You can block a number directly from your Phone app, Messages, or FaceTime, and iPhone will silence calls and texts from that number

When you block a number on iPhone, calls and texts from that person go straight to voicemail and Messages, and you won't see notifications. The blocked person won't know they're blocked — the call or message simply fails on their end without a delivery confirmation. You can block from the Phone app (for calls), Messages app (for texts), or FaceTime app (for video calls), and the block applies across all three if you block the same number in any one of them.

The block stays in place until you manually unblock the number. You can see your full list of blocked contacts in Settings, and you can unblock anyone from that same list at any time.

Key Takeaways

  • Open the Phone, Messages, or FaceTime app, find the contact or number, tap the info icon, scroll down, and tap Block This Caller or Block This Contact.
  • Blocked calls go to voicemail and blocked texts go to a separate folder in Messages — you won't see notifications for either.
  • You can view all blocked numbers in Settings under Phone > Blocked Contacts, and unblock any of them from that list.
  • If you block someone in one app (Phone, Messages, or FaceTime), the block does not automatically apply to the other apps — you may need to block them separately.

Block a number from the Phone app

Open the Phone app and go to the Recents tab at the bottom. Find the number or contact you want to block, tap the info icon (the small circle with an "i") on the right side of the entry, then scroll down and tap Block This Caller. Confirm by tapping Block Contact.

If you want to block a number that hasn't called you yet, open Contacts, find the person, tap the info icon, scroll down, and tap Block This Contact. You can also block a number from a voicemail by opening the voicemail, tapping the info icon, and selecting Block This Caller.

Block a number from Messages

Open the Messages app and find the conversation with the number you want to block. Tap Edit in the top left, then tap the minus sign next to the conversation. A Delete button will appear — tap it, then tap Delete to remove the conversation. This does not block the number.

To actually block the number, open the conversation again (or start a new one with that number), tap the contact name or number at the top of the screen, then tap the info icon. Scroll down and tap Block This Contact, then confirm. After blocking, any new messages from that number will go to a separate folder and you won't see notifications.

Block a number from FaceTime

Open the FaceTime app and find the recent call or contact you want to block. Tap the info icon next to their name, scroll down, and tap Block This Caller. Confirm by tapping Block Contact. After blocking, FaceTime calls from that number will fail without ringing your phone.

If the person is in your Contacts, you can also open Contacts, find them, tap the info icon, scroll down, and tap Block This Contact. The block will apply to FaceTime calls from that contact.

View and manage your blocked list

To see all the numbers you've blocked, open Settings and tap Phone. Scroll down and tap Blocked Contacts — you'll see a list of every number and contact you've blocked across Phone, Messages, and FaceTime.

To unblock someone, open this list, tap Edit in the top left, then tap the minus sign next to the contact. Tap Unblock to confirm. The person can now call, text, or FaceTime you again, and you'll see their calls and messages normally.

What happens when you block a number

When you block a number in the Phone app, calls from that person go straight to voicemail. They won't hear a busy signal or "number not in service" message — the call will ring on their end but fail to connect to you. You won't see a missed call notification.

Blocked text messages go to a separate folder in the Messages app called Blocked. You can view this folder by opening Messages, tapping Edit in the top left, and scrolling down — but you won't get notifications when blocked messages arrive. Blocked FaceTime calls fail silently without ringing your device.

The blocked person cannot tell they've been blocked just from the call or message failing — those failures happen for many reasons. However, if they try to FaceTime you repeatedly and see the same pattern, they may suspect they're blocked.

Block unknown or spam numbers

If you receive a call from an unknown number and want to block it, open the Phone app, go to Recents, find the number, tap the info icon, and tap Block This Caller. You don't need the person's name or contact information — blocking works on the phone number alone.

For repeated spam or robocalls, you can also enable Silence Unknown Callers in Settings > Phone. This sends all calls from numbers not in your Contacts, Recents, or Mail directly to voicemail. This is broader than blocking individual numbers and affects all unknown callers, not just one.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I block someone in Messages, are they blocked in Phone and FaceTime too?

No. Blocking in Messages only blocks text messages. If you want to block their calls and FaceTime calls as well, you need to block them separately in the Phone app and FaceTime app. However, if you block a contact in your Contacts app itself, the block may apply across all three services.

Can I block a number without saving it to my contacts?

Yes. You can block any phone number directly from Recents in the Phone app or from a text message thread in Messages, even if the number isn't saved as a contact. Tap the info icon and select Block This Caller or Block This Contact.

Will the person know I blocked them?

No. A blocked call goes to voicemail and a blocked text fails to send, but neither produces a message saying you've blocked them. They may suspect it if calls consistently go to voicemail, but iPhone doesn't notify them that they're blocked.

Can I block a number temporarily and then unblock it later?

Yes. Open Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts, find the number, tap Edit, tap the minus sign, and tap Unblock. The block is removed immediately and they can call, text, or FaceTime you again.

What if I block someone by accident?

Open Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts, find the contact, tap Edit, tap the minus sign next to their name, and tap Unblock. They're unblocked right away and can reach you normally again.