Have you ever gotten spammy texts from an unknown number? Or maybe had a friend or coworker suddenly bombard you with aggressive messages? Apple provides useful tools across iPhone, iPad, and Mac to prevent disruptive people from contacting you over iMessage and block them for your peace of mind.
Why Would You Want to Block Someone on iMessage?
Mobile spam and online harassment feel increasingly unavoidable these days. You may want to block someone on iMessage if:
You received unwanted spam texts from numbers you don‘t recognize. Blocking those contacts prevents further disruptions from obvious scammer accounts.
Someone you know is aggressively texting you – like an abusive ex-partner or former friend/co-worker causing stress. Blocking gives you needed space and stops further harassment over iMessage.
A new partner seems controlling, constantly messaging requesting your location or accusing you of ignoring them. Blocking cuts contact so you can safely end the relationship.
You accidentally added contacts while setting up your new iPhone and want to clean up your messages. Blocking and then unblocking lets you easily remove those conversations.
While blocking may seem extreme, it is your right to control who contacts you on your personal devices. Don‘t hesitate to block disruptive people for self care!
Now let‘s walk through simple steps to block someone on both iPhone/iPad and Mac with clear photos guiding you.
Blocking a Contact on iPhone & iPad
Blocking someone on an iOS device like iPhone or iPad prevents that number from calling and messaging you. It only takes seconds to do:
| Step | Photo |
|---|---|
| 1. Open Messages |  |
| 2. Tap conversation |  |
| 3. Select name/number |  |
| 4. Tap Info |  |
| 5. Choose Block Caller |  |
| 6. Confirm block |  |
And you‘re done! This will block them across any iPhones, iPads or other iOS devices signed into your Apple ID.
You‘ll notice their messages instantly disappear from your inbox, almost like they never messaged you in the first place!
But what happens if you block someone by accident – like your boss or important client? Let‘s go over how to reverse a block, along with answering other FAQs.
What Does the Blocked Contact See?
From their end, it will seem like your phone is suddenly turned off or disconnected. Normal iPhone messages saying "Delivered" won‘t show up. If they try calling you, it will go straight to voicemail every time.
So while Apple doesn‘t notify them, frequent callers may start to suspect you intentionally blocked them. But remember – you have every right to block disruptive contacts for your safety and peace!
How Do You Unblock a Number on iOS?
Mistakenly blocked your CEO‘s personal cell? Follow these quick steps to reverse your block:
- Open Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts
- Tap Edit in the upper right
- Select the red minus button by the blocked number
- Tap Done to save the change
And your block will be removed! Their messages will show up in your inbox again as normal.
Accidents happen, so don‘t stress about the occasional slip up. You can always unblock contacts when needed.
Blocking People on Mac iMessage
What about getting spammed from your laptop? Blocking disruptive numbers on a Mac follows a similar, straightforward process:
| Step | Photo |
|---|---|
| 1. Open Messages |  |
| 2. Double click conversation |  |
| 3. Click Conversation menu |  |
| 4. Choose Block Person |  |
| 5. Confirm block | – |
After confirming the block, that contact will be removed from your messages and unable to reach you on any linked devices.
The steps are very similar across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. So once you learn blocking on one device, you can easily apply those skills to all your Apple products for optimal privacy.
Filtering Out iMessage Spam
What about those persistent spammers constantly texting you from new numbers? While blocking individuals is helpful, many scammers repeatedly hit targets using randomized unknown numbers to hide their tracks.
Fortunately, Apple provides tools to automatically filter these shady senders away from your main inbox:
- Open Settings > Messages
- Toggle on Filter Unknown Senders
- In your Messages inbox, tap Filter
- Select Known Senders to only show messages from saved contacts
Enabling this will keep your inbox clutter free and significantly cut down on disruptive spam texts.Pretty handy!
Between proactively blocking harassing contacts and filtering unknown numbers, you can take back control of your digital space. Don‘t hesitate to utilize these security features to protect your mental health.
Have any other questions on blocking contacts or managing messages? Feel free to reply to this post and I‘d be happy to help walk through any issues!
Jenny Chang
iOS Developer and Apple Expert
