Silence unknown callers
How to silence unknown callers on iPhone
The short answer
On iOS 26 and 27, go to Settings > Apps > Phone > Screen Unknown Callers and choose Silence. Calls from numbers that aren’t in your contacts stop ringing, go to voicemail and still show in your call list. On iOS 18 it’s a switch: Settings > Apps > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers.
Checked on iOS 27.0.1, with the iOS 18 and 17 paths · Updated October 18, 2026
- Time
- 1 minute
- Cost
- Free
- Works on
- iOS 17 to 27
- Trade-off
- New callers go to voicemail
Silence unknown callers on iOS 26 and 27
iOS 26 and later
Silencing became one of three choices under Screen Unknown Callers.
Open Settings > Apps > Phone.
- Settings
- Apps
- Phone
Tap Screen Unknown Callers and choose Silence.
- Phone
- Screen Unknown Callers
- Silence
For FaceTime too: Settings > Apps > FaceTime > turn on Silence Unknown Callers.
- Settings
- Apps
- FaceTime
- Silence Unknown Callers
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.
On iOS 18 and iOS 17
iOS 17 and 18
Before iOS 26, Silence Unknown Callers was a single switch.
iOS 18: Settings > Apps > Phone > turn on Silence Unknown Callers.
- Settings
- Apps
- Phone
- Silence Unknown Callers
iOS 17 and earlier: Settings > Phone > turn on Silence Unknown Callers.
- Settings
- Phone
- Silence Unknown Callers
People in your contacts, numbers you’ve recently called and Siri Suggestions still ring.
Beyond this setting
What else helps
Better than silence: screening
On iOS 26 and 27, Ask Reason for Calling lets unknown callers explain who they are first, so the doctor gets through and the robocall doesn’t.
Turn on Call Screening →Live Voicemail
Turn on Settings > Apps > Phone > Live Voicemail to read a transcript while a silenced caller leaves a message, and pick up if it matters. It’s available with select carriers and languages.
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
Where did Silence Unknown Callers go in iOS 26?
It became a choice inside Settings > Apps > Phone > Screen Unknown Callers. Pick Silence for the same effect as the old switch.
Does Silence Unknown Callers block calls?
No. The calls still arrive: they just don’t ring, go to voicemail and show in your call list.
Will I miss important calls if I silence unknown callers?
You might. Anyone not in your contacts goes to voicemail, including doctors and deliveries. Save numbers you expect calls from, or use Ask Reason for Calling instead.
How do I stop unknown calls on iPhone completely?
No setting stops every unknown call. Silence keeps them from ringing, the Spam filter catches flagged numbers, and your carrier’s filter blocks some before they arrive. Together they cut out most of them.
Sources
Checked against
Every step is checked against the official instructions. Menus change with updates; tell us if one has moved.