is on | Text STATUS to 2442 | Shows your current setting |
How to block all promotional messages (full DND)
- Open your messages app.
- Send STOP to 2442.
- Wait for the confirmation text.
That is all. It works on any phone, including basic feature phones, and costs nothing.
How to keep the promotions you want (partial DND)
Full DND blocks everything. If you still want, say, bank offers or news alerts, use partial DND instead. Send HELP to 2442 to see the options, then send the number for each category you want to keep:
| Number | Category |
|---|---|
| 1 | Banking, insurance and financial products |
| 2 | Real estate |
| 3 | Education |
| 4 | Health |
| 5 | Consumer goods and automobiles |
| 6 | Communication, broadcasting, entertainment and IT |
| 7 | Tourism and leisure |
| 8 | Sports |
| 9 | Religion |
| 10 | New products and services from your network |
| 11 | News alerts |
For example, text 1 to 2442 to keep financial offers, and 11 to keep news alerts.
A worked example
Say you want no promotions except offers from banks and news alerts:
- Send STOP to 2442 to block everything first.
- Send 1 to 2442 to let banking, insurance and financial offers back in.
- Send 11 to 2442 to let news alerts back in.
- Send STATUS to 2442 to confirm your settings.
You can change your choices at any time by sending a different number, or turn everything back on with ALLOW.
How to stop airtime deductions with *305#
If your airtime keeps dropping without you making calls, you are probably subscribed to a value-added service (VAS), such as a caller tune, a content alert or an app subscription.
- Dial *305# on the affected line.
- Choose the option to view your active subscriptions.
- Select the service you want to stop and confirm.
The code works on every network, so you do not need to learn a different one for MTN, Airtel or Glo. Check it every few months, because some subscriptions start from a single tap on a pop-up or a promotional message.
What DND does not block
- Paid subscriptions. Use *305# for those.
- Scam calls and texts. Block the number on your phone and report it to your network.
Our guide to what the NCC says about phones already on Nigerian networks covers another NCC rule worth knowing.
DND, *305# or blocking a number: which one to use
| What is bothering you | Best fix | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Daily promos, jingles and "win big" offers | STOP to 2442 | Blocks marketing messages from all senders at once |
| Airtime vanishing every day or week | *305# | Cancels the paid service draining your balance |
| One person or number keeps calling | Block it in your phone settings | Stops that single number without affecting anything else |
| Suspected fraud or impersonation | Block, then report to your network | Lets your network act on the number |
Set it up for everyone at home
Parents and older relatives often lose the most airtime to subscriptions they never meant to start, and they are the least likely to know these codes. It takes two minutes per phone:
- On their phone, send STOP to 2442 and wait for the confirmation.
- Dial *305#, open their active services and cancel anything they do not use.
- If there are offers they like, such as news alerts, text that category number to 2442.
- Show them how to dial *305# again, or save it as a contact named "Stop deductions".
If a phone has two SIM cards, do this on both lines. Each line has its own DND setting and its own subscriptions.
How to avoid new subscriptions
Most unwanted services start with a single reply or tap. To stay clear:
- Do not reply YES, or any number, to promotional messages you do not recognise.
- Read pop-ups carefully before tapping "OK" while browsing on mobile data.
- Check *305# after you buy a new SIM or recharge with a promotional bundle.
- Look at your airtime balance before and after a day of normal use. A drop you cannot explain usually means an active subscription.
If it still does not work
- Text STATUS to 2442 to confirm DND is active.
- Dial *305# again to make sure no subscription is still running.
- Complain to your network's customer care, and keep the reference number.
- If they do not fix it, escalate to the NCC's Consumer Affairs Bureau on the toll-free line 622, by email at consumer@ncc.gov.ng, or on +234-209-461-7000.
If your calls and data are the problem rather than spam, see our report on the 75 million subscribers who got airtime for bad network.
Frequently asked questions
How do I activate DND on MTN, Airtel or Glo?
Text STOP to 2442. The code is the same on every network.
Does DND cost money?
No. The NCC says the service is free.
Will DND stop my bank alerts?
DND targets unsolicited promotional messages. If you want to keep financial offers, text 1 to 2442.
Does DND stop calls as well as texts?
Yes. Full DND, activated by sending STOP to 2442, covers unsolicited promotional calls as well as text messages.
What is the difference between full and partial DND?
Full DND blocks every category of promotional message. Partial DND lets you choose the categories you still want, such as banking offers or news alerts, by texting their numbers to 2442.
Do I need a smartphone?
No. Both 2442 and *305# work on basic feature phones as well as smartphones.
Does DND work on 9mobile?
Yes. The NCC requires every network to run the service on 2442.
How do I turn DND off?
Text ALLOW to 2442.
How do I stop caller tunes and other airtime deductions?
Dial *305# and opt out of the services you do not want.
Last checked on 28 October 2026 against the NCC Consumer Portal's pages on the DND service and unsolicited calls and SMS.
