iOS · Recovery Guide

How to Block Scam Calls and Filter Spam SMS on an iPhone

Learn how to silence unwanted calls and filter suspicious messages on your iPhone, protecting your peace of mind and personal information.

Silence Unknown Callers

Reduce disturbances by sending calls from numbers not in your contacts to voicemail. You'll still receive calls from people in your contacts and recent outgoing calls.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap Phone.
3. Scroll down to the 'CALLS' section and tap Silence Unknown Callers.
4. Toggle the switch next to Silence Unknown Callers to on (green).

Block Specific Numbers

If a particular number is consistently bothering you, you can block it directly from your recent calls or contacts.

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Tap Recents at the bottom of the screen.
3. Find the number you want to block and tap the i icon next to it.
4. Scroll to the bottom and tap Block this Caller.
5. Confirm by tapping Block Contact.

Filter Unwanted Messages

Your iPhone can automatically filter messages from unknown senders into a separate folder, helping to keep your main Messages inbox clutter-free.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap Messages.
3. Scroll down to the 'MESSAGE FILTERING' section and tap Message Filtering (or Unknown & Spam on older iOS versions).
4. Toggle the switch next to Filter Unknown Senders to on (green).

Report Spam or Junk Messages

If you receive a message that appears to be spam or junk, you can report it to your carrier and delete it from your iPhone.

1. Open the Messages app.
2. Open the spam or junk message.
3. Look for a Report Junk or Report Spam link (this usually appears underneath the message if your carrier supports it).
4. Tap the link and follow the on-screen instructions to report the message.
5. After reporting (if applicable), tap Delete to remove the message from your device.