In a world where scammers and sniffers are on the lookout for their next victim, they use any means to achieve their goal. And that includes buzzing your phone with spam calls and messages.
It is very important to know how to prevent these people from coming into contact with you. You can achieve this by blocking spam calls on your iPhone. Apart from strangers, you can also avoid calling certain people at certain times.
In this article, I will show you how to block spam calls on your iPhone and stay in your lane.
Note. While you will still be able to call and message the blocked contact, you will no longer receive calls, FaceTime, or messages from them. However, the blocked number can send you a voicemail if you wish, which you can only listen to when you visit your voicemail inbox.
How to block unwanted calls on iPhone
Blocking unwanted calls on iPhone is easy.
When blocking a phone number, you will consider two scenarios; you have already saved the number in your contact, or he is strange (probably a spammer) not in your contact book.
The number is in your contact book
- Open the Phone app.
- Go to Contacts at the bottom of the screen.
- Select the contact you want to block.
- Tap “Block this caller”→ “Block contact”.
The number is not in your contact book, but called recently
- Open the Phone app.
- Go to Recent in the lower left corner of the screen.
- Tap the (i) icon to the right of the number you want to block.
- Select “Block this contact”→ “Block contact”.
How to send spam calls to voicemail
If you want to block someone but still want them to contact you, you can send them to your voicemail instead. Well it’s easy:
- Go to iPhone Settings → Phone.
- Then click “Disable unknown callers”.
- Turn on the toggle to the right of “Disable unknown callers”.
The best apps to block spam calls on your iPhone
Therefore, you can automate spam call blocking on your iPhone. I will recommend some great apps to help you filter spam calls.
1. AT&T call protection
AT&T Call Protect is a free call screening solution provided by AT&T to help its network users identify suspected spam calls. It is equipped with technology that identifies potential spoof calls, alerts you to them, and forwards them to your voicemail inbox. However, you can always check the app’s logs to remove previously blocked numbers if you think it has blocked the wrong number.
2. T-Mobile Scam Shield
You can also use T-Mobile Scam Shield to avoid unwanted calls if you are a T-Mobile postpaid network customer. The app helps you report suspected scams and unwanted calls. And you can do a reverse number lookup for unknown calls, transfer your blocked contact list to a new device, and block call categories if you opt for the premium plan.
3. Verizon call filter
Verizon Call Filter also helps you block suspected spam calls based on your level of risk. It works by alerting you if it suspects likely spam calls. You can then block the number if you wish. It also has blocked call logs where you can unblock calls. It also allows you to identify unknown callers, set up a list of blocked numbers, and evaluate the risk level of potential spam calls if you opt for the paid Call Filter Plus plan.
4. Robo Shield Spam Call Blocker
Robo Shield Spam Call Blocker features filtering technology to automatically block pre-recorded calls and other identified automated calls. With this app in hand, you can select the categories of calls you want to flag and it will automatically block them. It also has a search feature that allows you to reveal unknown numbers. And you can report spam or scam calls to the FTC right from the app.
5. RoboKiller: Spam call blocker
RoboKiller is an intuitive spam call blocker that responds intelligently to your spam calls. It identifies potential spam and scam calls from a database of over 1.4 billion analyzed calls. If you want to get revenge on a scammer calling, RoboKiller will redirect him to a pre-recorded robot voice before blocking him. You can adjust the spam call identification sensitivity of the app so that it doesn’t block calls naively.
6. Truecaller: Block Spam Calls
Truecaller is one of the best spam and SMS blockers. It uses a database of organically logged spam calls to identify potentially erroneous calls. However, I found this comprehensive Truecaller review helpful if you want to take a deeper look at how it helps improve call quality.
FAQ
Although there are no built-in settings on the iPhone to automatically detect and block spam calls, you can block them manually, or better install third-party spam call filters from the App Store. Any of the apps I recommended earlier work. So you can check them out.
Choosing the best spam call blocker depends on your preferred features. There are many of them. Some of them are network dependent, while others work independently of your network provider. You can choose any of the apps I recommended above.
You are more susceptible to frequent spam calls if your phone number is all over the internet or if you share it with someone you don’t know. Someone could also share your number in a public place. To prevent this, you should avoid leaving your personal contact number on a public profile on social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, among many others. But if you must unsubscribe from your contact, you can use your work phone number instead.
One of the best ways to block spam calls from individuals and bots is to use spam call filters. You can also take action on your part by completely blocking such contact. If things get out of hand, contact your network provider to report suspected spam calls.
Blocking spam calls on iPhone is easy as Apple provides an easy way to do it. And luckily, as I pointed out earlier, third-party spam call filters make the process a lot smoother if you don’t want to reinvent the wheel.
Have questions or comments? Let me know in the comments section below.