How to stop spam calls

iPhone

How to stop spam calls on iPhone

The short answer

Open Settings > Apps > Phone. Set Screen Unknown Callers to Ask Reason for Calling, so your iPhone answers numbers you don’t know and asks who’s calling, and turn on Spam under Call Filtering, so calls your carrier flags go straight to voicemail. Then turn on your carrier’s free spam filter too.

Checked on iOS 27.0.1 (the same steps work on iOS 26) · Updated October 18, 2026

Settings > Apps > Phone on iOS 27 (simplified: only the rows this guide uses)
Time
2 minutes
Cost
Free
Works on
iOS 26 and 27
Best defense
Call Screening

Let your iPhone screen unknown callers

iOS 26 and later

Your iPhone answers calls from numbers that aren’t in your contacts without ringing, asks the caller for their name and the reason for the call, then rings and shows you the answer. Spam callers rarely stay on the line.

  1. Open Settings, tap Apps, then Phone.

    1. Settings
    2. Apps
    3. Phone

  2. Under Call Filtering, tap Screen Unknown Callers.

    1. Phone
    2. Screen Unknown Callers

  3. Choose Ask Reason for Calling.

    1. Screen Unknown Callers
    2. Ask Reason for Calling

  4. When a screened call comes in, read who it is and why, then answer or ignore it.

The three choices in Screen Unknown Callers (iOS 26 and 27)

From the makers of this guide

Want the calls screened, not just silenced?

PhoneShield answers your calls first. Known scam numbers are refused before your phone rings, the people you know ring straight through, and everyone else is asked who they are and why they’re calling, so your doctor and the delivery driver still reach you.

Protect a phoneSee how it works

Turn on the Spam filter

iOS 26 and later

Calls your carrier flags as potential spam or fraud are silenced, sent to voicemail and moved to a separate Spam list.

  1. In Settings > Apps > Phone, find Call Filtering.

    1. Settings
    2. Apps
    3. Phone

  2. Turn on Spam.

    1. Phone
    2. Spam

  3. To see what was caught, open the Phone app, tap the Filter button at the top of Calls (or Recents in the Classic layout), then Spam.

Move unknown callers out of your call list

iOS 26 and later

Turn on Unknown Callers in the same Call Filtering section and calls from numbers you don’t know go to their own list, so your call list shows only people you know. Your phone still rings.

  1. In Settings > Apps > Phone, turn on Unknown Callers.

    1. Settings
    2. Apps
    3. Phone
    4. Unknown Callers

  2. To review them, open Phone, tap Filter, then Unknown Callers. Tap Mark as Known for anyone you want back in your main list.

Block a number that keeps calling

A blocked number can’t ring you, FaceTime you or text you, on every device signed in to your Apple Account.

  1. Open the Phone app and go to Calls (or Recents in the Classic layout).

  2. Tap the number (in the Classic layout, tap the Info button next to it), scroll down and tap Block Caller.

    1. Phone
    2. Calls
    3. Number
    4. Block Caller

  3. To see or undo blocks: Settings > Privacy & Security > Blocked Contacts. Swipe left on a number and tap Unblock.

    1. Settings
    2. Privacy & Security
    3. Blocked Contacts

Beyond this setting

What else helps

Your carrier’s free spam filter

Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile all block or label spam for free on their side, before calls reach your iPhone. It’s worth turning on alongside the iPhone settings.

Carrier steps →

Spam texts

iOS 26 and 27 can screen texts from unknown senders into their own list. Turn it on in Settings > Apps > Messages > Unknown Senders.

Stop spam texts →

Just want silence?

Choose Silence instead of Ask Reason for Calling and unknown numbers go straight to voicemail. Quieter, but your doctor goes to voicemail too.

Silence unknown callers →

Report scam calls

Apple has no report button for ordinary calls. Report scam calls to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov; the FTC passes reported numbers to carriers every business day.

Report to the FTC →

Got a specific number?

Check who’s been reporting it

See how often people reported a number to the FTC, what the calls were about, and what to do, at isthisnumberascam.com.

Questions

What people ask

What is the best way to stop spam calls on an iPhone?

Combine three things: set Screen Unknown Callers to Ask Reason for Calling (Settings > Apps > Phone), turn on the Spam filter in the same place, and turn on your carrier’s free spam filter. Screening catches unknown numbers, the Spam filter catches flagged ones, and your carrier blocks some before they reach you.

Does iPhone have a call screener?

Yes. Since iOS 26, Settings > Apps > Phone > Screen Unknown Callers > Ask Reason for Calling makes your iPhone answer unknown numbers and ask who is calling and why before it rings. It works the same on iOS 27.

Why do I still get spam calls after turning on the Spam filter?

The filter only catches calls your carrier has flagged. New numbers and numbers faked to look local aren’t flagged yet. Screening unknown callers covers those.

Will blocking a number stop spam calls?

It stops that one number. Spam operations use thousands of numbers and fake caller ID, so blocking one rarely makes a difference on its own.

Where is Silence Unknown Callers on iOS 27?

It’s now one of the choices in Settings > Apps > Phone > Screen Unknown Callers: pick Silence. On iOS 18 it’s a switch at Settings > Apps > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers.

Sources

Checked against

Every step is checked against the official instructions. Menus change with updates; tell us if one has moved.

  1. Apple: Screen and block calls on iPhone (iOS 27)
  2. Apple: Screen and block calls on iPhone (iOS 26)
  3. Apple: Screen, silence or filter unknown callers
  4. Apple: Block phone numbers, contacts and emails on iPhone
  5. Apple: iOS feature availability (Call Screening languages)
  6. Apple: Recognize and avoid social engineering schemes
  7. FTC: How to block unwanted calls