This article has been updated since it originally published on November 23, 2022.
What’s more annoying than spam texts or phone calls? Even worse: spammers are getting more clever about the ways they conceal themselves to look like legit calls you might want to take — but just as you answer them you realize you’ve been duped. Whether the spammer has malicious intentions or is simply trying to sell you something, the fact remains: you don’t want to deal with them. Fortunately, a few proactive steps can help you avoid spam calls and texts. Text Expert Jack Williams, the founder of Handyman Reviewed, offers a few minor setting adjustments that can stop the majority of spam you receive.
Block Phone Numbers
Blocking spam texts is one of the first lines of defense against them, Williams explains. “This is a quick and efficient way to ensure that you never hear from that number again,” Williams said. “These texts will be blocked by the phone itself, and if you have an iPhone, they won’t even be able to reach it. When you receive a constant stream of spam texts from the same number, it can quickly make your life much easier thanks to the iPhone’s incredibly simple process.”
Here are the steps Williams says to take to block numbers on iPhones:
- Open the text thread containing the spam messages.
- At the top of the screen, select the contact circle by clicking. A small drop-down menu will appear as a result. Go to this menu and choose “info.”
- Choose the next “info” button from this contact menu.
- Choose “Block this Caller” and then “Block Contact” from this menu.
Delete Messages From Unknown Senders
You can filter messages in iMessages from unknown senders so that you don’t get their notifications. “By selecting Settings > Messages and then scrolling down to Message Filtering, you can enable Filter Unknown Senders,” Williams said. “Only messages from senders who are not in your contacts will be visible when you select Filters > Unknown Senders. It should be noted that you cannot click any links in messages from unknown senders until the sender is added to your contacts or you reply to the message.”
Use Built-In Features To Stop Robocalls
Good news: Apple has included a minor but welcome feature that could essentially stop those annoying calls, Williams points out: it’s called Silence Unknown Callers. “Basically, it routes all incoming calls to voicemail that are not from numbers in your contacts list, Messages app, or email,” Williams said. “Your phone won’t even be rung by them. It’s not too difficult to enable the feature if your iPhone is running iOS 13. This is the procedure:
- Go to your iPhone’s Settings app.
- Locate and select Phone.
- Toggle the switch by Unknown Callers to Silence.
Report Spam Or Unwanted Email
Lastly. you can notify Apple of spam messages received via iMessage and you can also report SMS and MMS spam by touching and holding the spam message in the message list, then selecting Report Junk, depending on your carrier and the country or region, Williams said. “Alternatively, if the message has already been opened, scroll to the bottom of the message, select Report Junk, then select Delete and Report Junk,” Williams said. “The message is permanently deleted from your device and the sender’s information is sent to Apple.”
Silence Unknown Callers
Silence Unknown Callers is an iPhone feature that can keep spam callers was pestering you when you’re busy. Go to Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers. Enable this feature so that calls from unknown callers go straight to your voicemail and show up on your recent calls list.
Set Up Call Blocking & Identification
There’s an app you can download from the App Store that effectively detects and blocks spam calls. Then go to Settings > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification. Turn the app you downloaded on under Allow These Apps To Block Calls And Provide Caller ID.
Manage Blocked Numbers
After you’ve successfully blocked numbers that are suspicious, you can manage them and get a handle on who they are and who you might like to allow through. To do this, go to Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts and edit your contacts.
You don’t have to sit by and let spam calls and texts take over your device and life. Take these simple steps to reduce the number of annoying spam messages and calls you get each day.
