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    6 min read 5 stepsMay 8, 2026Verified May 2026

    How to Block a Phone Number on iPhone

    Step-by-step plain-English guide to blocking a phone number on iPhone so the same person, telemarketer, or scammer cannot keep calling you.

    At a Glance

    Category
    Phone & Tablet
    Difficulty
    Beginner
    Read Time
    6 min read
    Steps
    5
    Topics covered
    iphone
    phone
    block
    spam
    seniors

    In this guide (5 steps):

    1. 1.Open the Phone App and Find Recent Calls
    2. 2.Tap the Blue Information Icon Next to the Number
    3. 3.Tap "Block this Caller" at the Bottom
    4. 4.Check Your Block List in Settings
    5. 5.Block a Texting Number From the Messages App
    1

    Open the Phone App and Find Recent Calls

    ~43s
    Look at the home screen of your iPhone for the green icon with a white phone receiver on it. The icon is labeled "Phone." Tap it once with your finger. The app opens to one of five tabs along the bottom: Favorites, Recents, Contacts, Keypad, and Voicemail. Tap the word "Recents" at the bottom. A list of every recent call appears, with the most recent at the top. Each call shows the name (if the number is in your contacts) or the phone number, the date or time, and an arrow on the right side. Find the number you want to block by scrolling up or down.

    Quick Tip

    Calls in red text are calls you missed. Calls in black text are calls you answered or made. Both can be blocked the same way.

    2

    Tap the Blue Information Icon Next to the Number

    ~44s
    When you find the number, look at the right side of its row. There is a small blue circle with a lowercase letter "i" inside it. Tap that circle. A new page opens showing more details about the number: the call history with this number, options to send a message, share contact, create a new contact, and at the very bottom, a red line that says "Block this Caller." If the number is already saved in your contacts, you will see the contact name at the top instead of the number, and the same "Block this Caller" button is still at the bottom.

    Warning

    Make sure you have tapped the right number before you continue. Once you block a number, real calls from that person, like a grandchild calling from a friend's phone, will not reach you.

    3

    Tap "Block this Caller" at the Bottom

    ~40s
    Scroll down on the details page until you see the red text that says "Block this Caller." Tap on those words. A small pop-up message appears at the bottom of the screen with a warning: "You will not receive phone calls, messages, or FaceTime from people on the block list." Tap the red text that says "Block Contact" to confirm. The block takes effect right away. The pop-up disappears and the page now shows "Unblock this Caller" at the bottom, which is how you would reverse the block later if you change your mind.

    Quick Tip

    Blocking only stops calls and texts. If the number has called you before and left a voicemail, that voicemail stays in your voicemail box. The block does not delete it.

    4

    Check Your Block List in Settings

    ~43s
    To see every number you have blocked, open the Settings app (the gray icon with the gear). Scroll down and tap "Phone." Tap "Blocked Contacts." A list shows every number and contact you have blocked. To unblock anyone, tap "Edit" at the top right, then tap the red minus sign next to the number, then tap "Unblock" that appears. The unblock takes effect right away. Some people print this list once a month to keep track. As of iOS 17 and later, you can also block all calls from people not in your contacts list using a different setting called Silence Unknown Callers. See the related TekSure guide for those steps.

    Warning

    Do not unblock a number unless you are sure the caller has stopped scamming. Scammers sometimes wait months and try again from the same number.

    5

    Block a Texting Number From the Messages App

    ~46s
    If a spam number is sending text messages instead of calling, open the Messages app (green icon with a white speech bubble). Tap the message thread from the spam number. At the top of the screen, tap the phone number or the contact name. A menu opens. Tap "Info" if you see it, or scroll down on the menu. At the bottom, tap "Block This Caller" and confirm with "Block Contact." The same block takes effect for calls, texts, and FaceTime. You can also report the message as spam by tapping "Report Junk" at the bottom of the message thread, which sends a copy to Apple and your phone company.

    Quick Tip

    Never tap a link inside a spam text message, even one that says "unsubscribe" or "STOP." Tapping any link tells the scammer your number is active and will lead to more spam.

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    If the same phone number keeps calling you over and over, or a scammer has your number and will not stop, blocking the number on your iPhone is the quickest fix. A blocked number cannot call you, text you, or leave a voicemail. The call goes straight to silence on their end and never reaches your phone. You do not need to talk to your phone company, pay extra money, or download an app. The block setting is built right into every iPhone made in the last ten years, and turning it on takes less than thirty seconds once you know where to look.

    Apple introduced call blocking on iPhone back in 2013 with iOS 7, and the feature has improved every year since. As of 2026, every iPhone running iOS 17 or newer, which is almost every iPhone in active use, has the block feature. To check what version of iOS you have, open the Settings app, scroll down and tap General, then tap About. Look for the line that says iOS Version. If the number is 15 or higher, you are ready to use the steps below. If your iPhone is very old and the number is lower, the steps are similar but the menu names may look a little different.

    There are three ways to block a number on iPhone, and all three work the same way. They only start from different places. The first way is from the Recents tab in the Phone app, which is the easiest if the caller is still in your recent calls list. The second way is from the Contacts app, useful if the caller is already saved in your contacts. The third way is from the Messages app, useful if the person is sending you spam text messages. This guide walks through all three so you can pick the one that fits your situation.

    A few things to know before you start. Blocking is your decision. The caller never gets a notice that you blocked them. They will hear silence, a busy signal, or get sent to a voicemail box they cannot leave a message in. If you change your mind later, you can unblock the same number with the same number of taps. Blocking only stops that one phone number. If the same scammer calls from a different number, you will need to block that one too. For ongoing waves of spam from many different numbers, see the related TekSure guide on silencing unknown callers, which is a stronger tool for spam calls in bulk.

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    Official Resources

    Apple Support — iPhoneGoogle Help — AndroidSamsung Support

    Sources used to create and verify this guide. View all sources →

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