How to Block a Phone Number or Contact on Your iPhone

Whether you are dealing with relentless telemarketers, political campaign spam, or a toxic personal contact, there is no reason to allow unwanted communication to disrupt your day. Apple has built a robust blocking system directly into the core of iOS. When you block a phone number on your iPhone, you sever all ties: that person will no longer be able to call you, send you SMS text messages, or reach you on FaceTime.

How to Block a Number from the Phone App

If a telemarketer just called you and you want to ensure they never ring your phone again, the fastest way to block them is through your recent call history.

1. Open the Phone app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the Recents tab at the bottom of the screen (the clock icon).
3. Locate the phone number you want to block in the list.
4. Do not tap the number itself, or you will accidentally call them back. Instead, tap the small blue “i” icon (information) located on the far right side of the screen, directly across from their number.
5. A screen with details about the call will appear. Scroll to the very bottom of this screen.
6. Tap the red text that says Block this Caller.
7. A confirmation popup will appear. Tap Block Contact to confirm.

How to Block a Number from the Messages App

If you receive a spam text message containing a suspicious link, you can block the sender directly from the conversation without ever opening the Phone app.

1. Open the Messages app and tap on the spam conversation.
2. At the very top center of the screen, tap on the sender’s phone number or profile icon.
3. A small menu will drop down. Tap the Info button.
4. Scroll to the bottom of the details screen and tap Block this Caller.

What Happens When You Block Someone?

Apple designs the blocking feature to be completely silent on your end, while remaining ambiguous on the caller’s end. When a blocked contact tries to call you, their phone will ring exactly one time before they are immediately diverted to your voicemail. Your iPhone will not ring, vibrate, or light up, and the missed call will not even appear in your Recents list. (If they leave a voicemail, it will be silently dumped into a hidden “Blocked Messages” folder at the bottom of your voicemail list).

If a blocked contact sends you a text message, the message will show as “Delivered” on their screen, but it will never arrive on your phone. They are never explicitly notified that they have been blocked.

How to Unblock a Number

If you accidentally blocked your mother or made peace with a former enemy, you can easily reverse the process.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap Phone.
3. Scroll down to the “Call Silencing and Blocked Contacts” section and tap Blocked Contacts.
4. You will see a list of every number you have ever blocked. Swipe left on any number and tap Unblock to restore communication.