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Block spam calls and texts on your iPhone

Your iPhone has built-in tools to cut down on unwanted calls and texts. You can turn on one of them, or all of them.

Quiet calls from numbers you don't know

This sends calls from numbers that aren't in your contacts straight to voicemail. Your iPhone won't ring for them, but you'll still see them in your list of recent calls.

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap Apps, then tap Phone.
  3. Find the choices for unknown callers and tap Silence. On older iPhone software, turn on Silence Unknown Callers instead.

Newer iPhones also offer Ask Reason for Calling. Your iPhone answers the unknown call for you, asks who's calling and why, then rings and shows you the answer so you can decide whether to pick up.

Before you turn this on

Calls from your doctor, pharmacy, or a repair person would also go to voicemail. Save their numbers as contacts first. Our contacts guide shows how.

Filter calls your phone company marks as spam

  1. Open Settings, tap Apps, then tap Phone.
  2. Turn on Spam if you see it. Calls your phone company flags as possible spam or fraud are silenced and sent to voicemail.

Block one number

  1. Open the Phone app and find the call in your recent calls.
  2. Tap the number (or the i button next to it).
  3. Scroll down and tap Block Caller.

Blocked callers can still leave a voicemail, but your iPhone won't alert you. Their texts won't reach you, and they won't know they're blocked.

Filter texts from people you don't know

  1. Open the Messages app.
  2. Tap the filter button near the top of your list of conversations, then tap Manage Filtering.
  3. Turn on Screen Unknown Senders. On older iPhone software, go to Settings, tap Apps, tap Messages, then turn on Filter Unknown Senders.

Texts from strangers go into a separate list, and you won't get alerts for them. You can still look at them any time.

Report a junk text

  1. Open the text. Don't tap any links in it.
  2. Tap Report Spam at the bottom of the message, then tap Delete and Report Spam.

You can't report a message after you've replied to it. The FTC also suggests forwarding spam texts to 7726 (it spells SPAM), which reports them to your phone company.

Good to know

  • No tool catches every scam call. If one gets through, just hang up.
  • Joining the free National Do Not Call Registry cuts down on sales calls from real companies. Scammers ignore it.

Related guides

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Where these steps come from

Checked in November 2026 against the official pages below, using the newest iPhone software. Your screen may look a little different, especially on an older iPhone. The official page always has the latest steps.