How to Block Spam Calls on iPhone

An unwanted call does not always need the broadest setting. If one repeat caller is the problem, block that contact. If unfamiliar numbers are interrupting you, screen or silence them. If you still want the phone to ring but would like more context, use call identification.

The steps below follow iOS 26. Apple changes labels and menu locations between iOS releases, so an older iPhone may not match word for word. If a path looks different, search Settings for Phone or Call Blocking & Identification, and use the version selector in Apple’s iPhone User Guide for the software installed on your phone.

Choose the right iPhone call control

Blocking, screening, silencing, and identifying do different jobs:

• Block a specific contact when you have decided you do not want calls from that person or number.
• Screen an unsaved number when you want the caller to give a name and reason before your iPhone rings.
• Silence unsaved numbers when you do not want them to ring; they go to voicemail and remain available in your call history.
• Identify calls when you want a carrier or supported caller-ID app to add available caller information while leaving you to decide what to do.

Apple documents these controls separately in its iOS 26 call-screening and blocking guide. Start with the narrowest option that solves your problem, especially if you receive legitimate calls from people who are not in Contacts.

Block one caller

In iOS 26, open Phone, tap Contacts, choose the contact, and tap Block Contact. To reverse that decision, go to Settings > Apps > Phone > Blocked Contacts, tap Edit, remove the contact from the list, and tap Unblock. Apple’s blocking instructions also cover blocking from Phone, FaceTime, Messages, and Mail.

Blocking one caller is precise, but it is not the same as filtering a class of calls. If unwanted calls keep arriving from different displayed numbers, review the screening, silence, carrier, and app options below instead of building an endless manual list.

Screen or silence unknown callers

On iOS 26, go to Settings > Apps > Phone and find the control for unknown callers. Apple provides three choices: Never, Ask Reason for Calling, and Silence.

With Ask Reason for Calling, iPhone answers an unknown call without interrupting you and asks the caller for a name and reason. Your phone then rings with that response so you can decide whether to answer. With Silence, calls from unsaved numbers do not ring; iPhone sends them to voicemail and keeps them in Recents. Never turns call screening off, so an unsaved number rings normally. Apple explains the three choices and notes that Siri speaks in the iPhone’s default language during screening.

iOS 26 also has separate Unknown Callers and Spam filters in Phone settings. The Unknown Callers filter moves calls from unknown numbers out of Recents and into an Unknown Callers list. The Spam filter silences calls that your carrier identifies as potential spam or fraud, sends them to voicemail, and moves them to a Spam list.

Turn on call identification

For caller information from supported sources, open Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification. iOS 26 can show available identification from Apple Business Connect, supported carriers, and supported call-identification apps. An identification label helps you decide whether to answer; it does not itself mean that the call was blocked.

The Federal Trade Commission treats call labeling and blocking as separate approaches. It also warns that caller ID can be spoofed. Treat a displayed name or familiar-looking number as a clue, not proof of who is calling. See the FTC’s guide to blocking unwanted calls.

Add Roblock identification or blocking

Roblock is an iPhone app that works with supported iOS call-identification, call-blocking, message-filtering, and reporting extension points. For calls, Roblock uses a locally stored Call Directory list to help identify or block listed numbers. Choose whether Roblock identifies listed calls or blocks them; only the selected mode is loaded for those listed calls.

After installing the app, enable the relevant extension in iOS Settings and let Roblock finish its list update. Choose identification when you want available context before deciding. Choose blocking when you want Roblock to block listed calls. Neither setting verifies who is physically placing a call when caller ID has been spoofed.

For a fuller explanation of the product and its limits, read how Roblock works as an iPhone spam blocker. You can also download Roblock from the App Store. Then choose the call mode that fits your needs.

Review missed calls without calling back blindly

In the iOS 26 Phone app, open Calls in the Unified layout or Recents in the Classic layout, tap the Filter button, and choose Unknown Callers or Spam. Check voicemail and context before responding. Do not respond immediately if an unexpected caller creates pressure, asks for sensitive information, or tells you to press a number during a robocall. The FTC advises hanging up on an illegal robocall without calling back or pressing a number.

When a visible number is unfamiliar, you can look it up on Roblock; results depend on the records available. The guide to identifying unknown callers on iPhone explains why a lookup result and a caller-ID label still need judgment. If the call appears unwanted, use the options in our iPhone spam-reporting guide, and leave private or sensitive details out of your report.

To start, block a caller you recognize as unwanted, or open Settings > Apps > Phone and choose whether screening or silence better matches the calls you cannot afford to miss.