iPhone 15+ running iOS 26.5 cannot block spam callers

silver_mica wrote:

This is extremely disappointing.

I'm still using iOS 15.8.8 and, currently, I add about 4,500 numbers per year to my blocked list.

Verizon Wireless, my carrier, allows blocking up to 5 numbers and if you pay Verizon $4 per month then they allow blocking up to 20 numbers. However my blocked list is in the thousands.

Apple was my last hope but now Apple has arbitrarily limited the number of blocked numbers to a mere 3000. I've blown way past this number. Now the SPAM situation is absolutely hopeless.

SPAM is so bad that I don't even use my phone anymore. The only reason I continue to pay for a cell phone is because we live in a world where multi-factor authentication requires a smart phone.

This is hyper depressing.

If you are using this feature to block spam text messages or calls, this feature will be ineffective.

Spam messages and calls almost always "spoof" a randomly selected number - and will use an entirely different number each time. As such, attempting to block this type of unwanted messages and calls is (a) generally ineffective, and (b) results in hundreds (if not thousands) of phone numbers that are unlikely to be used twice by spammers and unwanted marketers.

However, the ability to block specific numbers is useful where the associated number is being consistently used by a known unwanted caller - this most likely occurring for a specific person, or telephone number used by a legitimate business.

When used correctly, the blocking feature can be useful - and results in a manageable list of blocked callers. If attempting to block numbers that are spoofed by automated calling an spam messaging, its usefulness is limited - and may result in wanted calls being blocked.

Remember, the spoofed numbers might be someone else's legitimate number from which you might want to receive calls and messages!

• No Call Screening does not block Text Messages, that is why it is called Call Screening and it has absolutely been effective for me by virtually eliminating all Spam Calls where I would receive about 5 a day.
• Blocking has always been ineffective when attempting to use it for Spam Control as spammers spoof the sending numbers and you are not likely to ever receive another call/message from that same number again anyway. Blocking is useful for when you no longer want to communicate with a known contact or one that you have verified comes from the same number. Verizon knows that too.
• There is no 100% effective solution for Spam control where you also would not miss important messages. For that reason, you can stop being notified or bugged by those messages and they can automatically be filtered to an unknown list when they are not in your contacts. If you choose just to bulk delete the entire list of unknown messages that is up to you, others may want to be able to look through that last for an important message they may have received where they were not in your Contacts. The important point is that your phone is not going off constantly all day from these Spam messages.
• As far as a additional Feature Request I could recommend to go along with the automatic filtering of messages that are not in your Contacts list is a Setting that would automatically delete the recent texts after a set period of time. That way those that don't want to batch delete those messages wouldn't have to do that and those that want to review the recent messages not in their contacts could do that within the time frame they have set.

It does appear you think you are blocking a spammer when you have blocked a number, but it would be a mistake to think that is the case. It may make you feel better, but the next time that same spammer is using a different number. That really is basic Spamming 101 and "spoofing" is very easy to do. What you have done is blocked thousands of numbers that may have actually been legitimate numbers. The numbers are just made up.

The same is true for email addresses that can be "spoofed". A recent scam going around spoofs your email address to try and convince you that they have taken over control of your account. It is simply a scam. They can also spoof a friend of yours email address and blocking would mean that it would be your friend that could no longer communicate with you.

You are simply wasting your time blocking numbers if you think that is how you control Spam.

I have the same problem with my iPhone 14. I've tried all the solutions that have been mentioned for the past month by various individuals, and nothing works. Unfortunately the new iOS 26.5.2 doesn't solve the problem. I've reported it to Apple. It seems that this is not a priority - which is extremely frustrating. I haven't updated my iPhone 16 to any version of iOS 26 since I don't trust it to work for that phone, either

I wish they would still sort them chronologically if they are going to stay with the 3k. That way I could just delete the oldest blocked contacts. That was the way it was sorted prior to iOS 26, so they know how to do it. Glad it worked for you.

