So, robocalls. They are a big issue. You probably get them multiple times a week, or multiple times a day. Sometimes you're waiting for an important call only to get an automated voice offering you a new yacht. Or you miss an important call because you thought it might be the yacht bros again. It's a maddening cycle. And though the total volume of robocalls in the US is down a bit from its all-time high in March, according to call blocking service YouMail, that still amounted to 4.7 billion robocalls in May.

Robocalling is certainly not a new scourge, and some of its recent decline may indicate that blocking technologies and high-profile enforcement efforts are actually working. But many of the truly new defenses carriers are working on haven't fully rolled out yet, and the Federal Communications Commission is still catching up on long-term proposals. On Thursday, the agency finally approved phone carriers to begin blocking robocalls by default—a proposal that first surfaced in the Obama administration.

"If there is one thing in our country right now that unites Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, socialists and libertarians, vegetarians and carnivores, Ohio State and Michigan fans, it is that they are sick and tired of being bombarded by unwanted robocalls," FCC chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement last week.

Though robocalls will never disappear completely, there are some things you can do to keep your phone from ringing off the hook all the time.

Download a Call Blocking App From Your Mobile Carrier

The four—soon to be three—major wireless carriers all offer apps and services that block spam calls, or at least label them as suspicious, so you know not to pick up. Most of the apps started out as paid features, but the carriers have slowly made the tools free over the last 18 months as robocalling has escalated from nuisance to disaster. Some of these features may get baked into your service automatically, now that the FCC has expanded carriers' legal ability to block spam calls, but for now use these tools to get some relief.

Verizon‘s "Call Filter" app detects and blocks spam calls, and you can adjust its sensitivity depending on how worried you are about possibly missing legitimate calls. For $2.99 per month, you can add some extra call data and monitoring features, like customizable blocking lists. AT&T's app is "Call Protect." It provides similar caller ID warnings and call blocking features, and for $3.99 per month you can get expanded options like reverse number lookup. T-Mobile automatically offers caller ID warnings, "ScamID," for all customers on monthly plans when a number seems suspicious. You can also use the company's "Scam Block" feature to screen calls for free. Sign up online or by dialing #662# on any T-Mobile smartphone. Sprint is the only carrier that still doesn't have a free call screening option. Its app, "Premium Caller ID," costs $2.99 per month to use.

Consider a Third-Party Blocking App

You can also use third-party apps to manage and block calls. Only use reputable services that you download from the official Google Play Store or iOS App Store, since the permissions you grant to anti-robocalling apps make it an attractive cover for spyware or other malicious downloads. Even among legit options, think carefully before granting access to your contacts list. Additionally, keep in mind that a call management app needs to, by definition, access information about all of your calls. If you want to keep this data to yourself, you're better off using one of the wireless carrier offerings, since they have access to your call data anyway. But if you're feeling desperate, you can give one of these options a try.

READ MORE Read our feature on hunting down a robocall kingpin from our April issue.

Both RoboKiller ($1 per month) and Nomorobo ($2 per month) came out of anti-robocalling incubators run by the FTC a few years ago, and have grown in popularity since. Other well-known options include Hiya, Truecaller, and YouMail. Some, like Nomorobo, even offer spam call blocking for landlines provided over fiber. There isn't a lot you can do for old landlines on copper wire, though.