Spam texts are the bane of iPhone users. They interrupt your peace, clog up your messages app, and often contain phishing attempts or malicious links. Knowing how to block spam texts on iPhone in 2024 is of great importance as spammers get smarter and sneakier.
These texts can look like offers, prizes, or warnings to get your attention. However, responding to or engaging with them can lead to bigger problems like privacy breaches or personal info theft.
Spam texts are not only annoying but also dangerous. They can give scammers your personal info or infect your device with malware.
Worse, some spam texts may look harmless but ask you to click a link or chat with them and that can lead to more unwanted texts and even scams.
As spammers get smarter, it’s important to stay ahead by learning how to block them. Apple has acknowledged this problem and has built-in ways to block or filter out unwanted texts in the iPhone but you need to know how to enable them.
In this post, we’ll show you how to block spam texts on iPhone in 2024. With just a few taps, you can stop spam from ruining your daily life, protect your privacy, and keep your messages tidy.
How to Block Spam Texts on iPhone in 2024
Blocking spam texts on your iPhone in 2024 is super easy. Apple has given us multiple ways to stop annoying and harmful texts. Here are the ways to stop spam messages from getting to your inbox.
Blocking Specific Numbers
If you’ve got a spam text from a specific number, you can block it so the sender can’t reach you again.
- Open Messages: Open your iPhone’s Messages app and find the conversation with the spam text.
- Tap on the Sender’s Name or Number: At the top of the screen you’ll see the sender’s name or number. Tap on it.
- Tap on Info: After tapping the number select the “info” option to see more options for the contact.
- Select “Block this Caller”: Scroll down and select “Block this Caller”.
- Confirm: Confirm you want to block the number by selecting “Block Contact”. The number will be blocked and you won’t get texts from it again.
This is for blocking specific spam numbers. But if you’re getting spam from multiple unknown numbers, there’s more to it.
Unknown Senders
One of the best features on the iPhone is the ability to filter unknown senders. This will keep your main inbox spam free by separating messages from people not in your contacts.
- Go to Settings: Open the Settings app.
- Scroll to Messages: Scroll down and find Messages.
- Turn on Filter Unknown Senders: Toggle on Filter Unknown Senders.
When this is turned on, messages from numbers not in your contacts will go into a folder called Unknown Senders. This will keep spam out of your main inbox so you don’t accidentally talk to spammers.
Report Junk
Another way Apple gives you is the “Report Junk” feature. This will appear when you get a message from a number not in your contacts, especially if it’s from a suspicious source.
- Open the Message: When you get a spam message from an unknown number, open it in the Messages app.
- Look for “Report Junk”: At the bottom of the message you’ll see “Report Junk”.
- Tap “Report Junk”: Tap this to report the message as spam. Apple will be notified and the message will be deleted from your phone. You’ll also block the sender from contacting you again.
The “Report Junk” feature is a quick way to report and delete spam messages without having to go through the hassle of blocking the sender manually.
Third Party Apps to Block Spam
If you’re still getting a lot of spam texts despite using the built-in features, third party apps can give you an extra layer of protection. Some apps specialize in filtering and blocking spam messages so you have even more control over your texts.
- Download a Spam Blocking App: Apps like Truecaller, RoboKiller or Hiya are designed to block spam texts and calls. These apps have massive databases of known spam numbers and can filter out spam texts before they hit your inbox.
- Follow the App Setup: After downloading the app, follow the setup instructions to integrate it with your iPhone’s messaging system.
- Turn on Spam Protection: Once installed, these apps will automatically detect and block texts from numbers marked as spam. Some apps even have reporting features so you can add new spam numbers to the global database.
These apps give you an extra layer of protection from new spam. They block known spam numbers and update regularly.
Future Spam Texts
Blocking and filtering is important but prevention is always better than cure. Here are some ways to reduce the likelihood of getting spam in the first place.
- Don’t Share Your Number Publicly: Don’t share your number on public websites or forums where spammers can pick it up. The less your number is online, the less spam you’ll get.
- Be Careful with Promotions and Sign-Ups: Many websites and apps ask for your number but they may share it with third party advertisers. Be picky about where you share your number and always read the privacy policy before signing up.
- Don’t Respond to Spam: Never respond to spam or click on the links they send. Doing so will tell spammers your number is active and you’ll get more unwanted texts.
More Spam Tips
To further protect yourself from spam texts here are a few more:
- Enable Two-Factor Authentication: Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security to your accounts so even if your number is compromised it’s harder for hackers to get to your personal info.
- Use VoIP Services: Consider using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services like Google Voice or Calilio to separate your personal and business communications. These services often have spam blocking and you can change your number if needed.
- Check App Permissions: Be mindful of the permissions you give to apps on your iPhone. Some apps may ask for access to your messages or contacts unnecessarily which can lead to data breaches or spam.
Conclusion
Spam texts are still a problem in 2024 for iPhone users but the good news is you can do something about it. By learning how to block spam texts on iPhone in 2024 you can have a spam free messaging experience, protect your privacy and stay safe from phishing and scams. From blocking specific numbers and filtering unknown senders to using third party apps and preventing future spam you have many options. Keep your iPhone safe and spam free by using these and always be mindful of who has your number.
Spam texts are a pain but with these techniques you can stop them from getting in the way. Be ahead of the curve, protect yourself and keep your messages spam free.
I’m Edidiong Ekpo, an experienced SEO content writer who writes well-researched articles to educate the public on various niches across the web.