How To Block Unwanted Spam Calls and Texts on iPhone (2025)

It’s 2025, and with well over a dozen iOS versions behind us, there’s no reason to keep putting up with spam calls and texts on your iPhone. Each major release adds new security features. Beyond manually blocking numbers, you can now use Call Blocking and Identification, Focus filters, or even carrier-level and third-party spam protection.

Let’s break down the most effective options available right now and how to set them up properly.

How to Block Spam Calls on iPhone

1. Call Blocking and Identification

2. Use New iOS 26 Call Protection

iOS 26 includes a suite of native tools designed to block and filter spam calls more efficiently. Call Screening uses on-device processing to display live transcripts of unknown calls without answering. Hold Assist lets you skip hold lines, while Voicemail Spam Reporting gives you direct control over how spammy voicemails are flagged. No third-party app or carrier integration required.

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
2. Go to Phone > Call Screening.
3. Enable Live Call Transcription.
4. Toggle on Hold Assist.
   
5. Scroll down and tap Voicemail to turn on Spam Reporting.

3. Turn On Your Carrier’s Spam Filtering Service

Most major U.S. carriers offer free or built-in spam call protection. These services work on the network level and block flagged numbers before they even hit your device. AT&T has Call Protect, Verizon has Call Filter, and T‑Mobile offers Scam Shield. You’ll need to enable them through carrier settings or their companion app.

AT&T Call Protect

1. Download AT&T Call Protect from the App Store.
2. Sign in using your AT&T account.
3. Enable Auto-Block and Fraud Call Blocking.

Verizon Call Filter

1. Open the My Verizon app.
2. Navigate to Call Filter settings.
3. Enable Spam Filter and Auto-Block High-Risk Numbers.

T‑Mobile Scam Shield

1. Download Scam Shield from the App Store.
2. Sign in with your T‑Mobile number.
3. Enable Scam Block and review your Scam Likely log.

4. Try a Third-Party Spam Blocking App

Apps like Hiya, Truecaller, and RoboKiller maintain real-time spam number databases and use machine learning to block suspicious calls. While Apple now includes more spam tools natively, third-party apps still offer advanced filtering, voicemail analysis, and better customization. You’ll find this helpful if your region or carrier lacks strong spam protection.

1. Go to the App Store and install Hiya, RoboKiller, or Truecaller.
2. Open the app and follow the in-app setup to allow permissions.
3. Go to Settings > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification.
   
4. Enable the spam app under Allow These Apps To Block Calls And Provide Caller ID.

5. Set Up Focus Mode to Silence Unknown Callers

Focus mode lets you silence calls from people not in your contacts. This is useful if spoofed or anonymous numbers keep slipping through Apple’s or your carrier’s filters. It gives you total control over who can reach you without needing to block or report every spammer manually.

1. Open Settings > Focus.
2. Tap the plus symbol (+) to create a new Focus or edit an existing one.
3. Under People, tap Allow Calls From.
4. Choose Favorites or Contacts Only.
5. Make sure Silence Notifications From is enabled for all others.
6. Toggle on Focus Status if you want to auto-reply to missed calls.

6. Silence Unknown Callers

Thankfully, Apple comes with an inbuilt feature to deal with unknown numbers. It was introduced in iOS 13. This feature doesn’t cut off calls when your phone is ringing; instead, it just silences them. This way, you won’t be bothered, but you still have the chance to receive the call. When you activate this feature, your iPhone uses Siri to check if the caller is in your Contacts, Messages, Mail, or recent calls. If the number is there, your phone rings normally.

1. Launch the Settings app from Home Screen.
   
2. Scroll down and find and tap on Phone
   
3. Tap on Silence Unknown Callers, placed below Show My Caller ID.
   
4. Toggle the switch to activate the feature
   

7. Register on the National Do Not Call Registry

Many countries, like the USA, have made a government website to register your phone number. This website tells companies not to call you with spam. But some groups, like charities, debt collectors, and political organizations, can still call you.

1. Go to donotcall.gov and select Register Here.
   
2. Tap on the Register button.
   
3. Fill out the form with important details such as your Phone Number and Email Address, then hit Submit.
   
4. Verify the details you provided and click Register to confirm.
   
5. Check your email inbox for a message containing a registration link
6. Click on the link within 72 hours to complete the registration process

If you’ve been registered for 31 days and still receive unwanted sales calls, you can report them by tapping this link.

Block Spam Calls Manually, if the Above Steps Don’t Label Them as Spam

If none of the above methods work, you can manually block numbers that keep spamming you. This stops them from calling you in the future.

1. Launch the Phone app or dialer from your Home Screen.
   
2. Go to the Recent tab
   
3. Find the spam number in your call history and tap the information icon (i) next to the number
   
4. Scroll down and tap Block this Caller
   

Why and How Did My Number End Up in Spammer’s List

The possible reason behind this is your number could wind up on a scammer’s list if it’s leaked through data hacks, online forms where you enter your contact details, or if someone you’ve given your number to unknowingly passes it along to scammers. We hope we were able to help you stop spam calls on your iPhone.