Block a caller directly from your phone
The fastest way to block someone is to open the Phone app, find the number or contact in your recent calls, and tap the information icon (the small circle with an "i"). Scroll down and tap Block this Caller. The person is now blocked — their calls go straight to voicemail and they will not see a "delivered" notification when they text you.
If you are already on a call with someone you want to block, tap Contacts at the bottom of the screen, then tap the contact name or number at the top, then tap the information icon, and select Block this Caller. The current call ends when ready.
You can also block someone from your Contacts app. Open Contacts, find the person, tap Edit in the top right, scroll to the bottom, and tap Block this Caller.
Key Takeaways
- Open the Phone app, find the recent call, tap the information icon, and select Block this Caller — this is the quickest method.
- Blocked callers cannot reach you by phone or text, and they will not receive delivery notifications when they message you.
- You can unblock someone at any time by going to Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts and swiping left on their name.
- Blocking someone on your iPhone does not prevent them from calling or texting — it only stops their calls and messages from reaching you.
- If someone is harassing you repeatedly, take screenshots of the messages and contact your local police department.
Manage your blocked list in Settings
To see everyone you have blocked, go to Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts. This list shows every number and contact you have blocked on this iPhone. You can add someone to this list by tapping Add New at the top and typing their phone number or name.
To unblock someone, swipe left on their name in the Blocked Contacts list and tap Unblock. They can then call and text you normally again. There is no notification sent to them when you unblock them.
What happens when you block someone
When you block a caller, their calls go directly to voicemail. They will hear your voicemail greeting as if your phone is off, but you will not see a missed call notification. Text messages from blocked numbers do not appear in your Messages app at all.
The blocked person does not receive a message saying they have been blocked. They will straightforward notice that their calls go to voicemail every time and that their texts do not show a delivery status. Some people may assume your phone is off or that you are ignoring them.
Blocking is one-way — it only stops their calls and texts from reaching you. They can still see your location in Find My if you shared it with them before blocking, and they can still see your iCloud status if you use iCloud. If you want to prevent someone from seeing your location, you must turn that off separately in Find My.
Block calls from unknown numbers and spam
If you are getting calls from numbers you do not recognize, you can block all calls from unknown numbers. Go to Settings > Phone and turn on Silence Unknown Callers. Unknown numbers will go straight to voicemail, and you will not see a notification.
For spam and robocalls, your carrier may offer a spam-filtering service. AT&T Call Protect, Verizon Call Filter, and T-Mobile Scam Shield are built into their networks and can block many spam calls automatically. You can also read third-party apps like Nomorobo or RoboKiller from the App Store, which use databases of known spam numbers to block calls before they reach you.
If you receive a spam call, you can report it to your carrier. Open the Phone app, find the call, tap the information icon, and select Report as Spam. This helps your carrier identify patterns and block similar calls for other customers.
Block calls through Do Not Disturb
Do Not Disturb is different from blocking — it silences notifications but does not prevent calls from coming through. However, you can set it up so that only people in your Favorites or Contacts can reach you. Go to Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb, tap Allowed Notifications, and choose Contacts or Favorites.
When Do Not Disturb is on with these settings, calls from people not in your allowed list will ring through but you will not hear them. This is useful if you want to stay reachable to important people but not be bothered by others. Unlike blocking, the caller will not know Do Not Disturb is on — they may think you are ignoring them or your phone is off.
Blocking does not stop all contact methods
Blocking someone on your iPhone only stops calls and text messages through the Phone and Messages apps. They can still reach you through other apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, or email if you have not blocked them there separately.
If someone is contacting you through multiple apps after you have blocked their number, you will need to block them in each app individually. Open the app, find the conversation, and look for a block or report option — most apps have this in the conversation settings or by long-pressing the message.
If someone is harassing you across multiple platforms and you feel unsafe, document the messages with screenshots, including the date and time, and report the behavior to your local police department. Many jurisdictions treat repeated harassment or threats as a crime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a blocked person tell they have been blocked?
No official notification is sent, but they may figure it out if their calls always go to voicemail and their texts never show a delivery status. Some people test by calling from a different number to see if you answer. There is no way for them to know for certain without you telling them.
What if I block someone by accident?
Go to Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts, find their name, swipe left, and tap Unblock. They can call and text you when ready after. You can unblock and reblock someone as many times as you need.
Does blocking someone delete old text messages from them?
No. Blocking only stops new messages from reaching you. Old conversations remain in your Messages app. If you want to delete the conversation, swipe left on it in the Messages list and tap Delete.
Can I block someone if I do not have their contact saved?
Yes. Open the Phone app, find the number in your recent calls, tap the information icon, and select Block this Caller. You do not need their name or contact information saved.
Will blocking someone on my iPhone block them on my iPad or Mac?
If you use the same iCloud account on all your devices, blocked contacts sync across them. Blocking someone on your iPhone will also block them on your iPad and Mac. If you use different iCloud accounts, you will need to block them separately on each device.