How to block numbers on iPhone SE after iOS 26 update?

In Classic View if I tap the i the next screen displays a contact page, and at the bottom of the page it says Block Contact. Every time. iOS 26.2

In Unified View if I tap on the name in the phone list the next screen displays a contact page, and at the bottom of the page it says Block Contact. Every time. iOS 26.2.

In either view if I tap on the menu in the upper right and tap Manage Filtering I have a number of spam blocking options, including requiring the caller to state a reason for calling (spam calls won’t answer, because they don’t connect immediately) or Silence, where all calls from numbers not in your contacts will go directly to voicemail. Under Call Filtering I can turn on Spam, which will send all calls identified by your carrier as spam to be automatically added to a block list.

You can also add 3rd party apps that will recognize spam calls and automatically block them. I use NoMoRobo and Number Shield, but there are many others.

I was so frustrated by this also but I just found the solution!!!

In your Recent Calls, simply swipe to the left on the number that you want to block. There will be 3 icons - an orange hand, a blue clock, and a red trash can. The orange hand will allow you to block the number directly from your recent call log without needing to save as a contact. Quick and easy, sorry for doubting you, Apple!

Just updated (not upgraded) to iOS 26.2 and immediately noticed this "feature" (bug). I found in the Phone app in the upper right corner I can tap the burger wedge (viewing options) and switch from 'Unified' back to 'Classic' which returns the 'i(nfo)' icon to each number, which I can tap to then 'Block' > 'Block and Report Junk'.

Interestingly, one of the choices in the viewing options is to show only 'Spam' ... but none of the numbers which are 'Reported as Junk' appear in this view.

Ian_in_Norfolk wrote:

Agreed, Double tapping allows you to close the app but nothing else. If you open it, the same icons (ie without the orange one) are there.

The idea of going to Settings/Phone/Block numbers and having to add the number manually is ridiculous - and the only way I can see to do it is by writing the number down on a piece of paper. That is so 1980s - Apple everything should be easy, and automatic. Why change something that worked?

Using iPhone SE with 26.2.1

SE have this bug,

Report it https://apple.com/feedback

You can press home button, then Phone app, then home button, then Phone app, until the Block Caller appears.

NB There is no point in blocking true spam because they will never use that number again.

Rope89 wrote:

NO orange hand appears when I swipe left and I note that many others this orange icon also does not appear. Can apple fix this?

To block MAIL contacts:

• Swipe from right to left in the mail list
• Tap on More
• Scroll down and tap Block Contact

To block PHONE contacts:

• Tap on the i next to the number in Recents
• Scroll down and tap Block Contact

This is how it has always worked.

But I will raise the point again: You should only use this to block people you know who you do not want to contact you. There is absolutely no reason to block spam contacts, because spammers never use the same number or email a 2nd time. So you will end up with hundreds of blocked contacts who will never call or email you again.

If there is a pattern to calls the app Number Shield can block calls from a specific area code or other number pattern. As I don’t know anyone in the 609 area code, for example, I can block all calls from that area code (and I do). As they go to voicemail, any legitimate caller can still leave a message and won’t know you blocked them.

Thank you for your viewpoint regarding "you end up with hundreds of blocked numbers". Please keep in mind that your viewpoint does not address the subject at hand, and to some comes off as scolding. I will reiterate that the subject at hand is that the block option is no longer visible on some user's iPhones as an option. If they want hundreds of blocked numbers or not on their iPhone is a personal choice that no one other than the owner of the phone has a say so over.

I have an iPhone SE 3 and have the same issue. Hitting the home button after hitting the i (information) seems to work to get the missing option to appear. It works inconsistently meaning sometimes on the first try sometimes repeated tries. I also noticed that after hitting the i if you wait a few seconds the missing options will appear but this is also inconstant. It seems that the option are there but are not rendering as the shapes of the options fields are squared off and not rounded like the ones that do appear.

I agree it is a bug.

