Egidio
Guide · 2026

Getting started with Egidio

Every screen. Every button. Every setting.
Explained simply. 10 minutes to master it all.

Where to start?

I'm getting startedSetup and the first screens Using Egidio day to dayThe 3 tabs of the app Activating messaging protectionWhatsApp, Telegram and 180+ apps Something's wrongAnswers to the most common problems

Before you start

Free foreverCall and text blocking never costs a thing. No account, no ads.
7 days, everything unlockedFrom install, everything opens automatically, no credit card needed. Use it to try everything.
Everything stays on your phoneNo one else sees your messages — not even us.

① I'm getting started

Seven short steps, in the exact order you'll see them. Each one ends with a single tap.

0

Install Egidio

On Google Play, tap Install. About one minute.

1

The welcome screen

Welcome to Egidio
Your phone receives calls, SMS and messages every day. Egidio detects scams before they impact you.
Get Started

Tap the green button Get Started. It's the only tap on this screen.

2

The demonstration

A short scenario appears: "One scam. Three channels." This is an example, not a real attack — nothing has actually happened on your phone. It shows how the same scammer can call, then send a text, then a WhatsApp message — and how Egidio links the three together.

Tap Activate my protection to continue (or "Skip" in the top right).

3

Protecting your calls

Essential

What you see

Let's protect your calls
To identify suspicious calls, Android needs to allow Egidio to see incoming calls.
Enable call protection

Why

Your phone only lets one app screen calls at a time. This step tells it: "Egidio handles this."

What you do

  1. Tap the green button Enable call protection.
  2. A window from your phone opens. Choose Egidio.
  3. Tap Set as default. That's it.

This window belongs to your phone, not to Egidio. The exact wording may vary slightly by brand.

Your data

🔒 "Your data stays on your device." Egidio only sees the number calling — never your conversations.
4

Protecting your texts

Recommended

What you see

Your scam texts, filtered
Egidio spots fake texts — parcels, banks, taxes — before you tap. Free, just like calls.
Turn on SMS protection

Why

Fake texts ("your parcel is stuck", "your card is suspended") are one of the most common traps. This protection is free, just like calls.

What you do

  1. Tap Turn on SMS protection.
  2. A window from your phone opens. Tap Allow.

You can also tap "Later" and activate it another day from Settings → Diagnostic.

Your data

🔒 "Your texts are analysed only on your phone. Nothing is read, copied or sent."
5

Keeping Egidio awake

This step only appears on certain phones: Samsung, Xiaomi, Redmi, Poco, Oppo, Realme, OnePlus, Vivo, Huawei or Honor. If you don't see it, skip straight to step 6.
Recommended on these brands

What you see

Protection that stays awake
Android can stop apps in the background. This permission allows Egidio to stay active even when your phone is locked.
Keep protection active

Why

"Without this setting, your phone puts Egidio to sleep and unwanted calls pass through. This is the most important setting for reliable protection."

What you do

  1. Tap Keep protection active. This opens Egidio's page in your phone's settings.
  2. Tap Battery.
  3. Choose Unrestricted (may also be called "No restrictions" or "Allow background activity" depending on the brand).

Your data

🔒 This setting shares no data. It only stops your phone from putting Egidio to sleep.

This setting is the cause of most support questions. The brand-by-brand detail: Protection keeps turning itself off →

6

Recognising your contacts

Recommended

What you see

Let's recognise your contacts
Access to your contacts helps avoid false alerts and identify people you know more quickly.
Allow my contacts

Why

Egidio recognises your contacts — so fewer false alerts on calls that aren't scams.

What you do

  1. Tap Allow my contacts.
  2. A window from your phone opens. Tap Allow.

Your data

🔒 "Your contacts never leave your phone. Local reading, and only with your authorization."
7

The victory screen

You're protected on calls!
✓ Incoming calls filtered  ·  ✓ Background protection enabled  ·  ✓ Contacts synced
Protect a loved one Discover Egidio

Two choices: Protect a loved one invites someone you care about to install Egidio too — see how Family protection works. Discover Egidio takes you straight into the app.