KAE417, I am glad to here that it worked for you as well. I was hoping it wasn't just for me. I have also posted my suggestion on other thread about blocked contacts not working, but you and Buzzoff13 are the first to respond.

buzzoff13 wrote:

I know that MrHoffman doesn't support the use of the feature but if implemented properly, w/o limitations, I suggest that it will still help.

I’ve never gotten a repeat scam call from the same not-checkmarked (STIR/SHAKEN, “verified by carrier”) number.

Overly-communicative organizations, yes. Scammers and spammers, no.

Like most everybody else, I do get repeat calls and texts from not-checkmarked numbers, but the scammers always fake different calling numbers. (The scammers would be stupid not to vary numbers, too. Much easier to block persistently-used numbers.)

As I’d mentioned, the recently-added call screening also currently works for reducing the numbers of scam calls, too.

This is extremely disappointing.

I'm still using iOS 15.8.8 and, currently, I add about 4,500 numbers per year to my blocked list.

Verizon Wireless, my carrier, allows blocking up to 5 numbers and if you pay Verizon $4 per month then they allow blocking up to 20 numbers. However my blocked list is in the thousands.

Apple was my last hope but now Apple has arbitrarily limited the number of blocked numbers to a mere 3000. I've blown way past this number. Now the SPAM situation is absolutely hopeless.

SPAM is so bad that I don't even use my phone anymore. The only reason I continue to pay for a cell phone is because we live in a world where multi-factor authentication requires a smart phone.

This is hyper depressing.

Apple Call Screening does not block text messages.

Basically Apple and my carrier do not have good solutions. I wouldn't even call it SPAM control.

Yeah, sure, there are a few people saying that there's a setting on the iPhone that silences unknown numbers when they call. I currently use this but this isn't blocking and this doesn't prevent text messages coming through. Apple doesn't have any SPAM control - if you ask me. Apple does (currently) allow the user to create block lists that are tens of thousands long (at least on my iPhone 7 Plus). This absolutely works. Try it!

Blocking is the best available solution today. Period. Everything else offered is a janky afterthought and basically half-baked or doesn't work at all.

My carrier, Verizon, has a "free" SPAM tool - you can block up to 5 numbers. What an absolute joke. On average I block 12 number per day (yes, PER DAY) - that ads up to about 4,400 per year that I add to my block list. Verizon offers a pay version of their SPAM tool and allows you to block up to 20 numbers. This is just insulting. Verizon has an extremely dysfunctional app that was absolutely issueless.

Now what would actually work and would be extremely easy to implement is reverse blocking and only allow numbers on a white list call you.

This would be trivial to implement and would be rock-solid. Why isn't this offered?

At times I wonder if they just want you to have thousands of SPAM messages.

I stopped using my phone 6 years ago. The only reason I pay for SPAM (I mean pay for a cell phone) is a need for multi factor authentication. It seems that in today's world a phone capable of running modern apps has become a necessity - just like owning a car tends to be the only realistic solution.

silver_mica wrote:

Apple Call Screening does not block text messages.

You are posting in a thread about blocking Spam callers. That is why the Call Screening option was provided and specifically with the option for "Ask Reason for Call".

As stated later in thread when you brought up text messages, it was then addressed that you can choose to filter into an unknown list when not in your contacts. You are not notified of those texts and your phone does not provide any audible alert. They do remain in the unknown list where you can bulk delete all at once if you wish. The point is, you are not being bugged by your phone constantly going off by those spam messages.

silver_mica wrote:

Call Screening isn't a solution. Period.

Only call blocking will work. Period.

End of discussion.

If we’re blocking all calling numbers from +1-000-000-0000 to +9999-999-999-9999, sure. Otherwise, no.

Calling numbers get faked, just like faked email senders with email spam.

Phone switches are computers too, and can get breached.

Spammers don’t repeat their faked calling numbers. They don’t want to reuse either, given number blocking.

Number blocking is futile.

Reverse blocking in the only robust way of blocking SPAM. Period.

[Edited by Moderator]