Getting messages from someone you don’t know? Or just getting messages you’d rather not receive? If someone is bothering you with text messages, you can block them so that they won’t be able to contact you further. Today, we’re going to show you how to block text messages on iPhone.
There are two methods by which you can block texts on iPhone: through the Messages app, or through your device settings. If you want to block someone who isn’t saved in your device’s contact list, going through the Messages app is the easiest way. Let’s go over the steps for that method first.
To block someone through the Messages app:
1. Tap Messages to launch the app.
To start up your device’s messaging app, tap Messages on your home screen.
2. Find the conversation with the person you’d like to block.
Look through your list of conversations and locate your conversation with the person you want to restrict from messaging you. Tap it once to open it.
3. Tap the "i" button.
Once the conversation has been opened, you’ll see an "i" button in the top-right corner. Tap this button to access your conversation details.
4. Tap their name or phone number where it appears at the top of your screen.
At the top of your screen, you’ll see the phone number or name (if the person is saved as a contact) of the person you who messaged you. Tap their name or number once to move on to the next page.
5. Scroll down and tap Block This Caller.
This page will show you the person’s contact information. Scroll to the bottom of the page and tap Block This Caller to indicate that you wish to stop them from contacting you.
6. To confirm you’d like to block them, tap Block Contact.
Tap Block Contact at the bottom of your screen to confirm that you wish to go through with it.
That’s all you need to do to block someone through your iPhone’s Messages app. That method will allow you to stop anyone from messaging you, regardless of whether their information is saved in your address book. If you want to block one of your contacts, you can do so through your device settings. Now, we’ll show you how to use this method.
To block one of your saved contacts:
1. Tap Settings on your home screen.
On your home screen, tap the Settings icon. This will launch an app where you can see and edit any of the settings for your device.
2. Scroll down and select Messages.
On the main settings page, scroll down and tap Messages to access settings pertaining to your messages.
3. On the message settings page, tap Blocked.
On the next screen, scroll down and tap Blocked to view or change your blocked contacts.
4. To block one of your contacts, tap Add New.
If you’d like to block someone you haven’t yet, tap Add New. This will allow you to block one of the contacts you have saved in your device.
5. On the next screen, scroll through the list and select the contact you’d like to block.
Here you’ll see a full list of all the contacts you have saved in your device’s address book. Scroll through the list and find the name of the person you’d like to block. When you find them, tap their name once to add them to your blocked list.
That’s all you need to do to prevent one of your saved contacts from text messaging you. There are a few other pieces of information you may want to keep in mind when blocking someone on your iPhone, so we’re going to cover those things next.
Notes about blocking someone on iPhone
1. If you block a saved contact, all their contact methods will be blocked.
If the person is saved as a contact in your address book, you may have more than one contact method associated with their name. If you have more than one contact method for this person (e.g. multiple phone numbers), all of them will be blocked.
2. You can unblock someone at any time.
After blocking someone, you can always choose to unblock them if you wish. You can view a list of people you’ve blocked by going to Settings > Messages > Blocked. Swipe your finger to the left across their name/phone number where it appears on your blocked list, then tap Unblock.
3. You can choose to mute notifications for someone instead of blocking them.
If someone is annoying you, you can change your settings such that you won’t receive notifications when they message or call you, rather than blocking them. To do so, use the method of blocking someone through the Messages app. Follow steps 1-3, then beside where it says “Do Not Disturb,” slide the toggle to the right to mute notifications.
4. If you block someone from messaging you, they also will not be able to contact you through phone calls or FaceTime.
When you block someone, their phone number will also be restricted from calling you on the phone and through FaceTime, so you don’t have to worry about them bothering you through all forms of communication that are built into your device. Be sure to block them on other messaging apps (e.g. Snapchat, WhatsApp) if you have them as a contact there as well and don’t want them bothering you there.
That covers everything you need to know about blocking unwanted text messages on your iPhone. If you’re interested in learning more, be sure to check out the other articles in our iPhone texting course.