Your 7-day trial has started

From install, everything unlocks automatically — no credit card, no commitment. After 7 days, the app switches itself back to the free version (calls and texts stay protected forever). Use these 7 days to activate messaging protection right now:

Activate messaging →

② Using Egidio day to day

The app is organised into three tabs, at the bottom of the screen.

🛡
Protection
📋
History
Settings

Protection (the home screen)

Status"You are protected." — or "You are not protected." with a button to reactivate.
Verify a messageGot a suspicious text? Copy it, paste it here: Egidio gives you an instant verdict. This is the go-to move whenever you're in doubt.
Quiet ModeSilences unwanted ringing for a while. See how Quiet Mode works.
Night modeQuiet Mode turns on automatically every night, on the schedule you choose.

History

Every blocked call, every filtered text, every hidden message is listed and explained. Full detail: How to read and fix the history →

Settings

Refine protectionHidden, foreign, advanced options.
NotificationsReceive blocking and protection alerts.
Egidio MessagingActivates protection for WhatsApp, Telegram and 180+ apps — see block ③ below.
Egidio FamilyProtect up to 5 loved ones you love. Learn more →
Guardian ModeMaximum protection for a vulnerable loved one: Egidio hangs up unknown suspicious calls on their behalf, without them having to decide.
DiagnosticPermissions and protection status — the first thing to open whenever in doubt.
Privacy"100% private by design." See Does Egidio read my messages?
My contacts / Export / Clear logsYour data, entirely under your control.
💡 Whenever in doubt, there's just one place to go: Settings → Diagnostic. The app shows you what's working and what's missing.

③ Activating messaging protection

This is the step that changes everything: most modern scams end up on WhatsApp, Telegram or another messaging app. Without this step, Egidio protects your calls and texts — but not those conversations. The detailed guide: How to turn on WhatsApp protection →

Path A — from Settings (anytime, including during the trial)

1

Open the Settings tab, tap Egidio Messaging (subtitle shown: "Tap to activate · notification access required").

2
Enable messaging protection
Egidio hides scams (fake customer service, phishing links, romance scams) before you open them.
Got it — continue
3

Your phone opens its "Notification access" setting. Look for Egidio in the list and turn it on. Why this specific setting: the full explanation →

4

A confirmation window appears. Tap Allow. You're back in the app: the screen shows "Messaging protection active".

Path B — right after a Premium purchase

If you just upgraded to Premium, the app guides you automatically: the "You are Premium" screen → button Enable messaging protection → the same steps 2 to 4 above.

How to check it's active

Open Settings. The "Egidio Messaging" line should show: "Active · your messaging apps are protected".

🔒 Why your phone talks about "notification access": it's the official Android mechanism to read locally what arrives in your messaging apps, without ever touching the apps themselves or sending anything to a server.

④ Something's wrong

Answers to the most common situations.

Unwanted calls are still ringing through

1. Open Settings → Diagnostic. 2. Check that Egidio is set as the default call-screening app. 3. On Samsung, Xiaomi and related brands, check the battery setting is "Unrestricted" (see step 5 above, or the dedicated guide).

Protection keeps turning itself off

It's almost always the battery setting. The brand-by-brand guide: Protection keeps turning itself off →

I declined a permission, how do I go back?

Open Settings → Diagnostic. The app shows you exactly what's missing and guides you through activating it, without having to dig through Android's settings.

An important text was filtered by mistake

Open History, find the message, tap it then "Restore". The message becomes visible again immediately. Details: How to read and fix the history →

I want some peace and quiet tonight

Use Quiet Mode from the Protection tab. The full guide: How does Quiet Mode work →

How do I manage my subscription or stop the trial?

The 7-day trial stops itself — no card is ever saved, there's nothing to cancel. Details: How does the 7-day trial work →

Does Egidio read my messages?

No. Analysis happens entirely on your phone. Full explanation: Does Egidio read my messages? →

Go further