User level: Level 1 (4 points)Is there a way to instruct my iPhone to block all texts from any number I didn't contact before or don't have in my contacts? would this let the sender know they were blocked? I want senders to know the message was not delivered.
Posted on Oct 22, 2026 9:39 AM
User level: Level 10 (205,348 points)Oct 22, 2026 10:02 AM in response to NYCL18
NYCL18 wrote:
Is there a way to instruct my iPhone to block all texts from any number I didn't contact before or don't have in my contacts? would this let the sender know they were blocked? I want senders to know the message was not delivered.
Block phone numbers, contacts, and emails on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support
User level: Level 10 (107,674 points)Oct 22, 2026 11:31 AM in response to NYCL18
As spammers use different numbers you may be better off Screening rather than Blocking
Screen and filter text messages on iPhone – Apple Support (UK)
User level: Level 10 (201,695 points)Oct 22, 2026 11:58 AM in response to NYCL18
NYCL18 wrote:
would this let the sender know they were blocked? I want senders to know the message was not delivered.
Senders are never notified that you blocked them. The only thing they know is that you haven't responded to them. If you want them to know they're being blocked, I supposed you could reply to them once saying "Blocked" and then block them.
User level: Level 10 (233,174 points)Oct 22, 2026 12:02 PM in response to IdrisSeabright
IdrisSeabright wrote:
NYCL18 wrote:
would this let the sender know they were blocked? I want senders to know the message was not delivered.
Senders are never notified that you blocked them. The only thing they know is that you haven't responded to them. If you want them to know they're being blocked, I supposed you could reply to them once saying "Blocked" and then block them.
They could do that. But that just let's them know they actually reached a real person, so they can alert their other spammer buddies they've got a live one, so the number of spam messages may actually increase.
I just Delete and Report as Spam. Simple and somewhat affective.
User level: Level 10 (201,695 points)Oct 22, 2026 12:39 PM in response to lobsterghost1
lobsterghost1 wrote:
They could do that. But that just let's them know they actually reached a real person, so they can alert their other spammer buddies they've got a live one, so the number of spam messages may actually increase.
Oh, I absolutely agree. But they seem to want the satisfaction of telling the person they've been blocked. I don't get it, but whatever floats their boat.
User level: Level 10 (233,174 points)Oct 22, 2026 12:45 PM in response to IdrisSeabright
IdrisSeabright wrote:
lobsterghost1 wrote:
They could do that. But that just let's them know they actually reached a real person, so they can alert their other spammer buddies they've got a live one, so the number of spam messages may actually increase.
Oh, I absolutely agree. But they seem to want the satisfaction of telling the person they've been blocked. I don't get it, but whatever floats their boat.
I get that too. And I have been at times guilty of responding in a very unkind and rather crude way to some crude and unwanted texts!
Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256380987