IdrisSeabright/Lawrence Finch may not realize that they are presenting as attempting to hijack the thread and deviate from the matter at hand. They are focusing on the need, or lack thereof, to block calls. They have repeatedly expressed that blocking calls is pointless but overlook (intentionally maybe) that the issue is that several options are not rendering as they should, including, but not limited to, the blocking option, share contact, add to existing contact, etc., since the update to iOS 26. While many posters have been encouraged to report the issue to Apple, many others on this thread reported doing so to no avail, and many others come to this forum to share issues and share solutions. On this thread IdrisSeabright/Lawrence Finch are presenting as unhelpful at times with their contributions. I imagine this is unintentional as most people have better things to do with their time, and of course, some people don't. I continue to follow this thread and share my efforts to resolve the issue, which unfortunately has not lead to a solution and fortunately has not been an exercise in thread hijacking. I did read today in Forbes and elsewhere about iOS 26.3 and a possible iOS 26.2.1 being released soon. The articles only mentioned iMessage improvements and did not mention this issue which seems to predominantly effect iPhone SE models. I am on T-Mobile and have confirmed this issue exists on my SE 2 and 3 but haven't checked my SE 1. Erasing, resetting, and restoring the phone has not resolved the issue. The selecting the i icon next to the phone number on the received calls list, then hitting the home button, and then hitting the phone app and repeating the cycle two or three times seems to be the best work around for now but obviously the options that are missing are expected to render on the screen instantly without this work around. I hope that puts the needless conversation about the value of blocking calls to rest and refocuses the issue on the fact that several options as mentioned are not rendering on many iPhones since the iOS 26 update. I REALLY hope the next post on this thread is a solution to the issue as presented by the original poster.

In Classic View if I tap the i the next screen displays a contact page that is incomplete and only renders Incoming Call and Call History UNLESS I use a workaround including hitting the home button.

In Unified View if I tap on the name in the phone list the next screen displays a contact page that is incomplete and only renders Incoming Call and Call History UNLESS I use a workaround including hitting the home button. Every time. iOS 26.2. EVERY TIME.

blue23rose (the original poster) is having the same issue I am having. That issue is that "after IOS 26 update, that option is gone on my phone". We have since learned that it appears to be a rendering issue that no one has been able to solve as of this post, but have submitted workarounds including the one I just mentioned.

Jeff Donald wrote:

I tap the i, scroll to bottom and block contact option is still there. Have you updated to iOS 26.0.1? Have you done a forced restart?

Product Feedback - Apple

The bug, or design change, seems to be limited to hone button phones SE2 and SE3

It still doesn't show on my SE3 with a particular provider unless I press Home button then the Phone app again, in which case the whole list is displayed, including Block Contact

Blue23rose offered this workaround and at time of writing enjoys Top Ranking reply status.

I updated the SE 3 to iOS 26.2 and still have the same issue but I noticed that if I wait a few seconds it will finish rendering and show the add to favorites, share contact, block caller, etc., options that are missing. It is rendering faster than before the update but not immediately (they way it used to) and this solution is still only working intermittently. I also noticed that if I scroll up a few times, like refreshing a window, it will force the screen to render the missing options. It also works intermittently but is faster and less of hassle than pushing the home button.

I updated my SE 3 to 26.2.1. Issue is still there. The method that another poster recently mentioned regarding hitting the i button in Classic mode scrolling down and then holding the home button down seems to work consistently on the first try for me. Every once in a while the block will just pop up as it's supposed to. In the Unified mode select the caller and scroll down and long press press the home button also works. Holding down the home button is way less annoying than going in and out of the phone app repeatedly to get the options to appear.

iPhone SE3 ios 26.1 on a Verizon network. I restarted my phone and the Block Caller is available once again just like before.

blue23rose wrote:

Lawrence, your solutions may work on your phone, but it seems that the issue might be related more with SE2 and SE3 iPhones.

Your statement, "This is how it has always worked," was true before the IOS 26 update because I was able to block contacts easily before I updated my phone. But ever since the 26 update, it does not work like before. Evidently, this affects many people based on the complaints I'm seeing online, so there is definitely a problem that Apple needs to address. We shouldn't have to use the workaround solution. I'm not holding my breath that Apple will fix the issue though.

It affects certain providers.

Til they fix it, press Home button, then tap phone app again and the rest of the actions will appear.