How to Block a Phone Number on iPhone: The Ultimate Guide

Mobile phone spam has risen to all new heights lately. No matter whether it’s unsolicited messages from advertising companies or relentless spam calls from fraudulent services, you’ve probably encountered spam in some form at some point.

Image: Adrianna Calvo (Pexels)

Aside from just being a nuisance, spam calls and messages can sometimes also put you at risk of identity and digital theft. Ergo, the need to be vigilant.

One of the easiest measures to outsmart this situation is to block phone numbers that make spam calls and texts. Follow along as we break down phone number blocking and the steps to block a phone number on your iPhone.

What Happens When You Block a Number on iPhone?

One of the most common questions people have around phone number blocking is what actually happens when you block someone on your iPhone.

Well, the short answer is, when you block someone on your iPhone, they can’t connect with you over phone calls, iMessage, or FaceTime. Basically, their voice calls go in your voicemail. If a voicemail is sent across, the same ends up in the Blocked Messages folder at the bottom of your voicemail messages list.

On the other hand, iMessages and regular text messages appear to be sent at the sender’s end, but they never arrive on your device. And similarly, FaceTime calls also appear to be going through, but you don’t receive them.

For any of these situations, the sender, whose number you’ve blocked, won’t be notified about the same. They would, however, eventually come to know that you’ve blocked them since you’d never respond to their communications. Plus, you should note that since it’s you who has blocked them, outgoing calls and messages from your end will continue to go through to the other number/contact.

How do I Block a Phone Number on my iPhone?

Ever since the release of iOS 7, Apple has made it much easier to block phone numbers on the iPhone by incorporating the built-in block feature. So now, you can easily block incoming calls and messages without having to use third-party apps.

On the latest versions of iOS, you can block a phone number in a couple of ways.

However, do note that when you block a phone number on your iPhone—irrespective of which method you use—you essentially block out their communications on both calls and messages, including FaceTime calls and iMessage.

1. Block a Phone Number Using the Phone App

If you’ve received a spam call from an unknown caller, you can block it directly from the Phone app. To do this:

1. Open the Phone app and select the Recents tab.

2. Click on the i info icon next to the number you want to block and tap the Block this Caller button. Then tap Block Contact to confirm.

Alternatively, if you want to prevent unwanted calls from a contact in your Contacts list, follow the steps below:

1. Open the Phone app and select the Contacts tab. Or directly open the Contacts app.
2. Click on the contact you want to block.
3. Scroll down and click on Block this Caller.

2. Block a Phone Number Using the Messages App

If there’s a phone number spamming you with messages or a contact who you no longer want to entertain on text, you can block them from the Messages app. Follow the steps below to do this:

1. Open the Messages app.
2. Go to the message thread of the number sending you unwanted messages.
3. Tap on the phone number, and from the context menu, hit the i button.
   
4. On the next window, click on Info.
   
5. Hit the Block this Caller button.
   

Besides, in case of a FaceTime spam call, you can either block the number via the FaceTime app or via the Photos app itself since the Phone app merges both regular calls and FaceTime. Follow the steps listed under the Phone app method to do this.

How to Manage Blocked Phone Numbers on Your iPhone

When a blocked number tries to send a text message, it won’t go through. For whatever reason, after you’ve blocked a phone number (or a contact) on your iPhone, if you want to unblock them or find out who you’ve blocked, you can do so by accessing your block list. To view and manage the block list on your device, use any of the following methods.

1. Using the Phone App

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Phone and select Blocked Contacts.
   
3. Hit the Edit button at the top-right of the screen, tap on the minus (–) button next to the number you want to unblock, and hit Unblock.

2. Using the Messages App

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Messages and select Blocked Contacts.
3. Tap on the Edit button at the top-right of the screen, hit the minus (–) button next to the number you want to unblock, and click Unblock.
   

Cut Down on Spam and Unknown Communications

Using this guide, you can easily block phone numbers on your iPhone and cut down spam and unnecessary communications from random people.

Another way to deal with spam on iPhones is to use caller-identification services like Truecaller, which inform you whether a phone number is spam or legitimate. So now you’re readily aware of the spam numbers and can, therefore, reject such unwanted incoming calls.

Frequently Asked Questions About Blocking Phone Numbers on iPhone

1. How to Block iPhone Numbers From Texting?

To block a number from texting you, all you need to do is block the number—either via the Phone app or the Messages app. Once blocked, not only do you block messages from that number but also prevent incoming calls.

2. How to Block Calls on iPhone?

To block calls on your iPhone, open the Phone app, hit the i button next to the number you want to block, and tap on Block this Caller. Check out the guide above to learn how to block a number via the Phone and Messages apps.

Do note that when you block a number on iPhone, you essentially block out any communication from that number, including phone calls, messages (and iMessages), and FaceTime calls. So no matter whether you block a number in the Phone or Messages app, it wouldn’t be able to reach out to you over call or message.

3. Can I Hide My Number When Calling From iPhone?

Depending on your mobile carrier, you may be able to disable your phone’s caller ID when making outgoing calls. To do this, open Settings and go to Phone. Here, tap on Show My Caller ID and toggle the button next to Show My Caller ID.

4. How to Unblock a Number on iPhone?

To unblock a number on iPhone, first, go to your blocked contacts list. To do this, open Settings and either go to Phone or Messages. From there, select Blocked Contacts and tap on the Edit button at the top. Next, hit the minus (–) button next to the number you want to unblock and click Unblock.

5. Does *67 Still Work to Block Your Number When Calling on iPhone?

Yes, it still works if it is supported by your carrier. However, note that *67 does not work when calling toll-free numbers or emergency numbers. On smartphones, *67 does work but must be re-entered each time you dial a number. Most mobile carriers offer the option to block your number for all outgoing calls via the settings on your iPhone