The fastest way to block someone on iPhone

Open the Messages app, find the conversation with the person you want to block, swipe left on their name, and tap the trash icon to delete the conversation. Then open Settings, scroll to Messages, tap Filter Unknown Senders if you want to separate texts from people not in your contacts, and return to the main Settings screen. Tap Phone, scroll down to Blocked Contacts, tap Edit in the upper right, then the plus sign, and search for the contact you want to block. Their name will move to a "Blocked" list, and they won't be able to text or call you.

If you want to block someone without deleting the conversation first, you can also press and hold their name in the Messages app and select Block from the menu that appears. The conversation stays in your inbox but you won't receive new messages from them.

Once someone is blocked, their calls go straight to voicemail, their texts don't arrive, and they won't see a delivery confirmation. They may not know they're blocked — the message will appear to send normally on their end, but it won't reach you.

Key Takeaways

  • You can block a contact through the Phone app's Blocked Contacts list or by swiping left on a conversation in Messages and selecting Block.
  • Blocked people can still call and text, but their messages won't reach you and their calls go to voicemail.
  • Deleting a conversation does not block the person — you must add them to your Blocked Contacts list separately.
  • You can unblock someone at any time by going to Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts, swiping left on their name, and tapping Unblock.

Blocking through the Phone app versus Messages

The Phone app and Messages app both let you block contacts, but they work slightly differently. In the Phone app, go to Recents, find the person's name, tap the info icon (a circle with an "i"), scroll down, and tap Block this Caller. This method is faster if you're already looking at a call log. In Messages, you can swipe left on a conversation and tap Block, or press and hold the contact name and select Block from the menu.

Both methods add the person to the same Blocked Contacts list in Settings, so blocking them in one app blocks them in both. The difference is just which app you're already using when you decide to block.

What happens when you block someone

When you block a contact on iPhone, they can still call and text you, but the messages and calls never reach your phone. Their calls go straight to voicemail without ringing. Their text messages don't appear in your Messages app at all. If they send an iMessage (a blue text bubble), it will appear to send successfully on their end, but it won't arrive on your device.

The blocked person won't receive a notification that they've been blocked. They may figure it out over time if their calls always go to voicemail and their messages never get responses, but iPhone doesn't send them an alert. If you unblock them later, they won't see a notification about that either.

Blocking someone does not delete your old conversation with them. If you want to remove the conversation from your inbox, you have to delete it separately by swiping left on it and tapping Delete.

Blocking unknown numbers and spam

If you're getting texts from numbers not in your contacts, you can turn on Filter Unknown Senders in the Messages app. Go to Settings, tap Messages, and toggle on Filter Unknown Senders. This moves texts from people you don't know into a separate tab in Messages, so they don't clutter your main inbox. The messages still arrive, but they're hidden unless you look for them.

For calls from unknown numbers, go to Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers and toggle it on. Unknown callers will go straight to voicemail without ringing your phone. This is different from blocking — you're not blocking specific people, just silencing all calls from numbers not in your contacts.

If you get repeated spam or scam calls, you can block the number by tapping the info icon next to it in your recent calls and selecting Block this Caller. You can also report the number as spam or junk at the same time.

Managing your blocked contacts list

To see everyone you've blocked, go to Settings, tap Phone, and scroll down to Blocked Contacts. The list shows every number and contact you've blocked. To unblock someone, swipe left on their name and tap Unblock. They'll immediately be able to reach you again.

You can also block contacts from your address book without having received a call or text from them. Go to Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts, tap Edit, tap the plus sign, and search for the contact you want to block. This is useful if you want to block someone before they try to reach you.

There's no limit to how many people you can block on an iPhone. You can block as many contacts as you need, and the list will keep growing. If you block someone and then want to unblock them later, the process is the same — just find their name in Blocked Contacts and tap Unblock.

Blocking FaceTime and iMessage separately

When you block a contact through Settings or the Messages app, you block them from calling, texting, and using FaceTime. All three services are blocked together — you can't block someone from texting but allow them to call you.

If you want to block someone only from FaceTime, you can do that separately. Open FaceTime, find the contact, tap the info icon, and select Block this Caller. This blocks them only from FaceTime calls, not from texts or regular phone calls. Similarly, you can block someone from iMessage only by opening Messages, finding their conversation, and selecting Block — though this typically blocks all messaging.

For most people, blocking through Settings is the simplest approach because it blocks all contact methods at once. Use the individual app blocking options only if you want to allow someone to reach you through one method but not another.

What to do if someone keeps contacting you after being blocked

If someone is contacting you from a different number after you've blocked them, they're not actually getting around the block — they're just using a new phone number you haven't blocked yet. Block each new number as it appears by tapping the info icon next to the call or message and selecting Block this Caller.

If the harassment continues, you can report it to your carrier or to law enforcement. Most carriers have abuse reporting tools, and repeated contact after being told to stop may may have access to as harassment depending on your location. Document the dates and times of the contacts and save screenshots if possible.

You can also turn on Do Not Disturb to silence all calls and texts except from your favorites. Go to Settings, tap Focus, tap Do Not Disturb, and choose who can reach you. This won't block the person, but it will prevent their messages and calls from interrupting you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does blocking someone delete old text messages from them?

No. Blocking only stops new messages from reaching you. Old conversations stay in your Messages app unless you delete them manually. You can swipe left on the conversation and tap Delete to remove it, or keep it for your records.

Can I block someone without them knowing?

Yes. iPhone doesn't notify the blocked person that you've blocked them. They may eventually realize it if their calls always go to voicemail and their texts never get responses, but they won't receive an alert from Apple.

What's the difference between blocking and muting a conversation?

Muting hides notifications from a conversation but you still receive the messages. Blocking stops the messages from arriving at all. To mute instead, swipe left on a conversation in Messages and tap Mute. You can unmute anytime by swiping left again and tapping Unmute.

Can I block someone on iMessage but not on regular text?

Not separately. Blocking a contact blocks them from all messaging services, calls, and FaceTime at once. You can't block them from iMessage only while allowing regular SMS texts through.

What happens if I block someone and then unblock them?

Once you unblock them, they can call and text you normally again. They won't see a notification that you unblocked them. Any messages they sent while blocked won't suddenly appear — those messages were never delivered to your phone.