How to block unknown callers on your iPhone

You can use the "Silence" setting on your iPhone to automatically block unknown callers.
Calls from numbers you haven’t saved on your contacts won’t ring, but they can still leave voicemails.
You can also block calls from specific unknown numbers using the Phone app.

For as advanced as phones have gotten, it sometimes seems like we receive more spam and robocalls than ever. And the data backs this up: Americans are dealing with a flood of unwanted spam calls.

There are lots of ways to deal with spam calls, from blocking their numbers to using third-party filtering apps. But the easiest thing to do is ignore them — and if you have an iPhone, you’ve got a useful feature that can help you out.

No matter your phone carrier, every iPhone has a feature called ”Silence.” When this is selected, your phone won’t ring for calls from numbers you don’t have saved.

In other words, when unknown number calls you, you won’t know. Your iPhone won’t ring, and after a few moments, it’ll just send the caller to voicemail. Afterwards, you’ll see the number show up on your recent call list.

You’ll still hear rings for numbers you have saved in your Contacts list, numbers you’ve called or texted before, and "Siri Suggestions" — usually phone numbers that you’ve seen in an email or text message recently. Additionally, the feature will turn itself off for 24 hours after you call an emergency number like 911.

If you’re dealing with a deluge of calls from people you don’t know, Silence is a great way to keep yourself sane. Here’s how to turn it on

How to block Unknown Callers on iPhone

Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
Tap Apps near the bottom of the menu.
Tap Phone or FaceTime.
Choose how to manage incoming calls from unknown numbers. This means phone numbers that aren’t saved in your contacts.
- Phone app: Scroll down to Screen Unknown Callers, then choose Silence. All calls from unknown numbers will be silenced, sent to voicemail, and appear in the Recents list.
- FaceTime: Tap to turn on Silence Unknown Callers. Calls from unknown numbers are silenced and sent to voicemail.

If you want to block calls from a particular unknown caller on your iPhone, go to the Phone app then tap the Calls tab in unified view or the Recents tab in classic view. Next, in unified view, tap the button for a call from that caller; in classic view, tap the info icon ( i -in-a-circle) on such a call. Scroll down to the bottom the screen for that caller, tap the Block Contact button, and then tap the Block Contact button in the confirmation dialog to add the caller to the Blocked Contacts list. Your iPhone then sends any future calls from the caller straight to voicemail.

How to filter unknown callers on iPhone

Open the Settings apps on your iPhone.
Tap Apps.
Tap Phone or FaceTime.
Under Call Filtering section, and turn on Unknown Callers. Missed calls and voicemails from unknown numbers are moved to your Unknown Callers list.

If you want to see your Unknown Callers list in the Phone app or FaceTime, tap the Filter button, then tap Unknown Callers. In the Phone app, this appears in the Recents tab in Classic view, and in the Calls tab in Unified.