If you want to block a phone number and stop it from calling or texting your iPhone, you'll be pleased to know it's pretty easy to do.
Nowadays, it's pretty easy for bad actors to find phone numbers online, meaning spam texts and calls are a regular pest for even the best phones. There might even be people you do know that you need a permanent or temporary break from, too.
To help keep these annoying interruptions to a minimum, we've written up a quick guide to show you how to block invasive numbers so you can use your smartphone with peace of mind. There are actually two methods you can use, so we've explained both below.
If you're an Android user, check out our guide for how to block a number on Android, as the process is ever so slightly different.
Steps for how to block a number on an iPhone
- Open the Contacts app and find the number you want to block
- Open the number's profile
- Find and tap the Block this Caller button
Step-by-step guide: Blocking the number from Contacts
1. Head to Contacts app
Firstly, you'll want to open your contacts app, which is the green tile with a white handset icon that is found on your iPhone's home dock by default.
Then find the number you want to block. Depending on who it is your blocking, it might be a number from your contacts or from your recent calls.
2. Open the number's profile
If you're blocking someone from your contacts, simply tap their name to open their Contact profile.
If you're blocking someone from your list of recent calls, tap the encircled 'i' button to the right of the call log to open their Contact profile.
3. Tap Block this Caller
Scroll down a little and you'll see a button labeled Block this caller - tap this. It's worth noting that if you're blocking a contact with multiple phone numbers assigned to them, this will block all of the associated numbers from calling your iPhone.
This Contact or individual caller will now be added to your block list. If you ever need to check which numbers are in that list or unblock a caller, follow the first two steps of the next method.
Step-by-step guide: Blocking the number from Settings
1. Head to the Settings app
If you want to also see your list of already-blocked contacts, the best bet for blocking a number is to head to your iPhone's Settings app. It's worth noting you'll need to save the number you want to block first as a Contact.
Scroll down to the fifth group of Settings menus and tap Phone, which is about halfway down the list.
2. View your Blocked Contacts
Scroll down a little until you get to the group of options including Blocked Contacts - tap this.
You'll then be taken to a list of any contacts you've already blocked. At the end of this list, you'll see an option to Add new, from where you can block an existing contact from your saved contacts. Tap the name of the contact you want to block, and you're all set.
From this list, you can also edit to unblock numbers and Contacts, should you need to.
FAQs
How do I unblock a blocked Contact or number?
Simply navigate to your Phone settings in the Settings app, view your blocked contacts and tap Edit to unblock Contacts and numbers you're ready to hear from again as per the second method in this guide.
Final thoughts
Blocking Contacts and numbers on your iPhone is nice and easy, and can save you a lot of headaches when you're receiving texts and calls from invasive numbers.
It's a little annoying that the only way to preemptively block a number that hasn't contacted you already is by adding them as a contact first, especially if you're a first time iPhone user transferring your block list from a non-Apple device. Check out our guide for how to switch from Android to iPhone to help you speed up the process.
